21st Century Archmage

Chapter 86: Mages Rolling Into My Lap

“Derval, from today onwards, monitor every magic tower and merchant group. Keep a precise record of tax evasion frequency and prohibited item trade.”

“As you command!”

“Also, we will ban the activity of the Information Guild and dark guilds. If guild members who have not formally received permission from me are discovered, they will be arrested and confined immediately, they will then be turned into slaves, and whatever they own will be confiscated. This will come into effect immediately, without delay.”

“As you command!”

‘The inside of one’s home needs to be kept tidy. Even a large dam can be toppled by a small hole. The enemies inside are scarier than the ones outside.’

Those were the teachings I learned of in the countless biographies I read when I was a kid. I took the ‘Records of the Three Kingdoms’ that I had particularly enjoyed as a reference.

‘The enemies will soon come rushing in. A pack of hungry coyotes ready to rip me and Nerman apart….’

I knew without a trace of doubt that I had more than one or two enemies. The magic towers, the empire, merchant groups, and even the temples, all these institutions that had become accustomed to the rotten, pre-existing world, were all my enemies.

However, I wasn’t afraid.

With my loyal knights, the people who believed and relied on me, and my personal ability, it was worth giving it a shot.

“How is the Skyknight training going?”

“Currently, we have a total of 47 wyverns and 43 Skyknights.”

‘We already have nearly 50.’

The 22 wyverns we had recently scored from the Laviter Empire guys played an enormous role in the boosted numbers.

‘Rumors must have reached them by now.’

I had landed Gold Wyverns symbolizing the Laviter Empire in the covert in clear view, so there was no way the empire, which acquired information swiftly, still didn’t know. The result of that would soon appear.

“As you all know, the enemies will soon bare their fangs at Nerman. And they are enemies who are difficult to face.”

Everyone was well aware, even without me saying so.

“Those willing to die will live, and those willing to live will die. I hope everyone is prepared to fight every single day and that you all devote yourselves to your missions. That is all, today’s meeting ends here.”

[TN: ‘Those willing to die will live, and those willing to live will die’ is the most famous saying of Admiral Yi Sun-sin.]

“Yes, sir!”

Military discipline was properly present. I was satisfied to see that even the mischievous Ryker was energetically giving a military salute.

“Sir Derval, stay behind for a moment.”

“Please excuse us.”

“Do your best out there.”

They might still be tired from the battle yesterday, but my Skyknights had to go out on patrols early in the morning. Right now, in order to secure the territory’s safety, their hard work was even more necessary than ever before.

“Derval….”

“Please speak, my liege.”

“I’m doing well, right?”

“Of course. My liege! You are making a mark heretofore unprecedented in continental history.”

Ever my enthusiastic fan, Derval, was startled and planted me in continental history.

“Haha, thank you. Actually, I wanted to hear that.”

‘It really is true that studying is the easiest thing to do.’

Just like what the seniors said, there was nothing as easy as studying. The more you studied, the better your grades would be. Your effort determined the result. But I, a teenager who was not even an adult and still lacking in many ways, was trying to be a lord. And I was a lord with absolute power over life and death to a population of 500,000 at that.

“That aside, if the Havis Kingdom uses yesterday’s incident as a pretext to wage war or close the border, how much of a blow do you think that will be for the territory?”

“In fact, I was thinking about that all day yesterday. As you say, my liege, it is no exaggeration to say that Nerman’s life or death is hinged on the Havis Kingdom right now. From provisions, which we have not yet gained self-sufficiency with, to clothing, salt, and even arrowheads, to daily necessities for life and military equipment, we are currently unable to properly produce such goods within the territory. If the Havis Kingdom border is closed, then….”

Even the smart Derval was unable to continue. He was foreseeing the same thing as me.

‘If it was the 21st century, I could have just made a road through the mountains…. Damn.’

In front of us was the ocean, on both sides were deep mountains, and behind us was an awkward relationship. If I could, I would have punched through the mountains and laid a new road.

“They will not be able to close the border right away. In any case, the Havis Kingdom’s military power is on the level of a duchy, and they do not have the strength to match the major merchant group doing business with Nerman. However, the smaller merchants, mercenaries, and various immigrants coming to Nerman will find their movements restricted. Of course, the acquisition of military goods, like war horses, will also be restricted.”

‘We’re still so disadvantaged, huh.’

Even with the knowledge of an archmage and 21st century experience, I alone could not change Nerman. We had run without resting this far, but the result was not as satisfactory as I expected.

