Unlike ordinary wizard houses, it's not easy for the head of a great house to pass their position to their own children.
The probability of powerful magical power being passed down to children is only slightly higher than that of height or appearance being inherited, and in great houses, there are dozens of relatives in the same generation.
Since they all share the same ancestors going back anyway, it's natural that at least one of them would be stronger than the head's own children.
"In such a situation, when a child with the greatest talent among the head's children was born, they received full support from early on."
Meisa, the princess of House Arabion, was the youngest daughter born between the head and a noblewoman from a branch of House Berk.
Among the head's three children, the first was adopted out due to manifesting the maternal bloodline, the second was merely average causing disappointment, but then a child with successor-worthy talent was born to a concubine.
Moreover, Meisa wasn't just born with strong magical power but also had a natural talent for learning magic, reportedly mastering various combat magic including House Arabion's bloodline magic in just ten years after awakening her power.
As a result of receiving all sorts of support, even though she was only twenty-one, her magical power was nearly equal to the house's core members.
Because of this, she was expected to become one of the strongest among all of House Arabion's historical heads, with many hoping she might even be able to destroy House Zahar when she became head.
"With that much magical power at that age, did they perhaps give her all the 'funerals' within the house?"
"That's right. She even got our great-grandfather's power. Though we shared some of it too."
The fact that magical power remains and causes various phenomena like becoming death spirits after death is common to all magical creatures, not just Masu.
Naturally, dead wizards' magical power can also be absorbed, and both Turan and Asiz had absorbed the power of House Berk's knights while burying their bodies.
This is commonly called a 'funeral,' and House Arabion had concentrated the funerals of nobles who died from old age or accidents on a few talented young wizards.
This way, it was possible to accumulate power sufficiently within the house without bothering with things like pilgrimages.
Of course, other members of the house who couldn't inherit power would have to work hard hunting Masu.
'Indeed, there's a good reason why great houses rule from above...'
Just as he was beginning to feel envious, Turan recalled that he had already received a great gift with his own talent and snapped his fingers.
The spark born from friction heat transformed successively from a fireball to an arrow, spear, and sword.
Seeing this, Asiz laughed in amazement.
"Flame shape transformation? You've already added three more?"
"Yeah."
"Damn, I've already forgotten how to use that."
While chatting as they walked, they practiced magic in various ways.
Inspired by seeing Turan practicing various magic every day, Asiz decided to resume combat magic training that he had neglected.
Saying he didn't want to helplessly watch his people die again like before.
Asiz shared information about various magic he had only theoretically mastered – though much of it overlapped with what Turan had learned from Keorn – and in return, Turan taught him several types of magic he had self-taught on the hill and some of the simplest natural laws he learned at the library.
Of course, he didn't even show signs of knowing detection and concealment magic.
He didn't want to give any clues about his Zahar bloodline.
Anyway, through this exchange, Turan could get a sense of how fast an average talented wizard learned magic.
'It takes several days to learn just one thing even with dedicated training. Even then it's not battle-ready, and they quickly forget if they don't keep practicing...'
After calculating this briefly, Turan disciplined himself not to become arrogant while watching the struggling Asiz.
How could he dare be proud when he'd heard about someone his age with similar talent, and even much stronger power than him?
"By the way, Turan, have you decided what magical device you want?"
"Somewhat."
Turan's first thought was a magical device imbued with the power of 'healing.'
While his outstanding talent allowed him to practice and use most magic as he wished, healing abilities were almost impossible to use without being born with the bloodline.
After roughly understanding the principles of wound healing at the library, he could heal minor scratches, but such power couldn't be used in actual combat.
The problem was that half of his bloodline was still 'locked.'
If his other half bloodline was from healers, the magical device would be wasted.
Because of this, he was considering choosing something useful unrelated to bloodline magic, but he hadn't yet made a final decision.
Seeing Turan lost in thought, Asiz smiled.
"Well, take your time thinking about it. You'll be staying and resting at our house for a while after we arrive anyway, right?"
"I won't stay long. I'm on pilgrimage."
"Don't be in such a hurry. We have plenty of time anyway."
As he said, Turan still had hundreds of years of life left.
He could live long enough for the children of ordinary humans passing by on the opposite side of the road, avoiding their gaze, perhaps even their children's children, to grow old and die...
At this sudden thought, Turan shook his head.
Why was there so much in this world that made him arrogant?
==
Since leaving Hisaril Hill, Turan had often marveled at the increasingly prosperous environment as he moved inland.
From dense forests to streams and rivers flowing with clear water, to plains covered in grassland where anything seemed able to grow.
To the shepherd youth who grew up seeing only sparse weeds growing between rocky hills and wastelands, this place was like paradise.
But now, Turan realized that the 'prosperity' he had seen before was fake.
Golden wheat fields stretching beyond sight even with noble vision...
It was astounding to think that this wasn't just what they had just encountered, but that they still couldn't see the end even after walking for half a day.
The yield from here seemed enough to feed all the people in every city and village they had passed through, with plenty to spare.
"That might actually be true. They say people quite often get lost in these fields, if that tells you anything."
Asiz shrugged while saying this in response to Turan's assessment.
This vast land was called the Dakein Plains.
It was House Arabion's core territory, reached after walking straight for fifteen days after leaving Maderi – though for ordinary people, this would have been a one or two month journey.
In the center of these plains was Morgen City, House Arabion's stronghold, and around the edges were several satellite cities governed by vassal houses like House Berk.
