21st Century Archmage

Sizzleeeeee.

“Hooh! What a killer taste.”

“How is it? It’s amazing, right?”

“That goes without saying. I never knew there was such an incredible beer snack.”

Patriarch Cassiars, the top dog among the dwarves that I absolutely needed to maintain a friendship with, was completely entranced by the grilled pork belly.

The patriarch guzzled down some beer to wash down the pork. While he was doing that, I heard people gulping down saliva in surround sound.

‘Huhu, you must all be desperate to eat some, huh?’

After reaching Nerman, I immediately caught one pig and threw a grilled pork belly party with the beastmen. Of course, the scarce pork belly was eaten by me, and I grilled other cuts, like the legs, for the beastmen. Even so, they didn’t have any complaints. For them, it was fine as long as they could fill their bellies, so they were satisfied with any kind of meat.

And so, I gorged on grilled pork belly all on my own before taking the rest of it to the Dwarven Village.

“I apologize, everyone. It’s precious meat, so there isn’t much…”

The girthy dwarven patriarch was devouring the pork belly grilling on a stone slab— which was perfect for the job— so it was only enough for one. Patriarch Cassiars was immersed in delight all by himself as he ate the meat gleaming with oil while chugging down beer. However, the savory smell of the oil had drawn a crowd of naive dwarves who were staring at the meat and bear with intense longing.

‘I think that’s enough bait. Huhuhu.’

All of this was my plan. The territory had steadily increased its stock of dairy cows, pigs, and other livestock like chickens with the help of the Rubis Merchants. We didn’t have enough to squander, but there was certainly enough to give the dwarves a taste.

“Patriarch, we are building new forts and bridges in the territory, and the craftsmen are in great need of help from our dwarven comrades.”

“That so? How many people do you need?”

“Not many, just 200 or so.”

“200 people… Take them.”

The patriarch gave his permission all too easily. We had already gotten help from the dwarves when making the cement factory, so I was able to acquire his assent easily.

“Chew chew… Ohhh, it truly is a killer taste.”

Completely taken by the grilled pork belly, the patriarch acted perfectly according to my plan.

“It’ll be cold outside because it’s winter… I wonder if anyone would be willing to go.” Aiming for the perfect moment, I looked at the dwarves crowded around the patriarch. “You’ll be able to eat grilled pork belly every day with beer while working…”

“…!!”

As soon as I uttered those words, the dwarves’ ears perked up.

“C-Can I go? My specialty is construction.”

“I’ll go, too! Brother Kyre, take me!”

“I don’t need many people, just 200…”

“I’ll go!”

“Me too! Please use me, brother!”

The dwarves raised their hands high, clamoring to be chosen. I couldn’t take them all—there were still airplates, new-model Blessed Spears, and various other weapons and tools that needed to be forged in the Dwarven Village.

“Please, line up. You will be chosen based on a first come, first serve basis!”

The dwarves immediately began to form a line in front of me.

“Move! how dare you cut in line!”

“Uwahh! That’s my spot!”

Chaos ensued. The dwarves moved their short legs, struggling to take a place in the line. Family and brotherhood meant little in the face of drinking beer and eating grilled pork belly every day.

‘Huhuhu.’

Meanwhile, I was watching that beautiful sight with satisfaction. Even in my opinion, I was really too evil.

* * *

“What are you doing, that line isn’t straight.”

“Lighten!”

I stood at the place that was assigned as the construction site of the new bridge and fort. There were robust citizens who wanted to work for a daily wage along with dwarves who were sweating as they constructed the fort.

‘It only needs to be big enough to house 1,000.’

This wasn’t the time or place to build a large fort that could defend an entire region. A fort that could guarantee the bridge’s safety was good enough, and large concrete bricks were being steadily piled up to build such a fort.

‘As I thought, they’re really people who received the blessing of the God of Labor.’

Despite lacking various instruments, the dwarves used their sharp eyes and outstanding sense for construction to build the fort according to the blueprint. After the mages cast Lighten magic on the massive concrete bricks, the dwarves easily hefted them and added them to the fort. Like a Lego model getting built up, the fort was steadily reaching completion.