‘We can’t let ourselves get tied down by something like the Havis Kingdom. I have to make the others, not I, be at a disadvantage.’

It wasn’t pride, but iron will that drove me. Someone did once say that it was best when others were struggling, after all.

“If Nerman can become a producer of salt, what do you think will happen? What will happen if the salt produced is cheaper and better quality than rock salt and the other kinds?”

“Salt?”

“Yeah. Salt.”

“If that can be achieved, then we will not have to worry about something like the Havis Kingdom. Even now, consumption rate is greater than the yield, so salt is one of the strategic reserve goods in every kingdom. But if we could make cheaper and good quality salt and distribute it, the likes of the Havis Kingdom will be unable to stop Nerman.”

Once again, Derval’s thoughts aligned with mine.

‘I have to make salt farms, and nice, big ones at that.’ In 21st century Earth, making a salt farm might be an easy matter, but it wasn’t so simple on Kallian. That was because there was no equipment here that could draw seawater and dry it. ‘I’ll lay the floor with cement and cover that with black stones. Then….’

Unlike cement from the 21st century, which was made with all sorts of junk, Kallian cement was made with pure minerals. Even if they had trace amounts of toxicity, it wasn’t anything to worry about.

“Oh right, how many of the carriages I designed did we procure?”

“That is… It is not an easy matter. In order to make a carriage with the performance you desire, my lord, a great deal of aged cortan wood is required, but the territory currently lacks lumber. I think it will only be possible if we go into the Rual Mountains. So for now, as unfortunate as it is, we are making the carriages with regular wood.”

“Procure the lumber even if you must mobilize soldiers to do so. It is something absolutely necessary for territory development, so procure as much as possible.”

“Understood, my liege.”

‘The help of the elves and dwarves is unconditionally necessary, too.’

At least for now, Nerman did not need to fear the enemies all over too much. But if things proceeded as planned, that too would actively change.

“Also….”

Knock knock.

“My lord, I believe your presence is necessary outside.”

I was about to give Derval another order when a knight’s voice came from outside.

“What is it?”

“Residents have come to see you, my lord.”

“Residents?” I asked in confusion.

‘Do they have something important to say?’

I tried to give the residents the best treatment I could manage. On this continent, other nobles treated commoners almost like livestock, but I couldn’t do that. The conviction deep in my heart that we were all equal did not permit me to carelessly kill people or look at them like livestock. As such, I gave the residents here treatment that was exceptional when compared to other kingdoms or territories.

Such residents were here to see me.

“My liege, I will go take a look.”

“No, they have come to see the lord, so I should be the one going out.”

Even so, I did not grant them infinite rights like the free citizens of the 21st century. The wheels of thought, culture, and history had to turn like they had on Earth for such a day to come for the people of Kallian as well. I didn’t want to enlighten the people of the continent and explain democracy all on my own. That would be like forcing a baby that had just learned to walk to run a marathon.

* * *

“We humbly greet the Lord!”

‘W-What’s all this?’

As soon as I left the headquarters building that was serving as my office, I was met with the sight of hundreds of people kneeling and greeting me as soon as I appeared. In front of the crowd were dozens of carriages. Piled up within the carriages were delicious-looking, freshly picked corn, fruit like watermelon, and potatoes the size of an adult’s fist.

“What is all this?”

From the looks of it, there were more than a few villages gathered here. It looked like people from at least ten villages had come to see me.

“This is a small sign of our feelings towards the Lord of Nerman, who was delivered unto us by the Goddess of Mercy. The Lord’s care has allowed us to experience the first bumper crop of our lives! It may be embarrassing to offer to the Lord, but driven by our overwhelming gratitude towards the Lord, we brought the first harvest of grain and fruit from every village. Please, may you accept them without reservation.”

“May you accept them!”

The oldest grandpa chief among all the chiefs who came along ardently requested that I accept the crops.

‘Is it already time for the harvest….?’

The time had passed so hectically. Memories from the last few months swept through my head like a film reel.

“I shall eat them with gratitude.”

I would have liked to bow my head to show my gratitude, but my position was their lord and master. I couldn’t rashly lower myself.

“Thank you very much! Thank you very much! Your Lordship!”

“Hng hng, who knew such a moment would come in our lives….”

Most commoners on the continent lived miserably. There were high taxes, and the nobles did not treat them like equal humans. And the Nerman Plains was a harder place to live than most. The unrelenting attacks of monsters was comparable to merciless exploitation.

