Chapter 132

Three weeks had passed since the return of the true lord.

The situation in Kalamaf had certainly improved compared to before.

The biggest change was that all the threats lurking around the city had been completely wiped out.

The newly appeared knights, unlike the cold and indifferent ones from before, actively took part in relief activities and were therefore quite popular.

Through this, Turan once again realized why so many wizard families employed knights.

This type of work was clearly much more convenient and effective when commanding others, rather than running around doing it himself.

Once things began to stabilize a bit, he asked Bije to patrol regularly instead of hunting in the surrounding area.

From the main road stretching toward the western forest area to the rugged mountain range they had crossed.

Bije flew thousands of kilometers a day, constantly using Tracking Magic to identify every human passing through.

Unless someone approached pretending to be an ordinary traveler, it was nearly impossible for a wizard who revealed their abilities to escape Bije's surveillance network.

Unfortunately, there was little progress in the interrogation of Cadrum.

He had tried awakening his mind through harsh torture, and then attempted empathy, consolation, and several techniques from Soul Magic, but the wall of his mind was not easily broken.

Turan let out a sigh of regret, but only for a moment.

Finally, news came that Meisa had succeeded in bringing forth the incarnation of her spirit body through Soul Magic for the second time.

“You were able to bring it out?”

“Yeah. It felt like something shattered, and then it just suddenly burst out. It was a strange feeling.”

“Can I see it?”

At Turan’s words, Meisa immediately closed her eyes, awakened her Spiritual Perception, and brought forth her spirit body.

Upon seeing its form, Turan slightly frowned.

‘This is...’

The antlers and wings seemed to be the same as Turan's, which likely meant they were traits of the Storm Bloodline.

But oddly enough, there were two other distinct features.

A loose bronze chain wrapped around her wrist, and several unidentified metal needles embedded in her head.

“What’s strange?”

“I’m not sure. I can’t tell whether this is strange or not.”

Since one couldn’t reflect their form in a mirror in spirit state, the only way to know their appearance was to ask someone else to look and draw it.

Because of this, Turan had asked the Librarian to draw his appearance for confirmation.

The black dust floating around his body or the vertical pupil seen in the drawing were probably traits of the House Zahar.

To match that, the two features of Meisa were likely from her other bloodlines, probably the Enchanter and Fighter Bloodlines.

After seeing the illustration of her own spirit body, Meisa, like Turan, frowned.

“The bracelet and... this?”

“Looking at it like a portrait, it kind of feels like an ornament, but in reality, it feels like actual needles are stuck in.”

The bronze bracelet, being an accessory, could be interpreted as related to the Enchanter Bloodline, or since arms symbolize strength, perhaps the Fighter Bloodline.

But the needles embedded in the head didn’t clearly correspond to either.

This question grew even bigger not long after, when Solif also succeeded in releasing his spirit body.

His symbols were flaming hair, a white halo, and golden scales covering various parts of his body.

And just like Meisa, needles were embedded in his head.

“No matter how I think about it, the needles in the head don’t seem like a normal bloodline symbol.”

“Yeah. If you exclude that and consider the other three, it all adds up.”

Meisa’s bronze bracelet was probably the symbol of the Enchanter Bloodline, and Solif’s golden scales were likely the symbol of the Guardian Bloodline.

Then what in the world were the needles?

If they could try pulling one out, they might discover something, but if that damaged the spirit body, the consequences would be truly terrible.

That the soul was immortal meant it wouldn’t vanish easily, not that it couldn’t be damaged.

Just like how an animal, once dead, becomes food for another creature and is digested into waste rather than completely disappearing, ‘transformation’ was an extremely easy and irreversible occurrence.

*

After working quite busily for a month to normalize Kalamaf-

Turan turned his head as he sensed the presence of massive clusters of magic power approaching from the southeast.

‘They’ve finally arrived…’

Not long after, a knight from House Berk who was guarding the eastern gate came rushing to inform him of the guests’ arrival.

Since this had been anticipated, Turan immediately summoned Solif, Meisa, and the nobles of Kalamaf.

Soon after, the nobles of House Zahar entered the prepared negotiation venue.

“Hmm…”

Solif, looking at the middle-aged man standing at the front, let out a low groan and alternated his gaze between him and Turan.

The same reaction was shared not only by several nobles of Kalamaf but also by some of the Zahar nobles.

That was how closely the face of the man at the forefront resembled Turan.

His grandfather, Talis Zahar, wore an unusually benevolent smile and spoke.

“Good to see you, young Turan. Is this our first time meeting in person?”

"Yes. Let's sit down first, offering you a cup of tea would be proper etiquette."

"I gratefully accept."

In the stiff atmosphere, only Talis and Turan conversed like a laid-back host and a distant guest from afar.

After a cup of stonecrop tea, a specialty of the Gray Zone, was passed around, Turan quietly spoke.

"However, you're later than I expected."

Considering that the capital of House Zahar was situated somewhat eastward even within the Enril Desert, the news of Kalamaf’s state and their arrival within a month could actually be considered rather fast.

