The Shepherd Alone on the Hill is a Genius Wizard

Chapter 30 Wizards Rule Over and Care for Humans

On the way back, Turan sat in the boat carefully observing his newly acquired mysterious treasure.

It was just big enough to fit in his palm.

With round edges and relatively flat front and back, its overall shape was similar to the compass he had brought.

One peculiarity was a small button on one side that made a clicking sound and opened a lid when pressed.

Though the inside was empty with no apparent purpose, it surely had some function as well.

Fortunately, he didn't need to hold this object in his hands to use it.

As long as he 'owned' it, such as by keeping it in his pocket, he could use its abilities at any time.

Turan closed his eyes and felt countless presences passing beneath the sea.

Groups of hundreds of tiny flames, groups of about a dozen slightly larger lights, and even larger lights each separate...

This detection range extended about ten meters normally, and when concentrating, could stretch to several dozen to about a hundred and ten meters.

Only after practicing the detection ability several times did Turan take out his compass again to check direction and move east.

After moving the boat for about an hour.

On the fifth use of detection magic targeting human scent, he finally sensed a faint trace from far away.

'Found it.'

After silently docking the small boat beside the Blue Marlin and jumping straight onto the deck, the sailor on watch screamed upon seeing him.

"Ack! A m-monster- oh, it's Sir Knight? We thought you were staying on the island..."

"Had business."

The sailor, like Arma had been, had a very faint flame residing in his heart, and was all grey otherwise.

Whether it was a racial difference, or something different because that one was royalty.

Receiving a deep bow, Turan returned to his cramped cabin and lay down on the bed.

Perhaps because he had much to think about, his head felt unusually heavy.

==

The next day, Turan slept in until the sun was high, then woke up to a strange smell.

What woke him from deep sleep was a strong smell of blood.

'What's this?'

What could cause blood to flow suddenly on an island where trade ships dock, not in the middle of the sea?

Going up to the deck, he could see the reason.

"Ow..."

"It hurts like hell, put some medicine on it!"

Sailors groaning and bleeding from their backs.

Beside them, Deck Boss Lenak was chewing some unknown herbs while swinging a bloody whip in the air several times to make noise.

"Now, everyone repeat! Tardiness!"

"We won't do it!"

"Insubordination!"

"Is death!"

The sailors shouted responses to Lenak's words like a chorus while wearing dead expressions.

"What's all this about?"

"Oh, you're awake? We're punishing those who came back late after playing last night."

First Mate Osban, who was watching the whipping with a blank expression beside him, explained.

Come to think of it, the captain had said something like that when they left yesterday, but who would have thought they'd actually whip people just for coming back late.

Turan shook his head after watching the blood-covered deck for a while.

Though it seemed someone might die if they weren't careful, it wasn't appropriate for him to intervene and break their discipline here.

They had their own rules, and moreover, he had seen the sailors agree to this yesterday.

Instead, Turan observed how other sailors appeared through the holy relic's vision.

Though there weren't many big differences, he could see some of the blue flame turning red and dispersing where those who were whipped were injured.

"Where's the captain?"

"He went down to the island. Said he was going to look for someone to buy the ship."

"I see."

As the ship's owner, and to check on the progress of things, Turan headed to the island, leaving behind the sailors being whipped.

"Hohoho, hahaha!"

"Bleeegh-"

"You bastard! Do you think this is a bathroom!"

Miguel Island lived off trade ships stopping for supplies during their voyages.

Naturally, many people visible on the streets were sailors from ships docked at that harbor.

But weather always strikes more capriciously than expected, and before preparations could finish, lightning, rain, and wind began pouring down.

The wind and rain of a season where snow wouldn't be strange instantly stole body heat.

The sailors tried their best to complete their assigned tasks while shivering all over with blue-tinged lips.

Just then, a huge wave struck the ship's side hard.

"Aaaagh!"

A sailor who had climbed the largest mast to release ropes screamed as he was thrown off by the rebound.

Whether falling onto the deck or into the sea from tens of meters high, death was certain.

As everyone's faces froze, the falling sailor's body suddenly stopped mid-air.

"...Huh?"

"This way."

Following Turan's order and gesture, the sailor's body slowly descended back onto the deck.

From a wizard's perspective, ordinary people without innate magical power were like animals or inanimate natural objects.

In other words, using the same force needed to move a person-sized rock, one could move ordinary people as well.

"Get below!"

"Yes!"

After rescuing one person, Turan's activities continued.

He folded the sail that couldn't be properly furled due to the earlier fall by controlling ropes and cloth, and pushed back cargo rolling on deck.

As a bonus, he saved two more sailors who had slipped and were about to be thrown overboard.

After confirming all sailors except the helmsman had gone below deck, Turan went down last and closed the door.

Though it was a short time, perhaps because his nerves had been extremely tense, a sigh escaped naturally.

"Whew..."

"Th-thank you, oh god! Thank you so much!"

The one kneeling and crying floods of tears as if in worship was the sailor who had been thrown earlier.

"You're not hurt?"

"No!"

"Good. That's what matters."

After appropriately comforting the sailor who kept expressing thanks by patting his shoulder, Turan looked for Captain Pires.

He was in the middle of discussing something with other senior sailors with a serious face, but when Turan approached, he stopped the conversation and bowed his head politely in thanks.

"Thank you, Lord Turan. Thanks to you, not just the crew but all of us saved our lives. If we hadn't lowered the sails, we would have sunk by now."

"I'm also one of the ship's crew now, so it's only natural. How is it, can we endure the storm?"

"We can only trust in the ship and helmsman's skill. The other mates and I will need to keep going out to take turns. More worrying is how soaked everyone is..."

Because they had brought down all the cargo that had been placed on deck, the cabin was so packed there wasn't even room to step.

The sailors, who had lost body heat to their wet clothes, were shivering all over and trying to warm themselves with each other's body heat.

Turan watched this quietly before shouting loudly.

["Everyone in a circle!"]

Though thunder was still rumbling in the sky, his voice carried clearly to everyone in the cabin.

This was a crude imitation of the sound amplification magic used during House Arabion's head's procession in the past.

Though it was much cruder compared to theirs, it was enough to reach several dozen people in a cabin of this size.

["I'm going to light a fire now! Gather in a circle around me!"]

"Lord Turan, lighting a fire now could be very dangerous."

Captain Pires tried to stop Turan with a troubled expression.

If the ship rocked and the fire accidentally spread to the walls, there would be no greater disaster.

"It's alright, I have a way to light fire without it spreading."

"Is that possi..."

Pires stopped himself from asking if that was possible.

He at least knew that the wizard before him was actually a noble-level power.

Shortly after, Turan confirmed all sailors had gathered in a circle before lighting a flame above his hand.

Because he had firmly fixed his body, the flame's position didn't change even when the ship rocked.

Simultaneously manipulating air flow to spread the heat in all directions, warming warmth permeated throughout the cabin.

"Oh god..."

The sailors watched Turan, who held fire and shared warmth, with entranced expressions.

This was an entirely different kind of emotion from their satisfaction at seeing pirates slaughtered with overwhelming power days ago.

'Humans serve wizards, and wizards rule over and care for humans.'

For the first time in their lives, they felt they were being cared for by a wizard.