Chapter 82

When Meisa lost consciousness after being poisoned and then regained it, Anieta Nagin, the legitimate wife of the family head who had come to see her, threatened Meisa with a mocking tone.

'This incident happened entirely because your mother got cocky in front of me just because she gave birth to a strong daughter. So, be careful from now on. If you speak carelessly anywhere, you and your maternal relatives will suffer a similar fate. You understand what I mean, right?'

Afterward, as she witnessed the deaths of both individuals being dismissed as mere accidents, Meisa harbored a growing hostility toward the women of the House Nagin and the upper echelon of her own household.

Of course, the only thing she could do was vent her resentment through letters and words to her two half-brothers.

After hearing this story, Turan had been contemplating which side truly defined the identity of the House Nagin.

Was it merely an excuse used by the middle faction of Aravion to torment Meisa, or was there some deeper bond between the two?

But at this very moment, the sudden disappearance of the librarian and the presence of Renaud Nagin were becoming entangled.

Suppressing the tremor in his voice with a light cough, Turan asked again.

"Did he, by any chance, mention where he was going? He is close to someone I know, so if he hasn’t gone far, I’d like to at least bid him farewell."

"Oh, is that so?"

The expression on the man's face openly revealed his thoughts, how could a mere wandering noble claim connections with a wizard from a great family?

"Yes. Renaud Nagin was originally the son of the House Aravion head, but since the bloodline of his maternal House Nagin manifested in him, he was adopted into that side. I am acquainted with his half-sister, Lady Meisa."

"Oh, you mean that skeleton princess, Ah, the heir of Aravion! I have heard of her name. To think you have ties with such an impressive person."

Perhaps revealing his knowledge of the internal affairs of great Houses had worked, as the head Gillon no longer displayed any signs of suspicion, unlike before.

It was possible he had heard something similar from Renaud when he visited previously.

More surprising, however, was the fact that Meisa’s appearance was famous enough to be recognized even in this distant place.

Well, she was known even in the Enril Desert, so it was not that surprising.

At that moment, Marvin Baltas, who had been quietly eating, suddenly interjected.

"Is she really that skinny? I heard she’s such an ugly hag that you’d see her in your nightmares after one glance."

"Shut your mouth, Marvin! She is not someone you can speak about so carelessly!"

Marvin, who had been speaking recklessly, flinched at the bellowing of the Gillon and bowed his head.

He had just revealed that he was acquainted with Meisa, and yet he dared to insult her here?

What if those words reached her through Turan?

Even with the laws governing nobles, unnecessarily making an enemy of someone powerful was sheer stupidity.

Of course, despite this reprimand, Meisa was struggling to maintain a neutral expression after hearing herself called an ugly hag to her face.

Naturally, none of them suspected that she was the skeleton princess herself.

"Ahem, I apologize, but let’s pretend those words were never spoken…"

"Of course. I have no reason to pass along bad words to my friend. So, regarding my earlier question?"

In any case, thanks to Marvin’s careless remark, Turan was able to seize more control over the conversation.

"Ah, you asked where he was going, didn’t you? He said he was returning to his main household. He might have already arrived by now."

"I see."

Clicking his tongue lightly in feigned disappointment, Turan then proceeded to ask about how many attendants Renaud Nagin had brought, how extensively he had used the library, how long he had stayed in Orem, and other details.

Perhaps in an attempt to make up for his earlier slip of the tongue, Gillon answered diligently, allowing Turan to gather a considerable amount of information.

*

After the banquet ended, Turan called Meisa and Solif to his quarters and dismissed all the maids.

The topic of discussion was, of course, the connection between Renaud Nagin and the disappearance of the librarian.

"For the past few months, no one except Renaud has visited the library because of the war. So, the most likely suspect is him. Unless there was someone else who infiltrated secretly like I did."

"Just from what I heard, his actions were completely irrational. He barged in with three nobles, forty knights, and even a magical beast, demanded to use the library, then left after just a few minutes? He made some excuse about it being improper to stay long in a city at war, but… if that was the case, he shouldn’t have come in the first place."

Solif muttered with an incredulous expression.

As he said, if Renaud had any real business in the library, it would have been normal to stay for at least an hour or two.