Because it was a distance that would take ordinary people several months to travel, and even an average knight or noble would have to ride for nearly a month to reach.

However, it was very likely that the news itself had traveled much faster than that.

Even if not as skilled as Bije, they must have secured at least one magical beast somewhere to act as a messenger bird.

Moreover, according to the knight from Berk who had just informed him, they hadn’t come on foot, but arrived in a deer-drawn carriage pulled by a giant magical beast.

Considering that magical beast also possessed high-level noble-class magic power, it must have actually taken them about one to two weeks.

‘They were probably busy gathering information.’

What noble house they were bringing, what they had been doing all this time, there was an abundance of information to know beforehand before entering a discussion.

After all, in negotiations like these, knowledge is power.

In other words, their arrival now likely meant they believed they had learned everything there was to know.

Whether that was truly the case could be found out through this conversation.

"It's because the land here is so vast and there's so much to do. Until recently, we were especially busy with matters in the east."

What he was referring to, of course, was the chaos Turan’s group had caused in the capital of House Varaha a few months ago.

At those words, the Zahar nobles simultaneously turned their gazes to Solif, who stood behind Turan.

Pretending not to notice, Turan lifted his own cup and calmly drank his tea.

At the same time, he assessed the opposing group’s numbers and strength.

‘One top-tier, two upper-tier, and nine mid-tier…’

Assuming they had been briefed by those residing here that Turan’s ability was at least top-tier, and that he had even brought an entire noble house under his wing, this force was weaker than expected.

From that, it seemed the fact that Turan could seize and imprison souls had not yet reached their ears.

In other words, the link between House Aravion and House Zahar had likely not yet been restored.

While his thoughts spun rapidly, Talis casually asked,

“So, am I a suitable conversation partner for what you wanted?”

“More than enough. I don’t think there’s any topic serious enough to require my great-grandfather himself to be present.”

At the unexpected title, a faint twitch showed at the corner of Talis’s eye.

Though his facial expression showed no other change, Turan could sense that he was, if ever so slightly, stirred.

“Where did you hear that?”

“I heard it from Reto.”

It was no secret that the one who had eliminated the Zahar noble, Reto, who had infiltrated Aravion, was Turan.

After all, Meisa, who had escaped during that incident, was now standing firm right behind him.

Of course, back then, Reto had believed Turan to be Talis's son rather than his grandson.

“I see. Well, that's fine. I won’t hold that matter against you. However… I believe there is much to discuss regarding Alma.”

With Talis’s words, Turan sensed several of the Zahar nobles standing behind him radiating murderous intent.

Presumably, they belonged to the faction that had originally supported Alma.

On the other hand, those who remained calm were likely supporters of Ferga, who died in the labyrinth, or Rahman, the only surviving heir.

Turan briefly organized his thoughts and then candidly admitted to having killed Alma.

“I offer my regrets regarding that matter. I didn’t particularly wish to treat her as an enemy, but she came at us first. Thanks to that, we also suffered considerable losses.”

In truth, they had launched a surprise attack and annihilated the enemy in an instant, but there was no way the other side could know that.

The only possessed being present at the time was killed instantly before even realizing how the attack happened.

Though Turan had never lost his physical body, from his experience of becoming a spirit and leaving his body, he knew it was not easy to observe the physical world in that state.

One could not rely on the eyes of reality and could only perceive spiritual flows, making everything appear like an endless scattering of light.

Even without that, testimonies from possessed beings couldn’t be presented as evidence unless one was prepared to publicly reveal all secrets.

“You…!”

Bang! One of the Zahar nobles seated nearby slammed the table, shattering it, and stood up.

Talis didn’t even look in his direction and quietly said,

“Sit down, Kaiso.”

“But you heard him, Lord Talis! That bastard killed Alma-”

“Don’t make me say it twice.”

His voice was far lower and colder than before.

Though he didn’t release any magic power, the sheer pressure in his voice made the Zahar noble who had stood up tremble and slowly sit back down.

Just as he lowered his head deeply, Turan noticed Talis was gazing intently at him.

‘What is it?’

Surely he wasn't checking to see if Turan was upset because he had gotten angry.

No, it felt more like he was probing to see if Turan would react to his words.

After a moment’s thought, Turan decided to give a suitable response.

“If compensation is required, we can negotiate that matter later. But surely, there are more important topics we should discuss first.”

“Indeed. So then… are you coming back?”

“Returning to House Zahar wouldn't be appropriate. I don’t know if you’re aware, but half of my bloodline is Aravion.”

“By now, you’ve already passed the point of no return with them.”

Talis subtly gestured toward Meisa, who was silently standing behind Turan.

It must have taken some time to gather detailed information about the battle near the forest of Zavilin City.

Indeed, when House Zahar seriously set out to gather intelligence in a particular field, their speed and accuracy were terrifying.

That they hadn’t properly understood Turan until now was simply because they hadn’t considered him worth focusing on.

