The Shepherd Alone on the Hill is a Genius Wizard-Chapter 101: A Maid with Zahar’s Eyes (1)

Morgen City, the capital of Arabion, was truly a city with the most ideal conditions for forming a metropolis.

First was being at the center of the Dakein Plains with its enormous population-supporting capacity.

Second was having no mountains to block city expansion and the mighty Ribel River flowing through with massive water volume.

Finally third was being protected by Arabion of the Storm bloodline, one of the world’s most powerful great houses.

While other great house capitals had populations of 100,000 to 200,000, Morgen’s population exceeded 400,000, and thus no one paid attention to one or two wanderers entering and leaving the city.

This was why a middle-aged traveler could naturally enter Morgen City.

Perfectly disguised, Turan looked around at the world’s greatest city like country bumpkin travelers typically do.

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’Even seeing it again, it’s breathtakingly huge...’

Though he had visited this Morgen once before, that time he had only watched the departure ceremony from the outskirts and returned - this was his first time entering inside.

Walking further in, Turan could tell this city was quite meticulously designed.

From residential areas where commoners lived to nearby entertainment districts and commercial zones with theaters, gambling houses, bathhouses and brothels for them, and further in were cultured facilities like libraries, debate halls, and athletic fields for those of relatively higher status.

Noisy and smelly places like blacksmiths, paper mills, and dye factories were placed far from residential areas, but well-paved wide roads allowed large carriages to constantly transport people back and forth.

It felt like the entire city was like a well-crafted work of art.

All sorts of pollutants generated by so many people gathering were washed away to the city’s river through well-maintained sewers, and these were naturally purified while flowing downstream due to magic devices installed within the river.

It seemed several top-tier magic devices borrowing the power of the Purifier bloodline were installed.

While admiring such internal design, Turan also made sure to check the magic power and bloodlines of passing people by activating the holy relic’s senses.

Befitting a great house’s capital, knights and nobles could be seen without difficulty among passersby, and surprisingly many of them were dressed like commoners like Turan.

While some of them were probably just wanderers who didn’t want to make noise or reveal themselves to Arabion, if not that, there was a high chance they were criminals or spies.

After walking for several hours while observing passing people like this.

Finally the center of the city, Arabion’s main house, came into view.

Seeing its brilliant appearance, Turan unconsciously covered his eyes with his hand and muttered.

"Ah, it’s blinding..."

This wasn’t a metaphorical expression about it being too splendid or magnificent - the magic lamps densely embedded in the white castle walls were literally blinding.

If a Zahar noble tried to infiltrate using stealth magic, their magic power would be completely depleted in that instant.

Turan slowly circled the castle walls once, confirming that Arabion’s main house was perfectly surrounded by these ’walls of light’.

There was only one large castle gate open for entering inside.

Four nobles and about forty knights were stationed in front, with inspectors checking the identity of passing people.

Of course, this place too was full of magic lamps making it difficult to pass through with stealth, and there was a high chance of detection magic devices similar to what Meisa had used before.

What if he tried flying through the sky to enter?

That too was defended against, with the entire open area above the castle walls covered in a magic net.

Since none of Arabion’s vassals had the Barrier Maker bloodline, they must have used magic devices or invited outside personnel.

Moreover, this magic net was formed below ground too, apparently considering those who might try tunneling using earth transformation.

’I can’t even grasp the inside with the holy relic.’

Currently Turan could detect magic power within about a 500-meter radius and bloodlines within 50 meters when maximally activating the Mimic holy relic, but neither detection ability worked past the checkpoint.

It seemed to be either one of that barrier’s powers or some separate countermeasure against detection abilities.

After looking around thoroughly, Turan acknowledged that entering through direct methods using stealth was impossible.

Of course, if it had been that easy, Zahar nobles would have already made a mess of this place long ago.

However, that didn’t mean he was giving up.

==

"Name and occupation."

"Beka, gardener."

When the man who appeared to be in his early thirties stated his name, the inspector flipped through the ’gardener’ section in the documents beside him.

Before long, a page with information about a gardener named Beka appeared.

Red short hair, brown eyes, bulbous nose, buck teeth, medium height with protruding belly and one slightly shorter leg, long scar on cheek.

Not only did all characteristics match perfectly, but the face was identical to a magically drawn detailed portrait.

After checking the entry permit last, the inspector nodded.

"Pass."

"Thank you!"

Gardener Beka who had energetically saluted passed through the checkpoint and entered the main house.

Elegant and neat buildings befitting where core members of a great house resided.

Beka, or rather Turan, smiled while watching passing people.

’Got in easier than expected.’

After staying at a lodge near the walls of light for a day, Turan had walked around the castle gate area several times while changing his appearance to avoid attention and figured out the inspection system.

As a result, he learned that Arabion wasn’t controlling entry to the main house as strictly as expected.

Of course, with over a hundred nobles, thousand knights, and over ten thousand servants just inside to attend them, it would be impossible to meticulously control all their comings and goings.

Just drawing portraits and making entry permits for everyone was already a security level unheard of in ordinary houses.

After attempting to approach several times targeting servants who would draw the least attention, Turan got one gardener returning from vacation completely drunk, stole his appearance, entry permit and clothes, and left three silver coins in return.

The gardener would have trouble getting in later when he sobered up and found his permit missing, but since there was no entry record anyway, the chance of noticing the same person entering twice was low.

The inspectors checked hundreds of people daily, so even if they recalled something they would likely dismiss it as their imagination.

’Plus I won’t be keeping this face anyway.’

Though he had conversations while drinking with Beka, he hadn’t learned in detail what kind of person he was or his relationships with family and friends.

Meaning if he encountered acquaintances of the face’s owner, his identity would be immediately exposed.

To avoid such awkward situations, Turan hid in the shadow of a building closest to the castle walls and created a face mixing features of several Arabion knights he had seen at the checkpoint earlier.

Late teens in age with blonde hair and brown eyes, slightly short with a slim build.

Wearing training clothes brought from House Berk instead of shabby gardener clothes, a young Arabion apprentice knight was born.

After stuffing the clothes he had been wearing into his large capacity pouch, Turan walked the main road with an utterly confident attitude.

’So this is what a great house’s main house is like.’

When he heightened the holy relic’s senses, he could feel the presence of countless wizards and magic devices.

Turan carefully analyzed their strength one by one.

’For nobles, about fifteen lowest-tier, thirty low-tier, forty-two mid-tier, seventeen high-tier, and five top-tier. Too many knights to count...’

Originally after obtaining the Mimic holy relic, Turan had roughly classified nobles’ strength by examining their magic power, but after recent discussions with his companions, they divided this into five main levels.