Even just skimming the covers to check if the books he was looking for were there should have taken at least several dozen minutes.

"Meisa, was he originally someone who liked books?"

"I don’t really know. That bastard was adopted into the House Nagin when I was nine, and I haven’t seen him since. But I don’t remember ever seeing him read a book."

Hearing Meisa’s words, Turan nodded lightly.

If someone who did not particularly like books had come to the library with even nobles in tow, it must have been an event planned at the family level.

Given the circumstances, it was highly likely that Renaud had something to do with the librarian’s disappearance.

The problem was figuring out how he had identified the librarian’s presence, how he had either eliminated or captured him, and why he had suddenly done so now.

"If Renaud was able to do something to the elder, then he must have at least three bloodline abilities. Otherwise, the wizards from the great houses who had previously visited the library would have been able to see the librarian."

"Or maybe he used some kind of tool? Like, for example, entering the library and opening a flask that instantly sucks in and traps the spirit or something like that."

"Do magic artifacts like that exist?"

"There are stories about such sacred relics in the East. I don’t know if they actually exist, though."

As Solif answered Meisa’s surprised question with a serious tone, Turan tapped his fingers on the desk, deep in thought.

"The Nagin house’s bloodline abilities were Ruler and Tamer, right?"

"I’ve heard of Tamer, but Ruler is new to me. Is it only found in the West?"

"It’s almost impossible to find even here. In fact, there might not be anyone outside the House Nagin who possesses that bloodline."

Meisa calmly answered Solif’s question.

The Ruler bloodline, as its name suggested, granted the power to control living beings. However, despite its grand title, it was not particularly useful.

As Turan had learned firsthand in the past, magic that controlled living creatures was nearly ineffective against magical beings.

Of course, its ability to control living beings was so exceptional that a powerful noble could theoretically command tens of thousands of people with a mere gesture. But in the end, what use was that?

Any noble powerful enough to wield such an ability would likely have other bloodline powers that could wipe out tens of thousands of people effortlessly.

After all, there was always a reason why certain bloodlines did not spread widely.

Either they were too powerful and thus strictly controlled and eradicated, or they were simply too useless to be widespread.

After hearing this explanation, Solif spoke with a puzzled expression.

"But do spirits even have magic power? Undead spirits obviously do, but what about them?"

"Well, of course… they don’t."

Turan realized that when he had met the librarian previously, he had not sensed any flow of magic power from him.

In other words, even if the spirit had emerged from a magically constructed building, the librarian himself was not a magical being.

"Then it’s possible that the Ruler bloodline was used to control or attempt to control the spirit."

"If he erased him, that would be one thing, but if he was captured, that’s a problem. I’ve spoken too much to the librarian. If they kidnapped and interrogated him…"

"Then they’d know almost everything about you, right?"

"Exactly."

Turan let out a small groan, realizing he had just walked into a troublesome situation.

The librarian possessed countless secret pieces of information, from what Turan had learned about the Night Hunters in the underground labyrinth to even details about his own bloodline.

"I suppose I’ll have to check for myself. I’m also curious why they suddenly stormed into the library at this particular time."

Even if the House Nagin had some divine being who found the librarian’s existence bothersome, it was strange for them to ignore it for thousands of years and then suddenly take action now.

The only significant event in recent times had been Turan’s meeting with the librarian, but no matter how he thought about it, that alone did not seem like a reason to eliminate him.

Perhaps they had only just now become aware of the librarian's existence?

If there was a trigger, it might have been when Turan had casually mentioned the librarian’s existence to the Baltas nobles.

No, no matter how he thought about it, it was too strange that this information had somehow made its way to the House Nagin.

Although they were only separated by one region, the western wastelands here and the snowy plains ruled by the Nagins were practically different cultural spheres altogether.

At Turan’s words, Solif gave him a skeptical look.

"You’re not seriously planning to go head-to-head with Nagin, are you? Well, they’re a backwater great house, so they can’t compare to Aravion or Zahar… but something about you makes me feel like you’d actually do it if you said you would."

Great houses were revered by ordinary wizard houses, but even among them, there was a clear hierarchy.