But once someone became a person of interest, it was nearly impossible to keep any secrets through superficial means.

"I could also choose to establish Meisa as the new head of House Aravion and rely on her."

“Hm.”

Talis didn’t dismiss the idea as absurd.

That Meisa and Solif, successors of two great noble houses, stood behind Turan while making him their representative, carried clear meaning.

Above all, he had already been informed of the circumstances surrounding the “Battle of the Forest”.

If Turan had been capable of engaging with Cadrum, who had revealed his true power, then it meant Turan was beyond the standard level of even the top-ranking nobles.

At the very least, it meant he was worthy of attempting such a move.

“So then, what is it that you really want? I think we need to know that before this conversation can go anywhere.”

As if to say there was no more point in skirting around the matter, Talis directly struck at the core.

In response, Turan also brought out the main topic without delay.

“A friendly non-aggression pact with House Zahar, and the neutralization of the Gray Zone, that’s what I want.”

“A friendly non-aggression pact and neutralization?”

“Yes. No need for fancy wording, it simply means not interfering with each other. I don’t think that’s such a bad proposal.”

If Turan had been the kind of upper-tier noble they had once thought him to be, this would have been a proposal unworthy of any consideration.

A great noble house always looked after its members thoroughly; they would have subdued him on the spot and dragged him away.

But Talis had a rough understanding of Turan’s current level of power, and how formidable the force he had built truly was.

The time when House Zahar could crush him like an insect was long gone.

To reaffirm that, Turan gave a slight glance to the two people behind him, then released his magic power.

It had been quite a while since he had unleashed his full strength rather than holding back.

When the power of three individuals, each stronger than even the highest-ranking nobles, filled the hall, everyone gasped.

“Gasp.”

“What in the world is this…”

Like the oppressive feeling one gets from standing near an enormous beast, several nobles with weaker constitutions began to struggle to breathe under the magical pressure.

The only one who remained completely unaffected was Talis, who calmly sipped his tea and asked,

“Impressive. Where did you gather this level of magic power?”

“It’s hard to say exactly, since it came from various sources. I traveled around a lot and hunted many magical beasts…”

“And I imagine you hunted quite a few people as well.”

Turan chose silence rather than answer the probing question.

That silence itself was a kind of protest.

It meant, “We possess this much power, are you really prepared to treat us as enemies?”

Before long, Talis glanced around and spoke.

“I’d like to speak with you alone, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course. Rather than having everyone else leave, we should just move ourselves.”

The two of them left the meeting room together and headed to the office located on the upper floor.

As they were walking, Turan suddenly turned and grabbed Talis’s hand that was following behind him.

“I saw that.”

"...I can't win against you."

Rather than getting angry, Talis let out a hollow laugh and opened the fist he had been clenching.

In his palm were several strands of hair, seemingly pilfered from the meeting room just moments ago.

One was long and red, the other short and silver, likely belonging to Meisa and Solif.

“I’d appreciate it if we could both keep things respectful. I won’t be plucking and storing your hair either, Lord Talis.”

“Fair enough.”

Thus, the two struck an unspoken gentleman’s agreement and finally entered the office and sat across from each other.

It was Talis who first broke the silence.

“Now that it’s just the two of us, I’ll be direct. How much do you know about the secret of souls?”

“I know enough, that the spirits of the ancient gods have survived and now dwell within the bodies of their descendants. Your leader is likely the Night Hunter. And the leader of Aravion is probably the Thunder Lord.”

Talis neither affirmed nor denied the deliberate misinformation Turan had included.

“So then, I suppose you must hate us. Don’t you?”

“If my friends weren’t the intended vessels for body-switching, I wouldn’t have gotten involved.”

As he said this, Turan tried to empty his mind as much as possible.

Among high-ranking nobles of House Zahar, it was virtually impossible to hide one's emotions.

With even the faintest scent, they could perceive what feelings others harbored.

Therefore, what mattered was to express one’s emotions honestly while subtly distorting the content.

Talis likely had quite a few lies mixed into what he had just said as well.

“To be honest, we’re quite conflicted too. Whether we should crush you, or more precisely, all of you, before you grow any further, or accept you and leave you alone.”

“We don’t have any grand ambition like overthrowing the gods’ hegemony. We only seek to survive.”

“Becoming vessels for us doesn’t qualify as survival, I take it.”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Talis gave a light cough and tapped the desk with his fingers.

Turan suddenly realized that this was the exact same habit he himself had, and clicked his tongue inwardly.

The man before him, aside from being a vessel for some ancient god, was also Turan’s grandfather.

Whether such habits were influenced by the body or not was another matter entirely.

“Alright, I’ve heard you out. Personally, I don’t think it’s a bad proposal.”

A positive reply.

But such replies were usually followed by something less agreeable.

“However, I feel that simply ending this with words leaves the bond a bit weak. I’m sure you feel the same.”

“What is it that you want?”

“There’s a fairly attractive girl among the family head’s granddaughters.”

Talis said in a casual tone that it would be good to solidify the alliance through marriage between the two.