Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 65 Restraining a mage—especially one of noble birth—is a daunting task.
Even if you bind their entire body in chains, they can heat the metal until it melts to escape; if you lock them in a room surrounded by thick walls, they can simply carve a path right through them.
Yet, instead of attempting such an escape, Solif was currently leaning helplessly against the wall. Judging by the flow of mana emanating from the chains binding him, those were likely the problem.
'If they can restrain a high-ranking noble, that treasure must be practically a holy relic...'
Of course, considering the nobles gathered here were likely the elites of the Baraha family sent to capture Solif, it wasn't entirely surprising. What was more puzzling was why they were staying so nonchalantly at Deben Island, the final stronghold of the pirate Cobinus.
Should he flee now, or stay a bit longer to investigate?
After a moment of deliberation, Turan chose the latter. As long as the situation wasn't immediately life-threatening, gathering more information would allow him to secure a more advantageous position. And as luck would have it, there was someone here who could provide him with the most pertinent information.
Turan moved a short distance away from the prison and manifested the Wind Path, an application of wind magic. While he usually used this technique to fire stones rapidly and silently, with a slight modification, it could serve other purposes. Specifically, it could create a direct channel from his mouth to the target's ear to transmit his voice in secret.
[Hey.]
Startled by the unexpected voice, Solif jerked his body, causing the chains to clatter loudly. The lounging young noble guarding him turned around in annoyance and shouted.
"Agh, what the—? I told you, you can't get out of those! Stop trying to scare people for no reason..."
His utterly contemptuous attitude made it hard to believe he was speaking to the heir of a Great Family. Once silence returned a moment later, Turan spoke again using the same method.
[Sit still and don't move your face. I'll make it so you can speak without making a sound.]
Turan confirmed that Solif's silhouette had gone rigid and motionless before creating a second Wind Path. This time, the path started from inside Solif's ear and led back to his own.
[It's done. I can hear you even if you speak softly, so whisper.]
[Who are you?]
[The person you had a drink with on the beach not long ago.]
[...Ah, right, Turan. That was the name. How are you doing this? Is it a magic tool?]
Since they had only met once a few days prior, Solif didn't immediately recognize Turan's voice. It didn't help that the voice was somewhat distorted as it traveled through the Wind Path. Instead of answering the question, Turan countered with one of his own.
[The nobles here—they're Baraha elites, aren't they?]
[Yeah. They were determined to take me back. I put up a decent fight, but they brought a heap of suppression magic tools. I couldn't match them. I don't suppose... you're here to rescue me?]
[I went to Parayan Island and found a guy named Cobinus kidnapping people and using them as slaves. I came here to kill him, only to find this mess.]
[...I only found out today myself, but Cobinus is a cover identity used by a member of the Baraha family. My family. He was using a face-changing magic tool. It's probably the same one a childhood friend of mine used to use.]
The way he caught himself before saying "my family" felt significant. Regardless, as expected, the Cobinus Pirates seemed to be a group created by the Baraha family to exert influence over the Southern Sea. Likely, people like Vagos, whom he had killed a few hours ago, were just local henchmen recruited using that cover identity.
[I told you to run as far away from your family as possible.]
If Solif had taken Turan's advice seriously and fled west toward the Siraf Wetlands, he wouldn't have been captured here in just a few days. It was obvious he had continued exploring various parts of the Southern Sea instead.
[Haha, to be honest, I didn't think they'd come for me this quickly. Or that they'd mobilize this much force...]
Solif muttered bitterly that he had expected, at most, his parents or a few relatives to come and try to persuade him. Having assessed the situation, Turan pondered his next move.
He had already tweaked the enemy's nose by destroying two major bases of the Cobinus Pirates, but since he had only killed local pirates so far, he could still walk away and call it even. However, rescuing Solif would be the equivalent of landing a direct punch to the Baraha family's face.