Just like what the weeping residents said, these people had probably never dared to think that they might one day be able to farm in peace.

‘Just wait a bit more. I will make Nerman the best territory to live in, better than any other place on the continent.’

The wholehearted sincerity I could grant these people were the basics of human survival: food, clothing, and shelter.

‘But who are those guys?’

After Aramis’ kidnapping incident, the security around the covert had become tighter. I could sense the familiar feel of mana from among the people watching from outside.

“Derval, bring those robed people to the office.”

“As you command!”

Derval must have noticed the suspicious people as well, because he responded immediately and quietly gave a command to the knight next to him.

“Also, do a thorough check when the residents go back to see if they need anything, and if they do, then spare nothing to aid them.”

“Understood, my liege.”

The grain and fruits wouldn’t amount to much in coins, but they were food filled with the feelings of the residents towards me, which I was grateful towards. I couldn’t eat them for free.

“Take the best of the crop and offer it to the Temple of Neran.”

I couldn’t be so rude as to eat this tasty-looking food first when the temple was right in front of me. Like the ancient mountain gods who protected Korea, there were temple grannies and grandpas taking care of this continent as well.

It was only right to treat them with respect.

That was just the basics for anyone born with an ounce of respect from a proper family.

* * *

‘Mages? Hooh, so they’ve finally shown up, huh.’

There had been mages among the mercenaries, but no one had really applied to join. For whatever reason, the few mages who did apply suddenly vanished, and no one came to apply as a soldier, either. And that was even with the outstanding hiring conditions I offered.

Who knew what wind blew these guys in, but seven mages appeared in my office. With their adventuring robes and swords, they looked like third-rate mercenaries, but they could not hide the sensation of mana coming from their bodies.

“You seem like mages. Do you have something to say to me?”

The mages flinched, shocked that I immediately uncovered their identities.

“So the Lord truly is someone walking the path of a magic swordsman, like the rumors said.”

‘Is this guy the leader?’

He looked to be at the 4th Circle at best. He was already in his mid-forties, and it didn’t look like he had extraordinary skill. The rest were in the 3rd Circle, the point where they could barely be called mages, and they ranged between thirty to forty years of age.

“Let me ask again. Do you have something to say to me?”

Being such a mighty mage, from the way this guy talked, it didn’t seem like he had swallowed his pride.

“We have come because we wanted to ask if the promise you made is still valid.”

“Promise?”

“Yes. We want to know if you can give us the upper-circle tomes we want if we come under you.”

‘Just look at this guy?’

How great would it have been if these guys had come sooner, while I was asking nicely? I had run myself so ragged these past few months trying to cover a territory the size of a duchy as its sole mage. I had offered extraordinary conditions, including magic tomes, but these mages ignored me and only came calling now.

They had probably been unable to believe my words up until now. It was custom among mages that unless you were a mage of a magic tower, magic knowledge was passed almost exclusively from master to disciple. Even in a magic tower, only those recognized as having outstanding skills were allowed to look at upper-circle tomes.

So it was no surprise that mages (who were distrustful to begin with) would not believe that a baronet, and someone who was known to use a sword at that, would distribute magic tomes.

After all, the entitled were more cold-hearted, and smartasses were undone by their own misgivings.

“Why do you ask?” I asked, provoking the mages’ pride with a slight sneer. Anyone else would have probably taken the hint and hurried to welcome them with open arms, but not me.

‘You dare to raise your heads so high and mighty around me!’

“You ask even though you know exactly why, are you looking down on us? That is quite unpleasant.”

“Unpleasant? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” After a moment of incredulity, loud laughter burst out in the room. “Did you just say unpleasant?”

“…..”

The mages bit their lips at my query, likely feeling quite humiliated from my actions and speech.

“It seems we were mistaken. I suppose the rumor that the Lord is different from other nobles was untrue; I have once again come to realize the fact that you really do have to meet someone in person to see their true self,” said the leading mage in his forties with a frigid voice. There were traces of a beard shaved early in the morning running along his sharp jawline, as if to say he was still a mage in name.

“Laughable fools.”

“YOU!!!!!”

“Arghh.”

As a mage, one would be welcomed anywhere. In particular, if you were a formal mage at the 3rd Circle, you would be treated with respect in any kingdom’s rural territory. But I called such mages “laughable fools,” causing the poor sops to grow red-faced with outrage.

“Just who are you bastards to think you have the right to say such things to me? From the looks of it, you were either chased out of magic towers or cast away by your instructors, but for people who have barely learned a few kinds of magic, you carry the title of ‘mage’ around your shoulders so proudly. Huhu, despite the fact that you would run away pissing your pants if you came face to face with an orc.”