On the other side, there were dwarves processing wood brought in by wyverns. The dwarves’ tools clattered and clanged as the lumber for the bridge slowly turned into a frame.

‘To think that a large bridge around 300 meters long is getting made so easily… Haah, even 21st century techniques wouldn’t be able to match the techniques used here.’

Even the big bridge over the Han River would likely take nearly one year to build with modern techniques. It took time to plant metal supports in the riverbed, build concrete piers above the foundation, and lay out a sturdy bridge deck. However, it was different here. In Kallian, there was an institution that didn’t exist in the 21st century I knew, magic. Magic could make the impossible possible.

‘We just have to attach the mithril wire made by the dwarves to the lower part of the bridge, cast permanent weight reduction and strengthening magic, as well as flotation magic to decrease the bridge’s load. To make a bridge this easily, I must be a genius. Uhahaha.’

Not many materials were needed to construct the bridge, either. Besides mithril, which could conduct mana and could only be manipulated by the dwarves, some lumber and a magic crystal that could maintain a large magic array were sufficient. Of course, this would have all been impossible without Master’s magic knowledge and the dwarves’ help. That’s why it was a construction method only possible in Nerman.

‘Who would believe that dwarves could be goaded to work with just a few pigs and some beer?’

Won over by the promise of grilled pork belly and beer, the dwarves had donned warm clothes and had gotten into wyvern gondolas. When the work began, they did their best to concentrate on the work entrusted to them not because of the food, but because of their characteristic craftsmen mentality.

‘Right, I shouldn’t be sitting around like this.’

I, too, didn’t move because of the bet with Andriave and Thevedian, but for the sake of all of Nerman’s people…and me, creating the magic array that could maintain the bridge was something only I could do.

I walked towards Bebeto. The sweat everyone here was dripping wasn’t for free. Everything was a favor I had to repay. To repay that favor as much as possible, I had to work hard, too.

For Nerman, the land that would become everyone’s paradise.

* * *

“My lord, the temporary wyvern hangars are complete.”

“Thanks for your hard work.”

“What hard work? What I do is nothing compared to what you do, my lord.”

The covert couldn’t house any additional wyverns, so I had sturdy temporary hangars built on the land outside Denfors, the same place the Havis Kingdom wyverns had been staying.

“Any other issues to report?”

“No, sir. As per your instructions, we selected the knights who want to become Skyknights and sent them to Orakk Castle today.”

“Is that so?”

We had a surplus of wyverns, but not enough Skyknights. Thankfully, we had plenty of people who could use mana. The majority of the former Herz Mercenaries were able to use mana. Those people, and native Nerman knights who wanted to become Skyknights, were sent to Orakk Castle to train.

‘This winter, we have to maximize our fighting force.’

I had to do everything in my power to fortify the territory as much as possible.

“My lord, if I may be so bold, is something the matter?”

Derval, who could always read me, looked at me with concern.

“Haha, nothing of the sort. Did you say that the slaves crossed the border today?”

“I was told they have just passed the border, yes. We sent carriages, so they should arrive in two days.”

“What about the temporary residences to house them?”

“I believe temporary huts made with orc leather will be more than sufficient. Also, there are many empty houses in various villages in the territory. It should be fine if people who can assimilate with the villagers are dispersed and housed there.”

“It will be hard on you.”

One of the war supplies we gained from repelling the Roen army was slaves. When I asked for them, Rosiathe gladly agreed. Even if they were sold, the merchant groups were uniting to try and buy them at ridiculously low prices, and even if they were released, they would definitely be hostile to the kingdom, so they were difficult to deal with. So when I told her I needed slaves, she agreed to give them to me without a hitch, and those slaves were now being transported to Nerman.

“Exactly how many did you say there were?”

“There are around 25,500 of them. They consist of people who were connected to treason, offended the royal family, low-level officials who became henchmen of nobles and oppressed the people, and finally, family members of traitorous soldiers.”

