21st Century Archmage

CLANG CLANG CLANG….

The covert’s emergency bell had rung so loudly that the echo was still ringing in the air.

Flap flap, flap flap flap.

With Bebeto at the lead, twenty-two wyverns landed one by one in the covert.

‘You’re amazing, Bebeto!’

I could just outright tell him to leave the nest, because there really was nothing left for me to teach him.

Unlike before, there was no need for me to assist him with the wyvern re-education. Bebeto dominated the males and females with brute force violence. Every single one of the Gold Wyverns that were the pride of the Laviter Empire lowered their tails and obediently followed Bebeto’s command. Of course, some of the wyverns touching down had been reduced to nearly bald chickens. Perhaps he took after his master, because Bebeto had the magnanimity of doling out the fist of ‘love’ in the name of education.

Just looking at him filled my heart with satisfaction.

The phrase ‘a well-trained hybrid wyvern is better than ten wyverns’ was meant to be used in a time like this. Though, that was just something I made up.

‘The covert will feel small now,’ I mused. Besides the ten Temir wyverns we had acquired recently, there were eight wyverns being kept at Weyn Covert, including Bebeto. But with the addition of another twenty-two, the previously expansive covert felt cramped.

“M-My liege…”

The covert had gone into a state of emergency because they had only seen the extremely eye-catching Gold Wyverns and not Bebeto. Not a single person moved at the sight of the flock of wyverns that had landed on the runway. But Derval, who always tried his best to keep his cool, came running up with my name on his lips.

“Derval, nothing happened, right?”

“…..”

My nonchalant words reduced Derval to speechlessness. His eyes were asking me: The hell is with this huge flock of patchy wyverns???

“There sure are a lot of truly kind people in life. I said I didn’t want them, but they insisted on making me take these gifts. Hahaha!”

I passed the wyverns off as gifts, laughing heartily.

However, Derval and the others didn’t laugh.

They were well aware—just like how Black Wyverns symbolized the Bajran Imperial Family, Gold Wyverns were the wyverns of the Laviter Imperial Family, the empire said to be the strongest on the continent.

“Come on down. This place is your home from now on.”

The five beastmen were riding on the wyverns that landed behind Bebeto. They were wearing the airplates from the knights, and Hasifor, whose body was the biggest, was wearing one of the elastic mage robes like a skinny tee.

“These people are…?”

Derval, who hadn’t noticed yet because of the wyverns, looked towards the beastmen now.

“They are disciples of someone I know well, and they have agreed to help me. They’re all 5th Circle mages,” I said flippantly, as if describing Fido from next door.

“!! F-Fifth Circle mages?!”

Derval stuttered, blown away. His brain was probably fit to explode right now. He was probably wondering where the hell I found twenty-two wyverns, including Gold Wyverns, much less five mages, whose existence alone could be a threat.

“Derval, it’s still before dinnertime, right?”

The sun was several hours longer in the summer than in the winter.

“I-It is.”

“Then let’s eat, no, we should throw a festival today. My dear soldiers! Today, we party! Let’s drink to our heart’s content and get drunk!”

“WOOOHOOOOO!”

“Long live the Lord! Long live!”

It seemed my personality changed a bit after meeting the dwarves.

And thanks to meeting a lord like me, the soldiers’ guts had grown. They cheered and hailed me as if there wasn’t a whole flock of foreign wyverns right in front of them.

‘I’m sorry. I don’t know what’ll become of us from tomorrow onwards.’

(PR: Jee, maybe u shouldn’t have, idk, TAKEN THE WYVERNS)

The moment I put a sword on the Imperial Prince’s neck, I had crossed a river of no return with the Laviter Empire. They might have not recognized me because I was wearing a helmet, but I did what I did because I knew we would clash one day.

If the rumors that there were golden wyverns here spread quickly, then it would take one day, or a few days at the latest to reach the Laviter Empire.

But what could I do?

It was already spilled milk.

I just had to worry about tomorrow’s problems tomorrow.

“Derval, permit the soldiers to drink. Besides a basic regiment to keep watch, allow everyone to eat and drink.”

“Understood.”

Derval lowered his head with a resigned expression.

“Then let us go. I’m starving, and I want some beer.”

Jumping off Bebeto, I walked towards the headquarters, aka my lodgings.

Sha sha sha.

‘Woah! They’re beastmen alright.’

They had leapt off the wyverns, but the sound of their landing was no louder than a leaf falling. They swiftly moved behind me and quietly followed.

“Kyre-nim…”

Having heard of my arrival, Aramis came running over. Like a woman greeting her hubby returning from work, she greeted me with a smile.

“Aramis-nim, if you have not eaten yet, would you like to dine together?”

“Yes, as long as you invite me, I would gladly partake.”

All my fatigue from the day seemed to melt away at her gentle smile.

‘I should recruit more Skyknights. Since we have another enemy.’

Even I had to admit that my actions were hopeless.

I was targeted by the Crown Prince of the Bajran Empire and a bunch of nobles and chased off to Nerman, became the Lord, and then made every magic tower on the continent and several merchant groups my enemies.

On top of that, now I was fated to square up against the Laviter Empire, the nation hailed as the top dog of the continent.

No matter how much of a fighting expert I was, even I thought I was seriously hopeless for bringing things to this state.

But I couldn’t stop.

Because the moment I stopped, so too would the fates of all the people who were relying on me.

Clang clang clang!

* * *

“Wyverns in the distance!”

“Black Wyverns have appeared!”

‘Black Wyverns?’

The soldiers in the covert lookout tower yelled as they rang the bell yet again.

I immediately looked up.

Black Wyverns, the symbol of the Bajran Imperial Family. There was no reason for one to come here.

‘Flag of the Imperial Family!’

Moreover, there was a flag used when following the orders of the Imperial Family tied to the bellies of the Black Wyverns. A gold-embroidered wyvern flew proudly on the flag.

Flap, flap, flap flap flap.

Without permission, the Black Wyverns landed quietly on one side of the covert that was already full to the brim with wyverns, their black bodies dyed blood red by the crimson sunset.

“…..”

Everyone’s gazes went towards the Black Wyverns.

This was probably the first time most of the Nerman soldiers saw a Black Wyvern.

‘T-That wyvern is!’

I was wondering why Black Wyverns would come all the way here when I suddenly recognized the one in the front. Rather, it was a wyvern I could never forget.

Whoosh.

Releasing their safety ring, the Skyknight leapt down as light as a bird.

Then, they walked right towards me, their crimson cloak fluttering. Around their neck was a black scarf.

‘Countess Irene!’

It was her.

To my surprise, the Skyknight of the Bajran Imperial Guard walking towards me was the unforgettable Countess Irene, and the wyvern she had ridden here was Vivirian, the wyvern I trained on.

No one restrained her as she reached me with confident strides.

She removed her helmet with a click.

As she did so, the same silver hair that had once made my heart flutter cascaded down like a waterfall.

Countess Irene lifted the hair blocking her eyes with her right hand.

And then, I saw her sparkling eyes, as well as the beautiful smile she was sending my way.

‘Ah…’

A small cry arose in my heart as I remembered the memories I’d forgotten.

“Baronet Kyre de Adaron, receive His Imperial Majesty’s mandate with all due respect!”

And then, another Skyknight that had approached next to Irene announced an imperial mandate.

Cradled in his hand was a black letter stamped with the golden seal of the Imperial Family.