Chapter 44

Landing in a clearing in the snow-laden forest, Turan studied Maysa as she descended across from him. The first thing he noticed was that her body had grown even smaller and frailer, though he would hardly have thought she could become any thinner. And then there was something else...

'That's incredible. Truly.'

Thanks to his Mimic Holy Relic's ability to detect the flow of mana, Turan could tell that almost everything she wore was a magic tool: her earrings, necklace, clothes, bracelets, rings, shoes, and even several odds and ends apparently tucked inside her pockets.

Perga had possessed three or four magic tools himself, befitting a candidate for Zahar's heir, but this was on an entirely different level. Presumably, that was the difference between one of several possible heirs and the actual heir.

Standing about ten paces away, Maysa regarded Turan with apparent interest.

"I think it's only been three or four months since we last met, but you've changed a great deal."

"Have I?"

"Yes. Quite a lot, in fact."

At the Berg residence, Turan had seemed like a boy trying to act grown-up. Now, he gave a more mature impression. The change had come from bearing responsibility for dozens of lives aboard the ship, then thousands in Kalamap.

"I can't really tell. Anyway..."

Just then, Vije, perched on the rod attached to his bag, poked his side with her beak as though demanding his attention. She promptly hopped down and wrote in the snow.

[Who's that?]

She rarely interrupted when he spoke to other people. Was she jealous because he was being so friendly? In a calm voice, Turan introduced the woman and the bird to each other.

"This is my good friend, Lady Maysa. Maysa, this is Vije. She's my family."

Calling this clearly intelligent black eagle a pet would have been insulting, while their soul bond made them closer than mere friends. At his words, Vije puffed out her chest confidently and looked at Maysa.

"Family?"

Maysa looked surprised, then smiled in amusement.

"You mean she's a soul-bound monster? I've never seen one clever enough to write..."

"Yes. She's far cleverer than most people."

"How did you come to meet?"

"We met during my travels. Vije chose me, and someone with the Tamer bloodline helped us bind our souls."

Nothing Turan said was a lie. He merely left out that they had met in the port of Komad in the Enril Desert, and that he had bought her.

"How romantic. I'd love to meet a creature like her myself."

As Arabion's heir, she could easily acquire a powerful monster if she wished. In practice, though, most monsters were terribly awkward to take everywhere. Tilly alone was so much larger than an ordinary horse that she could not even be brought indoors. Monsters as small and useful as Vije were rare.

"But what brings you here? At any other time it might be different, but this isn't a good place to travel right now."

Turan answered Maysa honestly, explaining how he had happened upon a city called Kalamap during his recent travels and, through a series of events, ended up ruling it. It was hardly a secret when she could learn as much by going a little farther east anyway. Once he had told her everything, including the western threat that had slaughtered Kalamap's wizards, she nodded in understanding.

"I see..."

"Do you know something about it?"

"Yes. You might say we're responsible for this."

According to her, Arabion's army had spent the past several months exterminating the Dark Elves, systematically unearthing and destroying their underground kingdom. A few Dark Elves had survived to the very end and fled east, and one of them was a powerful wraith sorcerer.

"You said Kalamap's wizards disappeared about a month ago? Then it was probably him. That's about when he fled east. He must have wanted to replenish his wraiths. Since only the people who came here were killed and the Gray Zone is unharmed, it looks like he hasn't left this area after all."

Only then did Turan understand why Maysa was here instead of fighting Dark Elves far to the west. The war had ended in Arabion's victory, and now they had come to exterminate the last fleeing remnants.

"Why wouldn't he flee farther east?"

"I think he may have allied with the dwarves and be hiding in their settlements. That's only a guess, though."

"Dwarves? You mean the Blind Dwarves?"

Turan recalled An Account of a Journey Around the World, which he had read before, and its tale of Blind Dwarves who hid within mountain passages that opened only once a day and preyed on humans. Come to think of it, that story had been set right here in the Gray Zone. Not that Turan had seen a single dwarf while traveling around the area.

"Yes. According to legend, their settlements run so deep into the mountains that even the gods couldn't wipe them all out. In any case, I'm glad he hasn't gone farther east. Circumstances make entering the Gray Zone difficult."

"Because of Zahar?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

The Gray Zone was where Arabion and Zahar had once waged war. A large Arabion force passing through it would itself amount to a serious act of aggression. It seemed the Arabion army was therefore unable to enter the Gray Zone and was searching diligently around its outskirts instead.

After they had been talking for some time, Turan sensed a wizard flying toward them from afar and turned to look. Maysa noticed a moment later. She probably had a magic tool with a function somewhat similar to his Mimic Holy Relic.

The Arabion noble who arrived a short while later was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties.

"What brings you here, Uncle?"

"You were taking too long to return to camp, so I came looking for you. This place is too close to the Gray Zone. You shouldn't stay here alone for long."

From the way she addressed him, he seemed to be the Arabion House Head's younger brother. His mana was comparable to Turan's, which would place him among Arabion's stronger members.

Yet the atmosphere between them was rather strained for an uncle and niece. Maysa looked openly uncomfortable, and though her uncle wore an affable smile, there was something decidedly unpleasant about him.

"And who is this young man? Ah, I should introduce myself first. I'm Kadram Arabion, Maysa's uncle. My elder brother is the Head of House Arabion."

As he spoke, mana flowed out of Kadram's body and pressed down on Turan. When Turan met it with equal force, surprise flickered across the man's face.

"I'm Turan of Kalamap."

"Kalamap? My knowledge must be lacking; I've never heard of such a house... No, isn't that the name of a city to the east?"