The population living within this domain reportedly reached the millions, a scale almost impossible to imagine.
Since entering the Dakein Plains, Asiz could also find his way, so they were able to reach Zabilin, House Berk's territory, without needing to ask passing people for directions.
As the sun was setting, when they knocked on the firmly closed city gates, someone shouted from above.
"Curfew time has passed! Come back tomorrow!"
"It's me, Bin!"
"Young Master Asiz?"
The knight who had been announcing curfew while sitting on the five-meter-high wall jumped down immediately upon hearing Asiz's voice.
"It really is you, young master! Have you already finished your pilgrimage? And why are the others..."
"They have all departed for the celestial palace. Let's talk about that later, can we first go in and rest? And please inform my parents that I've returned."
Asiz's bright and cheerful face darkened at the question about his retainers' whereabouts.
It seemed his exaggeratedly bright behavior had indeed been to bury his gloomy emotions.
He would probably need an extremely long time to truly overcome these emotions.
Perhaps he might never overcome them in his lifetime.
Soon after, the two arrived at House Berk's palace via the main street of Zabilin City.
Thanks to sending word ahead, all the family members had come out to greet Asiz, with the first to rush forward being a middle-aged lady in an elaborate dress.
With dark blonde hair and features identical to Asiz's, anyone could guess they were mother and son.
"Asiz, my baby! What in the world happened!"
"Mama!"
Turan was internally shocked at the sight of a forty-three-year-old man proudly calling out "Mama!" and embracing her.
Though his outward appearance was that of a man in his twenties... no, even considering appearance alone, it was quite a childish scene.
This woman must be Midela Berk, the head of House Berk and Asiz's mother.
Behind her were a man who appeared to be her husband and a young man who looked slightly older than Asiz, probably his father and successor brother respectively, based on what he had heard before.
"Asiz, think of your dignity. You should at least say 'Mother.'"
"I-I'm sorry."
Flinching at his father's scolding, Asiz bowed his head before quickly turning to indicate Turan.
"This is Turan, a friend I made in the south. When I was in mortal danger, he risked his life to save me. Without him, I wouldn't have returned here alive."
"This pilgrimage route shouldn't have been that dangerous... what exactly happened?"
"We were attacked by dark elf necromancers."
Asiz told his detailed circumstances to his mother like a child who had been hit.
From the sudden attack and the death spirit army's assault killing his subordinates, to falling unconscious in crisis and waking to find Turan had dealt with them.
Hearing this, Head Midela jumped in rage.
"Dark elves! Those filthy worms dare target my child? If I don't lead an army there myself and tear them apart—"
"Calm yourself, Head. People are watching."
Even after barely calming down thanks to her husband's efforts, Midela's eyes remained bloodshot.
Asiz's father, who seemed much more composed than his wife, questioned Turan.
"So, may I ask which house our benefactor belongs to?"
"That's difficult to say."
"Difficult?"
"Yes. To be honest, it would be more accurate to say I don't know well."
As always, Turan didn't make excuses about having enemy houses making it difficult to reveal.
The reason being that while houses with past hostile history might be one thing, there weren't actually many houses currently in hostile relations.
Even Head Lug of House Baltas hadn't immediately pointed to Arabion and Zahar as candidates when he heard the story.
Therefore, he had prepared an answer that was both honest and dishonest.
"I was born to a commoner mother, and I don't know who my father is."
Asiz, still in his mother's embrace, showed surprise at this story that hadn't been revealed until now.
"What? You never told me that!"
"It's not something to boast about anywhere."
In truth, Turan's identity was something that might be considered quite unpleasant in houses that emphasized bloodline hierarchy.
No matter how much power was everything in the wizard world, to nobles, knights were guard dogs and commoners were even less than that.
But as expected, upon hearing this, the head couple only looked at each other with somewhat awkward expressions without showing contempt for Turan.
Growing up under such parents must be why Asiz had developed a personality that mixed freely with subordinates.
Head Midela cleared her throat several times before speaking.
"So that's the situation. Very well, Turan who knows not his house. Since you saved our house's treasure, as the head of House Berk, I shall properly compensate you. However, we cannot provide a room, so we'll arrange for you to stay at the city's finest inn instead—"
"What are you saying! Mo-Mother! How can we not properly host in our home the benefactor who saved me?"
Seeing Asiz dare to interrupt the head's words, his father rubbed his forehead as if tired of scolding.
Midela suppressed her thoughtless son with a stern expression and continued speaking.
"It would be fine normally, but we currently have an important guest in the house, so even for a benefactor, it's difficult to welcome a guest of unknown identity. Please understand."
"If it's about me, you don't need to worry, Aunt. Surely someone who saved Asiz won't suddenly try to assassinate me."
At that moment, a woman with an age-difficult-to-guess appearance suddenly cut in.
Turan thought of a skull when he saw her.
Sunken eyes and cheeks as if skin had been stretched over bone without flesh.
Not just that, but her neck, arms, torso, and legs were all so thin they looked like they might break under their own weight.
How much would a person have to starve to become that emaciated?
"Meisa? Why are you here suddenly?"
At Asiz's words, Turan realized she was the Princess of House Arabion who had been discussed earlier.
However...
'She looks more like a corpse than a princess.'
Truly, if she had been lying down with her eyes closed, he wouldn't have even doubted whether she was alive.
While Turan was thinking these impolite thoughts, Meisa Arabion answered the question in a casual tone as if describing the morning sunrise.
"I was nearly assassinated by those Zahar dogs recently. So I came here to take refuge."