The most esteemed were the ancient houses founded by the direct descendants of the Preah God Tribe, whose power had not fully waned after the fall of the old empire.

Aravion and Zahar belonged to this category, with histories spanning at least two to three thousand years.

Below them were the great houses that had emerged through bloodline fusion, gaining new ancestors of significance.

Varaha, Lavitas, and Carmine fell into this group, typically boasting histories between one and two thousand years.

The House Nagin was an even newer addition, a recently established great house with a history of less than five hundred years.

From the perspective of ordinary humans, that was an unimaginably long time, but for nobles who measured generations in centuries, it was the equivalent of an upstart who had just risen to prominence.

That was why, despite being a great house, they had settled in the barren snowy plains.

Even so, a great house was still a great house, and there was even a significant possibility that a divine being backed them.

A direct confrontation would not only be risky but outright reckless.

"Attacking them head-on would be insane. For now, we should focus on tracking Renaud first. If we’re lucky, we might catch him before he returns to the House Nagin. If not, I’ll have to infiltrate like before."

"A month, right? By now, he should’ve already made it back to his house."

"That would be true if a noble were traveling alone. But he brought along dozens of knights. We don’t notice it because we ride Bije, but the world is actually vast and difficult to traverse. The more people in a group, the slower they move."

"Now that you mention it… It did take me a few months to get from Varaha to the South Sea, even though I was traveling alone."

Even though nobles and knights moved faster than ordinary people, if they were not on proper roads, they would have to navigate around terrain, take breaks for meals, and sleep, meaning they could not travel at the speed of flight.

Moreover, the northwestern snowy plains where the House Nagin resided and the western wastelands here were not even connected by the old empire’s roads, so they would have to take a roundabout route.

As she quietly listened to the conversation, Meisa asked in a low voice.

"Then, are you leaving tomorrow? The local lord won’t be too happy about that."

"We need to leave immediately. I’m sorry, but we don’t have time to worry about his pride."

*

Being honest about their sudden departure would have only led to pointless arguments and delays, so Turan simply left behind a single note and departed from Orem City with his companions.

The three of them, riding on the swing pulled by Bije, flew northward without rest.

Since they had to move as quickly as possible, he even fed Bije recovery potions, flying relentlessly for a day and a half without stopping.

A journey that would have taken Turan over fifteen days on foot was narrowed in an instant.

The problem, however, was that none of them had traveled this route before. They did not even know the exact location of the House Nagin’s main city, let alone Renaud’s precise travel route.

This meant they had no choice but to track him down the hard way.

"Did you find anything?"

"Yeah. They passed through here three days ago. Heading northwest."

"At least we managed to track them down. Alright, let’s get moving again."

"Ugh, this is exhausting."

Whenever they spotted a village or town in the distance, they would land stealthily nearby to inquire whether the House Nagin’s wizards had passed through. Once they confirmed the direction of travel, they took off again to follow.

Of course, throughout this process, Turan never forgot to use his transformation mask to alter his appearance.

If any conflict occurred, the enemy would undoubtedly investigate who had been pursuing them.

After another full day of investigation, Turan and his group finally caught up with Renaud.

"There they are."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Three nobles, thirty-eight knights… two are missing, probably dead or left behind for some reason. And they have three magical beasts. They’re probably bonded with the nobles."

"I overheard earlier that it takes about four days to reach Nagin’s capital from here. That means they’ll arrive tomorrow or the day after. We got lucky."

On the dark night, Turan used the sensory power of his sacred relic to observe the Nagin wizards’ camp from hundreds of meters away as if he were looking at the palm of his hand.

Since Renaud had been mentioned as the representative of the Nagin nobles, it was likely that he was the strongest wizard among them.

Indeed, among the three nobles, one possessed magical power at the level of a high-ranking noble.

"Renaud isn’t considered an heir to the House Nagin, right?"

"That’s right. He’s just seen as highly skilled."

"Judging by what I can see, that assessment seems accurate."

Turan left Meisa, Solif, and Bije waiting at a distance, then activated concealment magic and slipped into the Nagin camp.

The area was surrounded by a barrier, likely set up by a barrier master among the nobles, but with his ability to perceive through barriers and his flight capabilities, breaking through was not particularly difficult.

