Translator: Pai_

The night of his first Soul Manipulation procedure.

Turan fell asleep with Meisa and dreamed.

In the dream, Turan was a newborn baby, not even having shed his birth hair.

The one holding him was his mother Bizella, looking a bit younger than she did in his memories.

Across from her was his father Karim, whom he had only seen in portraits, watching with a satisfied expression.

Turan logically realized right away that this was nothing but a figment of his imagination, something that had never existed in reality.

His father had already been killed by Phoenix and Talis by the time his mother fled to the western Hisaril Hill while pregnant.

But even after realizing this, he did not awaken from the dream for a long time and simply gazed at the scene.

Just being able to witness loving and affectionate parents, something he had longed for all his life but could never have, was enough to satisfy him.

“Father.”

Turan reached out toward the father he had never once spoken to.

As if to prove this was an illusion, his hand passed futilely through his father’s image.

Even after the meeting with the House Zahar, Turan still did not fully know the details surrounding his father’s death.

All he knew was that his father had died after accidentally discovering something he shouldn’t have known and helping a woman carrying his child to escape.

Of course, for someone who was nothing more than a low-ranking noble to accomplish such a feat against those mighty gods vessel was an achievement in itself.

That alone made it possible for Turan to respect a father he had never seen before, who was by comparison endlessly weaker than him.

“I will protect them all. My wife, my children, and even myself.”

Thanks to a fateful coincidence and the entanglement of destiny, Turan was born with an extraordinary magical talent, unlike Karim.

And through steady effort and many fortuitous encounters, he awakened that power to near perfection and rose to the ranks of the strongest.

Because of that, he could make this vow with confidence.

Unlike his father, he would not give anything up. He would reach out with greedy hands and seize everything.

*

“Did you have a bad dream?”

“No, it was so good I almost didn’t want to wake up.”

“What kind of dream was it then?”

Early in the morning, Turan shook his head and smiled at Meisa’s worried expression as she woke up first and asked.

Afterward, the two washed each other with water brought by a maid and had a light breakfast.

Leaving Meisa inside the tent, Turan stepped outside and had a conversation with Haram, who was currently leading the camp.

“What’s the enemy’s status?”

“According to the scouts’ report this dawn, they are staying about six hundred kilometers to the west.”

Though they were privately in a teacher-student relationship in martial arts, they made sure to maintain a clear hierarchy in public, with everyone watching.

Above all, Turan was not only the head of House Parsha but also the commander of this army.

“That’s fairly close. If they move slowly, we’ll meet in seven days; if they move quickly, it’ll be four to five days.”

“Yes.”

For an average wizard’s pace, it should have been much faster than that, but experience showed that as an army grows larger, its speed tends to slow down.

That was because the number of things to carry and terrain considerations increased accordingly.

As he focused quietly on his calculations, Turan suddenly felt a gaze directed at him and looked around.

In the eyes of the Parsha wizards watching him, anticipation was brimming.

Their master, the great Turan.

Despite his young age, he was considered the most powerful wizard in the world, and they believed he would somehow lead them to victory.

For ordinary people, the pressure might have been suffocating, but Turan could face it without the slightest burden.

Not because he was confident he could meet their expectations, but because he knew there was nothing to be gained from feeling pressured anyway.

“For now, we’ll use this place as a defensive stronghold. The barrier masters should install the defensive barriers in advance to block enemy attacks. I’ll conduct guerrilla warfare with part of the troops.”

“How will you decide the personnel composition?”

“I’ll choose them myself.”

Through the Mimic Sacred Relic, Turan could not only thoroughly inspect everyone’s total amount of magic power, but also had a precise understanding of his direct subordinates’ capabilities, as they were practically his own students, having learned magic directly from him.

Of course, there were also wizards from the Varaha side as well as nobles from other vassal houses who had been additionally dispatched, but Turan decided to leave all of them with the main force and select only from among the direct vassals.

“Kowrin, Ames, Lambda......”

Of the names he called, some stepped forward with proud expressions, others with slightly nervous ones.

The total number was sixteen.

Among them were three upper-rankers, seven mid-rankers, and six lower-rankers, but even those considered lower-rank had outstanding magical aptitude or combat talent, enough to go toe-to-toe with most mid-rank nobles.

“Will this number suffice?”

“If anything, having too many is inconvenient. Everyone, check your equipment and confirm your resonance with the magical beasts you’ll be riding.”

“No issues!”

The members who chose to follow Turan for the guerrilla unit were each assigned one magical beast, or in some cases, one beast for every two people.