Even if he counted the rescued Solif as an ally, a Great Family was far too powerful for two nobles to oppose. In comparison, the option of slipping away quietly felt much more tempting. He wasn't close enough to Solif to justify taking such a risk, and Solif hadn't mentioned any information that might provoke the divine entities that might be backing Baraha—
'Hah.'
Mid-thought, Turan realized he was looking for excuses to retreat out of fear.
The reason he had stormed this place was because the Cobinus Pirates were kidnapping and abusing innocent people. That act had reminded him of the wicked nobles his mother used to tell him about—the ones who captured and exploited knights. He had projected his younger self, who feared those bad nobles, onto the oppressed people here.
What did it matter if the opponent was a Great Family, one of the most powerful martial forces in the world? If anything, the fact that such powerful people were intimidating commoners made their actions even more loathsome. To run wild when the opponent seemed weak, only to tuck his tail like a dog the moment a strong enemy appeared, would be the height of cowardice.
[Solif.]
[Yeah?]
[Want me to save you?]
[I'd love that, obviously, but is it even possible? From their numbers to their power, they're at a level that could crush a dozen ordinary mage families. Plus, some of them have the magic tools I used to own. I know you're skilled, but this will be tough.]
Come to think of it, Solif had originally carried several powerful-looking magic tools befitting a Baraha heir, but now he was completely unarmed, save for the chains binding him. It made sense; there was no reason to leave such things with a prisoner they were dragging back.
[I have a way. First, if I undo those chains, can you fight again?]
[I look fine on the outside, but I've got quite a few injuries. It'll be hard to fight without treatment.]
[I'll heal you then. But in exchange, promise me two things.]
[What are they? Let's hear them.]
[First, none of the nobles on this island, except for the two of us, are leaving alive today.]
There was no immediate response after Turan finished speaking. After a moment, Solif spoke in a slightly trembling voice.
[...You're going to kill them all?]
[Yes.]
[That's a bit... they're still my kinsmen—]
Expecting this reaction, Turan began to explain in a low voice. He told him everything—from the memoirs of the Frea Divine Clan he had found during his travels to the conclusions he had drawn from them. Solif's voice shook slightly upon hearing the hypothesis that he was to be used as a vessel for a god's soul.
[What you just said... you're not making it up, are you?]
[If necessary, I can provide proof later. If I'm lying, you can kill me.]
If this had been the Solif he met on the beach, he probably wouldn't have paid much attention to Turan's words. Back then, he was just a runaway youth who had escaped a family that sought to restrain and control him. But having been unilaterally intimidated by his family's mages as if he were a magical beast being hunted, it was hard to ignore. It perfectly explained why the family mages had suppressed him without showing even a shred of respect for him as the heir.
[Fine, I'll believe you for now. But... do we really have to kill them all? We could just take down the guy in front of me and run away together.]
[There are already plenty of people who know I'm attacking the Cobinus Pirates. The moment I free you, it'll be obvious who the culprit is. From that point on, both of us will have crossed a line with Baraha that we can't come back from. Since we're going to be enemies anyway, we should cut down their strength as much as possible while we have the chance and bolster our own.]
Additionally, inflicting a major loss here would hinder the Baraha family's pursuit. A Great Family required many powerful nobles to hunt magical beasts and maintain their territory. If their powerful nobles were killed off, sending more out to hunt would only weaken their foundation further.
When Turan finished his explanation and fell silent, Solif finally replied in a somber voice.
[Fine, I understand. What's the second thing?]
[I want you to move with me and give me your full support in everything. For about twenty years.]
Twenty years was the time Turan estimated it would take for him to become strong enough to at least survive against the head of a Great Family, even if he couldn't match them. Whether he would encounter enough powerful foes to gain that much strength would depend on luck. Asking for total support was closer to recruiting a subordinate than a mere ally—a condition that could be humiliating for a high-ranking noble like Solif.
Therefore, Turan added a piece of bait that the other man couldn't possibly refuse.
