The Shepherd Alone on the Hill is a Genius Wizard

Chapter 21 Found you!

After Meisa and the dark elf subjugation force departed, Turan's daily life didn't change much.

Building his body with Haram, learning weapon skills and martial arts, resting, practicing magic...

The only difference was that he lost one friend to practice magic with in the evening hours.

That just made those times feel a bit lonelier.

On the thirty-second day of his stay at House Berk.

In the workshop on the highest floor of the mansion, cluttered with all sorts of magical devices, Asiz's older brother Melo handed something to Turan.

His face had grown gaunt from being cooped up for the past month trying to make this.

"Here it is."

The magical device was in the form of a bracelet, made by braiding several long, thin leather straps like a braid and wrapping them with a non-luminous blue metal.

This metal was said to originate only from certain mountains in the east, being a material that could more easily hold magical power.

"Just wearing it slightly increases your physical durability, and when infused with magical power, that effect increases further. Ultimately, it can reach a level similar to nobles with the Guardian bloodline, but the mana consumption is severe, so it's best not to maintain it for too long."

"This... is truly an amazing treasure."

Considering that magical devices that replicate bloodline abilities typically had daily usage limits, this was remarkably powerful.

At Turan's words of admiration, Melo smiled with pride and said.

"Such an item would probably be rare even in great houses. It turned out exceptionally well."

While a craftsman's skill and time invested had absolute influence on magical device creation, even with the same skill and time invested, the resulting quality could differ.

Among these, this item was of the highest quality that would normally be presented to someone of the level of Arabion's head of house, Melo emphasized several times as he praised his creation before adding lastly.

"Asiz may be a dim-witted fool, but he's still my brother. I couldn't be careless with this repayment."

Though his first impression of putting down Asiz had made him seem cold, it seemed he too was a brother who loved his sibling.

After receiving the magical device and saying goodbye, Turan headed next to House Berk's head, Midela.

As expected, she proposed that he formally join the house when he came to bid farewell.

"It's truly a generous offer, but I'm afraid it would be difficult."

"I see..."

Surprisingly, instead of persistently making the offer repeatedly, Midela immediately showed resignation.

Her following words revealed why.

"Actually, I heard from Asiz. That you're someone with many things you need to do, so it would be difficult to settle here. Please consider my bringing it up despite knowing it wouldn't work as just an old person's lingering attachment."

It seemed Asiz had already given the head of house a heads up.

Turan bowed deeply to express his gratitude.

"I won't forget the hospitality you've shown me. Asiz and House Berk will forever be my friends."

"Yes, that's enough."

Though she knew, there must have been some bitterness, as a slight hint of disappointment lingered on Head Midela's face.

After finishing the meeting, other members of House Berk, particularly those who had become close with Turan, were waiting.

"Take it."

Haram abruptly handed over a dagger.

It was of a convenient size that could be easily carried as an everyday item or used as a weapon if needed.

"It's a magical device. Nothing special, but it's sturdy and sharp."

While it wasn't particularly valuable as far as magical devices go, being only slightly better than the magical lamps that were abundant in House Berk, it was still too precious a treasure to give to a disciple he'd only taught for a few weeks.

"...Thank you."

Turan knew why Haram was taking such good care of him.

Among nobles who mostly looked down on close combat, Turan had faithfully absorbed the teachings that Haram had pursued his entire life.

With a sense of respect, Turan used a title he didn't normally use for the last time.

"Master."

Haram's lips twitched once before he turned his head and left.

Perhaps he didn't want to show an expression he couldn't control.

Next, Asiz grinned as he held out a well-maintained shirt, pants, and cloak.

Made of sturdy material without unnecessary decorations, they looked comfortable to wear.

"What's this?"

"Didn't you say you envied my clothes before? I prepared these in my spare time. They won't get dirty easily, and they'll repair themselves from small tears."

Only then did Turan understand what Asiz had meant when he said earlier that it was good they'd made them bigger.

Considering how they often went out together in the afternoons to watch plays, he must have prepared these during his morning or evening free time.

Thinking of that dedication made it difficult to simply say thank you.

"Asiz..."

Turan carefully observed the charging boar before using magic to accelerate his thoughts.

The world instantly slowed down.

Taking one step to move out of its trajectory at the right timing, then precisely stabbing it in the side with his dagger, the boar collapsed as its brain was pierced.

'So this is how it feels.'

He hadn't known since he'd always just gotten beaten one-sidedly when sparring with Haram, but hunting using his body was quite fun.

Of course, this boar was an opponent he could have killed with just one thrown stone.

Since he'd need fare for the ship anyway, Turan absorbed the dead boar's magical power—it was a small fry as expected—then butchered it and skinned it.

Taking some time to leave it with a tanner, or if not that, selling it whole would fetch a decent price.

"Nngh."

The unexpected point was that the fully skinned hide was as big as a person, making it inconvenient to carry.

Despite having sufficient strength, he had to use both hands to maintain balance, and its excessive bulk blocking his vision was quite annoying.

Therefore, contrary to his original plan to sell it upon reaching the port city, Turan stopped at a fairly large village nearby and sold the hide immediately.

There was some commotion selling a hide that was clearly from a masu, but somehow he managed to get rid of the cumbersome luggage and obtain twenty gold coins.

After running for two full days with his lightened body, passing through two cities.

Just as he was thinking that House Kamain's territory must not be far now, Turan's nose caught an unusual scent.

'Hmm?'

The first thing detected was the smell of burned ashes.

If that was all, he could have dismissed it as a passing traveler lighting a campfire, but the degree of the smell was excessive.

If this was from a campfire, it would have to be from burning dozens of houses' worth of wood to be believable.

Moreover, not just plants but the stench of burned animals wafted over, making him wonder if there had been a forest fire, but as he approached, an even more horrific sight awaited him than he had expected.

"This is..."

Inside the half-burned collapsed palisade, he could see the ruins of what must have been an ordinary village.

Could it have been attacked by masu?

Going inside, he could tell that wasn't the case.

Because there were bodies burned while tied up in the middle of the village square.

This was clearly the trace of something done with malice by humans or a race with comparable intelligence.

'I hadn't heard that the dark elves had advanced this far.'

If they had, Asiz, who knew Turan was heading east, would certainly have given him a heads up about it.

While wondering how to deal with this mess, Turan detected the scent of a living person through the stench.

Sweat, tears, urine...

'Here?'

Following the traces of the smell, Turan found a trapdoor hidden under a table in one of the half-burned log houses.

When he forcibly tore open the door that was locked with a bolt—

"Kyaaaaaah!"

A girl screaming as if her throat would tear crawled backward.

How old could she be, maybe eight or nine?

Clear white tear tracks stood out on her face, which was dark with soot on her dirty clothes.

"Calm down. I'm not your enemy. I came to help."

The trembling girl, after Turan repeated the same words several times, asked while breathing heavily.

"Really...?"

"Yes. Do you know what happened to this village?"

"Th-they're all dead. That wizard—"

"Wizard?"

"Yes..."

The girl collapsed right after saying that much.

She must have been exhausted mentally and physically from being trapped in this basement for quite a while.

Turan carefully carried her up from the basement.

He thought he should first feed her well and let her rest, then take her to another village nearby...

"Found you!"

Four men and women in a semicircle around the log house entrance.

The one who looked like their leader, a woman holding a pure white ice bow, pointed an arrow at Turan while speaking.

"Kneel, you murderer!"