"That's right. I'm a fallen noble who doesn't even properly know his parents' bloodlines, so I have no house name to present. That's what the citizens call me."

Hearing that he was a fallen noble, Kadram spoke with a bewildered expression.

"You don't look very old, but you're remarkably powerful. I'd believe you if you said you belonged to a great house."

"I did enjoy House Berg's hospitality once. That's when I became acquainted with Lady Maysa."

Rather than submit to the insinuation that he was suspicious, Turan countered that he had been a guest of their family. Kadram turned to Maysa as if asking whether that was true.

"He's telling the truth. Now, go back ahead of me, Uncle. I'll finish up here and follow shortly."

"But Maysa, leaving you alone in a place like this with someone we know nothing about is a little..."

"Go."

Her tone was so sharp and imperious that it verged on rude for someone addressing her uncle. Kadram acquiesced and flew off into the distance again.

After a brief silence, Maysa sighed and apologized.

"I'm sorry. Just like last time, you keep seeing me at my worst."

Wondering what she meant, Turan remembered that she had also been snapping at an Arabion noble when they last parted. He did not know why, but she seemed to reserve her arrogance and coldness for members of House Arabion. Her remarkably kind, friendly manner toward outsiders like him and the people of House Berg made the contrast all the more striking.

"Everyone has reasons they can't smile at everyone they meet."

"Thank you for understanding. If we get the chance, I'd like to hear what happened during your travels, too."

* * *

After parting with Maysa, Turan patrolled the area for a while longer before returning to Kalamap. He had been gone only a few hours, but the city's leading figures had spent the day in mortal anxiety. At the sight of him flying back on the black eagle, they dropped to their knees, weeping freely.

"Oh, Lord Turan! When you didn't return, I feared something might have happened to you. I, I...!"

"Get ahold of yourself, man. Thank you for your efforts, my lord. Did you find any clues?"

As Daruk pushed the weeping old merchant aside to ask his question, Turan gave Vije a treat and replied.

"Fortunately, I did find a lead. It seems the culprit is a Dark Elf wraith sorcerer who came from the forests to the west. I also learned that Arabion's army is stationed about eighty kilometers west of here."

"A-Arabion's army, you say?"

"Yes. They'll deal with the wraith sorcerer, so there's no need for us to take action."

They did seem to be having some trouble tracking him after he had hidden in the dwarves' settlements. Still, having rooted out every Dark Elf den that had risen up around Maderi, they surely had tracking methods of their own.

Once he had finished explaining the situation and returned to his quarters, Vije took up the metal tray and wrote something again.

[Turan!]

"What is it?"

[Maysa we met today.]

"Yes, that was Maysa. What about her?"

[Maysa's inside fits me too.]

"She fits you?"

It was exactly what Vije had said when she first wanted Turan. Did that mean she would have wanted Maysa as her master if they had met first? Seeing his surprise, Vije hurriedly wrote and erased several messages.

[But I chose Turan.]

[Maysa has no chance.]

[Turan is happy!]

At what sounded like encouragement—you're lucky to have me—Turan gave a bemused chuckle and stroked her head. Still, this warranted some thought. Why did Turan and Maysa, of all people, fit Vije's soul so perfectly?

* * *

A week after meeting Maysa, Turan began to feel that he was running out of things to do in the city. As the weather gradually warmed, Kalamap was becoming self-sufficient, no longer needing to rely on a powerful wizard's strength. Aside from patrolling for the wraith sorcerer who might approach from the west, all he had to do was practice magic. His days were becoming positively dull.

Then, as though someone had read his thoughts, a new task arose that only a noble could perform: entertaining noble guests.

"Protector of the city, noble guests have arrived!"

"Noble guests?"

The official answered Turan respectfully.

"Yes. A joint delegation from Vigen, Arond, Rummel, Ravana... from all the surrounding cities."

"Show them in."

A short while later, Turan received nobles from seven cities in the city hall conference room.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Turan of Kalamap. We ask your hospitality as guests."

"You are most welcome. However, I'm afraid you'll have to stay in the city hall lodgings. Would that be all right?"

Kalamap had largely returned to normal, but that did not mean there were homes to spare. Those who had fled and returned still needed somewhere to live. As a result, the central mansion had yet to be restored to its former use and still served as lodging for the homeless.

"... The city hall lodgings?"

Not one of the nobles in the delegation could hide their disbelief at Turan's answer. City hall was primarily a workplace for commoners; its accommodations could not begin to compare with the mansion's luxury. Receiving them here rather than in the mansion's drawing room was offensive enough. Wasn't telling them to stay here practically the same as driving them out?

"I'm not deliberately slighting you. Kalamap is short of housing at the moment, and I've opened the central mansion to those without homes."

"Opened the central mansion? That's absurd..."

"Th-then where do you eat and sleep, House Head—rather, my lord?"

"I eat and sleep here as well."

A noble of exalted standing had surrendered his mansion to commoners and was living in mere city hall lodgings? At those words, the delegates looked at one another, certain of one thing: this Turan could not possibly be some secret weapon raised by a great house. Those haughty people would never do such a thing, not even as an act.

'Could he really be a fallen noble?'

'Judging by his complete ignorance of dignity and decorum... '

'That changes things somewhat.'

As they exchanged glances, Turan addressed them.

"First, I'd like to hear why you've come. Who would care to explain?"

"I will."

The son of the lord of Vigen, southeast of Kalamap, quickly stepped forward as their representative. With a face that looked intelligent at a glance, he made Turan an unexpected proposition.

"We would like to propose a marriage alliance between the lord of Kalamap and our seven houses."