Not (Just) A Mage Lord Isekai-Chapter 36 - Stealing Sheep

The early morning sun managed to catch Vaserra's hair at just the right angle for it to seem like it was fashioned of blood. Though that impression likely had more to do with my shock at her referring to people as sheep.

And more likely, what it meant that Sarpit hadn't wanted to protect them.

A lot of things were being recategorized at that moment, and I think I ought to be forgiven for momentarily mucking up the color of her hair.

"Yes, of course sheep are people," Vaserra said, turning to her companions for support. They both nodded, though they seemed as confused as her. "Did you not know this?"

"Why would I…" I started before holding a hand up to stop myself. "Your father didn't want to protect them. No wonder you were so angry."

"What did you think we were talking about?" Vaserra asked, her brow furrowed.

To my surprise, Calbern was the one to answer. "Sheep. A small domesticated animal, roughly two feet in height and three in length, covered in soft fluffy wool, similar to the garments you wear beneath your furs. These are the sheep young Master Perth likely thought you meant, hunter Vaserra."

"The nibblers? He thought we were talking about nibblers?" Intelid muttered, though his voice was loud enough we could hear him plainly.

They all stared at us for a second before Vaserra broke into a laugh. A moment later, her companions did the same. I may have let loose a chuckle or two my own self.

After a minute Vaserra calmed down, though Intelid kept laughing as Vaserra said, "It is a relief to know you did not truly mean to buy our sheep."

"Wait…" I said, something she'd said during our earlier exchange striking me. "You said your father sells sheep. He sells people?"

"Yes. Every winter, during the clansmeet to the north, father takes the healthiest hundred from each vale to sell to the other clans," Vaserra said. At her words, all three of them spat to the side. "While not all clans trade with him, enough do that father is able to keep himself in his little luxuries for the rest of the year."

"And… the rest of the Frost Riven are okay with that?"

"No," Vaserra ground out. "If my mother… But that doesn’t matter now. You have seen his strength. I cannot compete with him. Not yet."

"Right," I said, my gaze returning to the sleepy little town. Then I looked closer, Eagle Eyes giving me more and more details. There were children playing near the stream, and some of the folk were laughing as they worked. Most shuffled about, despite the beautiful day. A group of men with more purpose in their stride moved towards the edge of the village. Another group of people ran after them. When they got to the edge of town, there was violent gestures, several of them waving out at the valley, at the fruit hanging heavily on the trees along either side of the valley. A particularly bright blue fruit.

A fight broke out amongst the crowd, and Intelid cursed softly. “They’re fighting again.”

Looking at the crowd, I noted that most looked underfed. As did the rest of the town. Except for the ones beating them back, nearly everyone seemed malnourished. "Am I right in guessing that they're not allowed to pick those fruit?"

"No. It takes a thousand ripe skyfruit to make a keg of father's precious Riven Wine. They are only allowed to take what they can pull from the river or grow within five hundred feet of its banks," Vaserra said, her face drooping as she moved Frost Lily closer to the edge, as if she wanted to go down and change things right this minute. It was certainly how I felt. "It wasn't like this when my mother ruled. When I was young, I played among the sheep, alongside their children. I once had friends down there. More than once, I sat at their great harvest feasts, laughing at their shows. Back when they produced our coats in exchange for meat and protection, not under the threat of Eternal Ice." She let out a long sigh. "I hope the extra eggs and meat from the drakes will help with their suffering."

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"I'm sure they will," I said, looking towards our own eggs. It wasn't a hard choice. "You can have ours as well." Before Vaserra could object, I added, "Inertia has her pack. And these people clearly need to eat."

Vaserra stared at me for several long seconds, then nodded. "Engrid, Intelid, if you would?"

They both nodded in response, then moved to the back of the trailer. I hopped out, helping them offload the eggs into their large packs. The wolves looked a little wobbly, but they were steady enough as they wove down the narrow path into the vale.

“You shouldn’t have given them the eggs,” Tresla said as we watched them descend.

“You think we’re gonna be short on food too?”

Tresla tilted her head to the side for a second before responding. “From what Inertia has said, there are far less lands for you to cultivate. What food you have is precious, is it not?”