[In exchange for the second condition, I'll tell you something you desperately want to know.]
[What is it?]
[I know where the corpse of the Drowned God is.]
*
After concluding their negotiations and tactical discussion, Turan re-entered the prison while maintaining his stealth. He moved behind the noble who was still standing guard with a crooked posture, covered his mouth with one hand, and plunged a dagger into his throat.
"Guh—"
The Baraha noble's eyes widened in shock as he tried to resist, but it was impossible to overcome the physical strength of Turan, who possessed far greater mana and a well-trained body. After stabbing the man several more times in the neck, chest, and abdomen, Turan tossed the lifeless body forward.
Solif, who had been watching from inside the cell, spoke in a hollow tone.
"You really killed him..."
"Yes, I really did. Now stay still while I get you out."
Since Turan had already revealed he could use the power of the Zahar bloodline during their negotiation, Solif wasn't surprised by that fact. Turan lightly bent the iron bars to enter and touched the chains binding Solif.
According to Solif's explanation, the function of this magic tool was simple yet powerful. Once it encircled a living being, a stronger binding force would be applied proportional to the time spent bound, suppressing the target's use of mana. While it was difficult to use in the middle of combat by throwing it, there was no better tool for perfectly restraining a suppressed enemy.
Using a lock-picking spell powered by wind magic, Turan released the padlock holding the chains together. Solif rolled his shoulders, working out the stiffness in his body.
"Ugh, as I thought, my mana isn't returning immediately..."
"Rest for a bit. I'll heal you."
Having already absorbed the power of a Healer Bloodline from the Mimic Relic before entering, Turan immediately cast a healing spell on Solif. Because he had used a quarter of it on Bije, only about three-quarters remained. Since more powerful magical beings required more mana to heal even similar wounds, a full recovery was difficult. Still, since he hadn't had any major injuries to begin with, he was restored enough that it wouldn't hinder him in combat.
As Turan finished and began absorbing mana from the dead noble's body, a fully recovered Solif muttered in disbelief.
"Stealth, and now healing magic... Are you some kind of reincarnation of the Frea Divine Clan?"
"Don't exaggerate. You remember the plan?"
"Of course. It hasn't been that long since I heard it."
As they left the dungeon together, Turan paid close attention to the presences he felt above. To his relief, it seemed none of them had realized what had happened in the basement. After sending Solif outside, Turan headed to the upper floors and noticed that the entire bedroom area where the nobles were staying was covered in mana.
It was clearly the power of a Barrier Master bloodline.
'I suppose they wouldn't let their guard down with the Enril Desert right above them.'
Of course, there was no reason for Zahar nobles to suddenly attack those who weren't from hostile families like Arabion, but it was human nature to want to prepare if there were people with stealth abilities nearby. Or perhaps they were just wary of their defenses weakening while they slept.
Remaining hidden, Turan flashed a light out the window as a signal. Before long, Solif began his rampage outside, swinging whips of light just as he had in the past.
"I—am—free—!"
His voice, booming with the rich volume characteristic of high nobility, echoed through the air. As light and fire erupted in all directions, the sleeping fortress instantly jolted awake. While the pirates scrambled in confusion, Turan felt the barrier covering the bedrooms being lifted.
"What's going on?"
"That brat has escaped!"
"How? Enke was guarding him!"
"We need to suppress him again! One of you go down to the dungeon and check the chains! The rest of you, follow me!"
The voices of the Baraha nobles were thick with confusion. To them, Solif escaping was an utterly impossible anomaly, so their reaction was natural. Because of that, they were moving too quickly down the hallway to notice that the entire floor was covered in a thick layer of black powder.
Unless one had dark vision like those of the Zahar bloodline, it would have been difficult to notice it in a hallway in the middle of the night anyway.
Turan dropped from the window using flight magic and ignited the Soul of Fire that blanketed the corridor.
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