‘If the father commits the crime, even his family gets punished…’

To me, that was unreasonable, but on the continent, this was considered a given. Crimes related to treason because of unstable royal authority were severely punished.

“Excluding those with severe crimes, give those who are holding onto hope for a continued life the best arrangements possible.”

“Understood, my liege.”

Of course, I wasn’t saying we would accept them all. We would thoroughly sort out the ones with twisted mentalities or anyone who could deleteriously affect the thoughts of the residents. Those people would be treated as slaves. However, my conscience didn’t allow me to go so far as to punish young children and innocent women.

“That aside, summon Sir Andriave and Sir Thevedian right now.”

“Pardon? Why them…?”

“Of course, as the witness, you must also be here.”

Derval figured out my meaning and looked at me with surprise. “Ah!” he exclaimed. “I-Is the first fort and bridge already complete?”

“Huhu.”

I didn’t want to spoil the surprise. Nearly a month had passed since the dwarves first began the construction work. In a few days, it would be the last day of the year and the beginning of the next.

“Report when they are ready.”

“I will get them ready at once.” said Derval with excitement. It seemed he was intending to properly hammer in what kind of lord he served to his friends.

‘Start with one slow step at a time, and then, if you feel like it, just run!’

In any case, everyone lived with worries. It was better for the heart to live with hope rather than anxiety.

I would run, run while only looking forward.

Right now, all I wanted to do was advance at a breakneck pace.

* * *

“T-This is…”

“Geh…”

“It’s beautiful.”

Andriave and Thevedian’s dejected words stood out in contrast to Aramis’ remark on the bridge’s beauty.

‘As expected of the dwarves, seriously…’

The watching knights, soldiers, and workers exclaimed again and again.

“I can’t believe it…”

“Ngh.”

However, in stark contrast, the two officials were as pale as paper.

Holding a square magic circuit board 1 meter in length and width, I walked into the fort. Right now, the magic holding up the bridge was only provisional. The permanent magic would come into formal operation with this magic board, and the bridge could only be called complete once a stable source of mana was provided via a magic crystal.

My heart thumped loudly in my chest. This was yet another historical moment that would be recorded in Nerman’s chronology. I entered the magic control room set up in the center of the fort. Then, I stuck the mithril alloy magic board into the middle of the empty array.

At the same time, I took out a Grade 3 magic crystal from my pocket and inserted it with a click into the center of the magic board.

Flaaaaaaaaash!

Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir.

Once the magic crystal was in, light dyed in a myriad of colors, like red, blue, and yellow, radiated from the array.

‘It’s done!’

And then, I looked outside the control room window at the newly constructed bridge. Filled with mana, two lines of mithril wire running from the fort all the way to the bridge were glowing with a milky light.

“Attach the wires!” I ordered the Skyknights from the control room window.

The wires already installed on the bridge needed to be connected to the two lines of wires carrying the mana current.

Flap, flap, flap flap flap flap.

Flying in place, two wyverns took up positions in the air.

And then, with a click, the wires were securely connected above a small hole made above the stairs at the end of the bridge.

“Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!”

“The bridge is finished!”

“Long live the Lord!”

A wave of cheers surged up at the same time.

‘Nice!’

I felt a swell of pride. In a short amount of time, we accomplished the construction of Nerman’s first large bridge. The sight of the bridge standing— with stability not inferior to a steel bridge— made me deeply emotional.

“As expected of Kyre-nim.”

Aramis had quietly entered the control room.

“Give it a name.”

“Pardon?”

“I want you to give this bridge a name.”

“Kyre-nim…”

This was the first proper bridge built in Nerman. It would be more meaningful if Aramis were to name it.

“Shaviltre… I think Shaviltre would be a good name.” The word Aramis murmured with her sweet voice had a meaning I didn’t know. “In the language of the gods, it means, ‘we are one,’” explained Aramis, her voice low from embarrassment.

I reached out and took hold of her hand.

Shaviltre.

Right now, with our hands together, we were not two, but one.