“A few eggs were never going to be a long term solution,” I said, my gaze shifting in the direction of my domain.

We stood in silence for several second before Tresla let out a deep sigh. “I’m gonna miss my inferno drake omelets.”

“Wait, is that the real reason you wanted me to keep the eggs?”

Tresla didn’t answer as she went over to Fang, climbing inside with more haste than I was used to.

Shaking my head, I turned back to Vaserra, who’d escorted her companions down the most difficult section of the trail.

"What do you need to challenge your father?" I asked as Intelid waved a final goodbye before dropping out of sight in the distance.

"To improve my bond with Frost Lily. And to do that, we must hunt worthy prey," Vaserra said, her own gaze moving over the valley. "It is not something I am proud of, but my father and his pack grew strong hunting sheep. I… will not do that, even to stop him."

I nodded, lost in thought as I remounted Fang, Vaserra returning to her place ahead, leading us along the broken ridge road, past the vale. My eyes kept flickering to the people in the valley. I'd only expected to find clans like the Frost Riven this far east. Small groups of a hundred to two hundred people.

Below us was a town of thousands. Maybe more. All of them oppressed by the people who’d sworn to protect them.

Vaserra intended to grow. To be strong enough to challenge her father for leadership of her clan.

In that moment, I knew she couldn't be the only one. If I'd spent more time working on my Astral form, and less learning Forge Theory, would I be powerful enough to take on Sarpit?

Not directly. Even Nexxa would struggle against the durability he displayed.

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So, I would need another solution. Maybe, I could support Vaserra. She seemed to want to do things differently. Clearly she had fond memories. And if they were free, would I be able to recruit her people? Would she consider me recruiting her people as stealing sheep?

I shook my head, dismissing the errant thought.

She'd said they gathered slaves every winter. And that's what it sounded like they were, even if they used another word for it. That meant we had a few months. I'd try to convince Inertia to help, considering how useful she’d be even as a scout.

Honestly, I’d love to be able to keep her and Tresla around longer than the two years I’d been granted. Perhaps I could entice her somehow.

A cry from below drew my attention back to the vale. The crowd had been broken apart, and sent back to their homes. Would the eggs even make it to those who really needed them? Or would those enforcers take them for their own?

Either through Vaserra, growing my power, or through trickery, I swore to myself we'd help these people.

I continued to consider the future, trying to take in as much of the terrain as I could as we passed beyond the vale. Once it was out of sight, our pace increased. The evening drew near, and with it, we reached a broken watchtower that marked the edge of my domain. We were still at least a day's travel to the small village I'd seen, even on Fang. The high road was a complete ruin, this far east, the mana not enough to sustain it, even if the ward had been perfect.

It was depressing. Both the keep and the hot springs had given me hope I might find a well of mana that could be repurposed. Yet as I looked across my land, I only saw jagged ridges of rock. I knew from my studies there was a single wooded vale near the giant mountain I could see in the distance, though I didn't have high hopes for it.

"This is where I bid you farewell," Vaserra said, sliding off Frost Lily’s back to stand at the edge of the crumbled watchtower.

"Thank you for showing us the way," I said, hopping out of Fang. The rough stone shifted under my feet as I stepped forward, holding my arm out to her.

"Thank you, Magus Dominus Perth. Your honor gives me hope and reminds me that not all leaders think as my father. May your Ice always fly true and your blood never burn," she declared, clasping my arm.

"May your Ice always fly true and your blood never burn," I repeated, nodding to her.

She turned then leapt the ten feet to her wolf's back. As Frost Lily started striding away, Vaserra turned back. "I hope to see you soon, Magus Dominus Perth. Bonds formed in battle are the hardest to break!"

I waved as she disappeared.

The second Vaserra was gone, Tresla slid down beside me, looking out over my domain. "So…”

“So?” I asked, glancing towards her.

Her hood bobbed back and forth, then she said, “Hate to say it, but this place is a dump."

Sweeping my gaze over the broken road, the crumbling tower and the bog that laid in the only visible nearby valley, I shook my head in agreement.

"You're telling me."