This was because magical beasts, in general, far outperformed same-level wizards in terms of physical ability, and their quadrupedal movement allowed for much faster mobility compared to bipedal movement.

Turan played an enormous role in the Parsha house being able to command so many magical beasts.

Since the house’s founding, every time he hunted magical beasts across the entire Gray Zone, he would capture the ones that were relatively docile and seemed useful, then tame them using the Tamer ability of the Nagin bloodline.

Of course, others contributed as well.

Meisa, Solif, and other wizards personally subdued and brought in magical beasts, and the powerful beast Bije directly helped subdue them with brute strength, compelling obedience.

In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that most of the magical beasts loyal to House Parsha were actually following Bije.

The exception might be Tilly, who was originally a magical beast of House Berk and was now carrying two wizards over there.

“Then, let’s depart.”

“Yes, understood!”

As Turan took the lead and soared into the sky, a giant crow and hawk flanked him on either side.

Compared to Bije, they possessed magic power equivalent only to that of lower nobles and were therefore only capable of carrying one or two people at a moderate speed, low-grade magical beasts.

Even so, they could still be considered among the few air units available to House Parsha.

On the ground, beasts resembling horses like Tilly, as well as those in the form of deer, wolves, tigers, and ostriches, ran directly to follow.

Since they had to detour along terrain instead of flying directly, it was necessary to adjust flight speed out of consideration for them.

-Watch below and to the side, Bije.

-They’re all so damn slow. Annoying!

-If the Beast King doesn't pay attention, the subjects would be too pitiful. They only listen to you.

Grumbling at Turan’s flattery, Bije nonetheless adjusted her flight to match the pace of the two birds and the beasts running below.

Even that speed was dizzyingly fast compared to the pace of ordinary nobles.

After flying like that for about half a day, Bije grew larger and carried all the tired birds and the nobles riding them, then they landed briefly, gathered, had lunch, and moved again.......

They reached near the enemy camp the next morning, just as the sun was rising over the horizon.

"That's them over there."

"The timing is a bit bad."

“It would’ve been better if it were still dark.”

At the subordinates’ words of regret, Turan shook his head.

"There won't be much difference. They've probably collected plenty of light orbs anyway."

Just as he said, their camp was so solidly built that even someone with Concealment ability could never infiltrate it.

After all, half their members were Aravion wizards, veterans of the Zahar War twenty years ago.

They were likely masters who had dealt with Concealment countless times to the point of exhaustion.

However, unlike the former Zahar nobles, Turan had no need to sneak in under Concealment and poke at the enemy with a few small attacks before fleeing.

He had means to harass the enemy from a much greater distance.

After a brief rest, Turan instructed his subordinates to prepare for the scheduled operation, then took to the sky with Bije.

-Do you see Badal, Bije?

-No.

With Bije’s eyesight, she would normally have noticed, so that meant he was thoroughly hidden somewhere in the center of the camp.

From about four kilometers away, Turan activated the Varaha bloodline to enhance his vision, then used a telescope made of water to observe the enemy closely.

“The Aravion nobles are positioned in a wide circle on the outside, and the Nagin nobles are placed inside... Has he really lost the hearts of the Aravion so thoroughly?”

It was a somewhat unfortunate arrangement from the attacker’s perspective.

With the hope for governing legitimacy, Turan had hoped reduce the number of Nagin nobles who could become vessels of Monarch, and instead keep the Aravion nobles alive to place under Meisa's command.

"But it can't be helped. Let's go."

-Okay!

Flap- at a single wingbeat, Bije’s body shot forward at an insanely fast speed.

It was an explosive release, as if she were shaking off the frustration of having flown slowly to keep pace with the other beasts since yesterday.

As the wind stabbed into his eyes like blades, Turan squinted and pulled out his slingshot, spinning it rapidly.

Crack- the magnetic field path forming before his eyes broke apart, unable to withstand the speed.

“This won’t be easy...”

-Should I slow down?

“No, keep going. It’s perfect.”

Though he had practiced a few times before, using it in actual combat was far harder than he had imagined.

Maybe the local humidity was interfering somehow.

He kept trying several times.

In just twenty-some seconds, Turan had closed the distance to around four kilometers. As the surrounding bright lights accelerated magic power consumption, he released his Concealment.

Immediately, chaos erupted from the ground below as someone sensed his presence.

“Wait, there’s something in the sky…”

“It’s an attack!”

Since the golden eagle symbolized the House Parsha, the wizards of the Nagin and Aravion alliance were always alert to the skies.