"Phew, it’s getting chilly. Feels like I’m really back home now."

"It was nice and warm in the south since it’s summer there."

"Warm? It was so hot I thought I’d die!"

"Stop whining, you’re a knight!"

Turan ignored the idle chatter of the knights as he carefully avoided the bright campfires and approached Renaud.

Along the way, he noticed a massive beast passing nearby with a low growl.

‘A wolf… no, is it a dog?’

Even standing on all fours, the dog’s head was level with a human’s. It wandered the area, glancing in Turan’s direction.

Alongside it were an even larger bear and an elk.

It was certainly a fitting lineup for a great house known for the Tamer bloodline.

Soon, Turan reached the entrance of the largest tent, where Renaud was staying.

Before entering, he heightened his sensory connection with the sacred relic, revealing the symbols inside.

A beast resembling a dog with an outstretched hand, likely the Tamer.

A humanoid figure manipulating strings from above, surely the Ruler.

Fortunately, there were no other symbols present.

‘So he has two bloodline abilities. Still, just in case-’

Turan activated all his defensive magic artifacts, tense as he lifted the tent’s entrance and stepped inside.

If Renaud manifested the power of a Preah God Tribe possession, Turan planned to detonate the Spirit of Fire immediately, signaling Meisa and Solif to charge in.

However, all that caution seemed unnecessary.

Renaud sat slouched in a chair, looking utterly bored, showing no reaction whatsoever.

After nearly a full minute of silence, Turan let out a quiet sigh of relief.

‘What the hell? So it wasn’t Renaud after all?’

Turan had suspected Renaud because he had the potential ability to harm the librarian. However, unexpectedly, Renaud possessed only two bloodline abilities and had not even noticed Turan’s approach.

Of course, without special means, even a high-ranking noble would normally fail to detect a Zahar noble’s concealment.

Or, as with Badal Aravion previously, it was possible that a third bloodline ability would not manifest unless he activated his magic power.

Turan calmly analyzed each of the magical artifacts that Renaud possessed, as well as those placed inside the tent.

If he had indeed subdued the spirit, he would have undoubtedly sealed it within some kind of magically infused object.

'It’s probably not the cloak… The staff seems suspicious, should I take it? No, I’ll hold off for now. The ring is on his finger, so I can’t steal it unnoticed. And this-'

Turan’s gaze finally settled on a chest tucked away in the corner of the tent, or more precisely, the jewelry box inside it.

It was only slightly larger than his palm.

Not only did it emanate a noticeably stronger magical energy than the other artifacts, but something grayish flickered within it.

'Could this be it?'

Its appearance, along with the unique traits Turan perceived through the sacred relic’s senses, all pointed to the same conclusion.

This had to be the artifact used to seal the spirit.

After sneaking a glance at Renaud to ensure he remained unaware, Turan discreetly tucked the jewelry box into his robes and exited the tent, making his way back to Meisa and Solif.

Naturally, none of the Nagin wizards noticed a thing during this process.

As soon as he dispelled his concealment, Turan let out a deep sigh.

"Phew."

"Did you find it? Was it Renaud?"

"Were you spotted?"

Meisa and Solif, who had been anxiously waiting, immediately bombarded him with questions.

It seemed both of them had been feeling the pressure of possibly having to fight a divine being.

"I wasn’t caught, and I found this. I’m not entirely sure, but I think what we’re looking for is inside."

"A magic artifact? None of us are Enchanters, so we can’t check it right away. Are you sure we can just open it like this?"

"We don’t have time to find Ashiz. If this isn’t it, we’ll have to attack those bastards, subdue them, and force the information out of them. Bije, keep the swing ready in case we need to escape immediately."

[Got it!]

Bije wrote confidently, as if telling them to trust her completely.

Turan smiled slightly at the sight before cautiously opening the jewelry box.

Since there was a possibility of a trap, he activated his defensive magic artifacts and stood a little apart from the others.

With a sharp hissing sound, thick smoke poured out, followed by a muttering voice from within.

"Hmm, where am I now?"

"It’s been a while, Elder."

Recognizing the familiar voice of the librarian, Turan grinned and greeted him.