Even as he admired their swift response, Turan realized the magnetic path had finally stabilized with their flight speed and released his fingers from the slingshot.

Even just from Bije’s speed, the projectile had already reached acceleration sufficient to crush an ordinary knight’s skull.

Then, the explosion of gunpowder inside the slingshot combined with centrifugal force to push the steel ball further, and it continued accelerating along the magnetic path multiple times.

Watching the beam of light shoot down from the sky to the ground, several people thought it resembled divine punishment from a heavenly god.

With a roar, several tents collapsed, crushing the unlucky beneath them.

“It’s an assault by the head of House Parsha!”

“Everyone, return fire!”

In response, Aravion wizards shot into the air from various points in the camp.

Their gestures made the clear sky rumble, and lightning struck down several times, but none of it hit Turan.

They failed to accurately aim at Bije, who flew with terrifying speed, and the few attacks that came close were neutralized by electric discharges that Turan released himself.

Bije, still accelerating, flew westward past the Aravion camp and then turned back toward the east.

Just like earlier, another railgun shot descended from the sky at high velocity, only to be countered by a violet bolt of lightning that shot up from the ground.

“You’re running wild, Turan.”

A voice carried over from afar using wind magic.

Badal emerged from among the wrecked tents, looking unfortunately quite unscathed.

His face was pale, likely from the shock of the earlier blast.

Despite it being an hour when most would still be asleep, he was fully equipped with defensive magic artifacts, probably a precaution learned from the previous assassination attempt.

Meeting the old man’s hate-filled gaze, Turan also transmitted his voice back.

“Is your health well, father-in-law? I heard you’d gotten riddled with holes. Perhaps things would have gone better if you had governed the house more wisely.”

Turan took satisfaction in seeing the rage flicker across Badal’s face at his thoroughly mocking tone, yet at the same time, he remained alert, keeping his eyes on his surroundings.

A few flying Aravion nobles, and several others either flying on or running with magical beasts, presumably Nagin nobles.

They moved cautiously, trying not to be noticed by Turan, slowly forming a wide encirclement.

Most or all of them were likely gods vessel.

Ordinary wizards would not be capable of keeping Turan in check.

“To come here alone like this... it seems you’ve learned nothing from last time.”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it a lesson... After all, you still failed to catch me then.”

“That foolish wench sacrificed herself in your place. So who are you planning to throw away and escape with this time?”

At the mention of Haroon, Turan felt a stab of anger deep inside, but he didn’t let it show on his face.

Fortunately, concealing emotions and acting as necessary was one of the things he excelled at.

“If you were in proper shape, that might be necessary, but judging by the state you’re in now, I don’t think I need to sacrifice anyone. You should worry about your own health-!”

Before Turan could finish his sarcastic remark, he suddenly urged Bije upward into the sky.

That was because the magical beasts and Aravion nobles who had been approaching stealthily were just about to complete their encirclement.

As Badal, who had stayed still to lull Turan into a false sense of security, began flying with magnetism magic, the others also abandoned caution and began openly chasing him.

“Stop right there!”

“Catch him!”

As he flew east, Turan accelerated his thoughts, analyzing the incoming attacks directed at himself and Bije one by one.

Lightning - Bije’s resistance is high, even a direct hit won’t be serious.

Wind blades - skill, dangerous if hit directly. Neutralize with the same wind blades.

Whirlwind - skill, steer Bije to the side, use it to assist acceleration.

Violet lightning - Badal’s skill, deflect with steel ball, respond with evasive maneuver.

Ice spikes - attack from a Nagin wizard, if Bije is hit, could be injured and slowed. Intercept and block it with his own body.

Blades... Zahar? Activate Guardian magic artifact for defense.

It was as if he had rehearsed responses through repeated encounters with similar situations, the elegance of Turan’s defensive maneuvers left his pursuers momentarily speechless.

However, flawless defense aside, the distance between Turan and his pursuers gradually decreased with time.

They only needed to keep closing in while launching simultaneous attacks, whereas Bije had to constantly weave and dodge, unable to maintain a straight flight path.

Especially because of Badal’s occasional strikes.

It was just like the last time when he escaped from Axum City.

After flying several kilometers eastward, Turan instructed Bije to reduce her size.

As the golden eagle’s body shrank, Turan grabbed her legs and descended sharply, concealing themselves beneath the dense forest below.

“Trying to hide among the trees, are you?”

“Light it up! Don’t let him stay concealed!”

At someone’s sharp command, bright light flared, illuminating the forest that had been hidden in shadow from the sunlight.

In that moment, a barrage of bullets infused with heavy magic power rained down toward the bright light source with sharp sounds.

It was an attack prepared in advance by those who had been told to target any lit area.

“Aaagh!”

“You bastards...!”

Although he was relatively far away and fully equipped this time, unlike before, Badal still couldn’t stop his body from freezing up momentarily under the hail of bullets.

When a person experiences a traumatic memory, they are bound to feel the same fear when placed in a similar situation again.

Such instinctual reactions, cultivated over countless generations, could not be ignored, even if the body housed the soul of a god.

Unlike him, a few nobles with lower magic power and weak defensive artifacts screamed in pain as they were pierced by bullets.

The blood spilled from the sky painted the green forest red.

“Everyone, reload while dodging!”

Thanks to that, the Parsha guerrilla unit was able to retreat swiftly with their magical beasts without taking any damage, even after firing a round of shots.

Only then did the nobles of Nagin and Aravion realize in anger that the attack had come from a separate detachment lying in wait on the ground, and they attempted to strike back.

“Get down!”

A flash streaked by, accompanied by someone’s urgent shout.

Though it hadn’t been magnetically accelerated due to the hasty shot, Turan’s steel ball, fired with Bije’s speed and the explosive force of gunpowder, pierced the chest of a Nagin noble.

At that moment, just as Badal’s divine punishment turned toward him, several more shots came flying.

The bullets, tracking their target while accelerating with magic power, struck his soles, shins, and other spots, making it difficult to concentrate properly.

“This... damn it...”

If he went all out, he could burn this measly forest to the ground in seconds.

But as he began drawing on the power of the Thunder Lord to summon violet lightning, Badal had to twist his body and abort the strike.

A wind blade, launched by Turan, tore through the air right where Badal had been.

“To think you’d use that kind of power on kids... if you’re an adult, act like one.”

Coming from the youngest person on this battlefield, it was enough to make the blood boil.

As the two family heads kept each other in check, Parsha nobles riding magical beasts on the ground continued to fire upon the enemies flying above the forest.

Some of the vessels managed to block the attacks with their skills, but a good number who couldn’t were left bleeding.

As the nobles of Aravion and Nagin tried again to pursue those on the ground, they were startled by the sudden appearance of a giant bird bursting out of the forest, with a noble riding it.

The only enemy known to command giant avian magical beasts was Turan.

But by the time they realized it was just a crow and a hawk, and that the rider was merely an armed Parsha noble, the rest of the Parsha troops had already disappeared again into another part of the forest.

“Damn it.”

“They just shoot and run? What kind of fight is this supposed to be?”

The Parsha nobles’ movements weren’t improvised but thoroughly trained in advance, making them fluid and coordinated.

By contrast, the Aravion and Nagin nobles were blindly tearing through the forest in disorganized pursuit, a difference so vast it hardly needed explanation.

What’s more, because of the thick forest, lightning attacks were often blocked by terrain or failed to hit their targets accurately.

And going down into the forest?

That meant giving up the absolute aerial advantage granted by the Aravion bloodline, placing themselves on the same level as the enemy, and that would be the end of it.

The only reason they managed to avoid more serious injuries from gunfire was thanks to their high-altitude, three-dimensional evasive maneuvers.

In reality, Nagin nobles riding land-based beasts couldn’t even get close without being shot at.

To make things worse, there was also occasional turbulence interfering with the flight of Aravion nobles and Nagin’s flying magical beasts.

This was due to wind magic intermittently cast by Bije while fighting Badal with Turan on her back.

Though she lacked Turan’s precision in disrupting opponents, her power output was overwhelming as expected from a magical beast, forcing the Aravion nobles and flying beasts to struggle just to avoid being swept away.

And so, while continuously hitting and retreating, the Parsha guerrilla unit toyed with the Aravion and Nagin nobles until finally pulling back, only as the enemy main force arrived long after.

By then, many of the initial encirclement troops had already been hit by gunfire and were groaning in pain, making pursuit nearly impossible.

Even the magical beasts commanded by the Nagin nobles had been injured and lost mobility.

Watching the Parsha forces disappear far in the distance, Badal bit his lip and ordered the wounded soldiers around him.

“Return... to the main force.”

Thus, the first battle between the two noble houses ended deep in an unnamed forest region, with one side shedding an overwhelming amount of blood.

There wasn’t even any need to mention which side had the upper hand, it was too obvious to be worth saying.

*****

For more chapters, you can check out my Patreon here –https://patreon.com/Pai_

If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it at Novelupdates. Thanks! 😊