“Do shut your mouth! You may be the Lord of Nerman, but you have no right to say such things to us!!!!!”

The mage screamed in rage at my scathing remarks. When I rubbed salt into his painful reality, the thread of reason he had struggled to maintain snapped.

And he dared to lose his temper at me.

Bam!

“Gugh!”

Thud!

My hand buzzed with recoil from a heavy impact. The mage that had flapped his mouth so wonderfully in front of me let out a short groan before clutching his belly and sinking to the ground.

“Ngh…”

“…..”

Faced with sudden violence, the mages turned pale.

“Did you want to act cute in front of me, or did you think you could intimidate me with the spells you showed off in front of the powerless commoners herding sheep outside? Besides that haughty mouth of yours, I mean. Kukuku.”

I laughed like a wicked villain as I glared at the mages. Not daring to meet my sharp gaze, they either ducked their heads or looked elsewhere.

“How dare you act so proud in front of me when you don’t even know your place. You powerless people with no place to go should be lowering your heads to the strong, but you put your faith in that inferior scrap of strength and fool around. Even though you wouldn’t even be able to block a single Fire Ball of mine.”

Whiiiiiiiiirrrr.

As soon as I finished, I activated my circles, and the thick and intense sensation of mana instantly filled the office.

“Eurgh….”

“!!!”

“H-How can this be?!”

Didn’t someone say that guns were king in front of gangsters, and that rank was unbeatable in the army? When I showed off my mana, the mages trembling in fear looked around with respect, intoxicated with the sensation of the dense mana whirling around them.

‘You jerks, how dare you fool around.’

If they had come to me saying “Your Lordship, my name is bla bla bla, I will work harder than anyone else in the future, so would you please grant the gift of the heavens, the magic tomes, to me. I pledge allegiance to you with my life,” things wouldn’t have blown up like this.

But these guys lost all sense of fear and wanted to evaluate me. They didn’t even have any skills, just a whole lot of pride.

“Do you see now how pathetic your skills are? You’ll barely reach the 4th Circle and spend your life hunting orcs with mercenaries before going belly up on some unnamed street, how dare you come in here with your heads held high just because you’re mages? As people who were chased out of magic towers or tossed aside by your instructors, you should live a little more humbly. Tsk tsk, it’s simply disgraceful that I’m a mage like you guys.”

“Please stop!”

“Shut up! W-What do you think you know to say such things to us!!”

“ARGH! Unforgivable!!!”

‘Ohh! A man should have that much spine, at least.’

These guys were also aware that even if they acted high and mighty here, they would either get hit by me or be locked up in prison by my knights. However, the mages bared their teeth and growled at my mocking words.

Now I was interested.

“You wanna fight? It’s obvious that besides this loon, the rest of you are 3rd Circle mages, so did you plan on casting a Fire Arrow or something at me? Or Lightning? Puhahahaha!”

You might be designated a mage from the 3rd Circle onwards, but at that level, they were still far from the mages feared by the commoners. The strongest offensive magic in their arsenal was Lightning, at best. Usually, when mercenaries hired 3rd Circle mages, it was to cast strengthening spells, status magic like Hold, or healing magic. Knights capable of using Aura Blade or skilled mercenaries had zero reason to fear a 3rd Circle mage.

“Get out of my sight!” As my cold words rang out in the office, the mages shut their mouths and glared at me. “You could have come when I was being nice, but what makes you think you can pull an arrogant stunt like this when you’ve barely got any real magic? Do I look like someone who is free enough to deal with trash like you? Do I, someone holding the lives of hundreds of thousands of Nerman residents, look like someone who can afford to play around with you?!?!?!”

These mages did not appear when I needed them, and the available mages all ran away one day. But now these guys showed up like they own the place and demanded magic tomes.

“Scram. I don’t raise losers.”

Even if I didn’t take these guys in, I had the beastmen, and they were mages who would jump into flames at my order.

“W-We also wanted to come…. But the magic towers gave every mage the edict that anyone who submitted to you would be immediately erased from the Log of Mages. No matter how pathetic we are as mages…. We are still mages. For us, something like the Log of Mages, the last trace of our existence as mages who serve mana and will live and die for mana, is… Argh.”

The mage who had eaten my fist and collapsed on the ground suddenly raised his head and wept as he told me why they hadn’t been able to come.

‘Magic towers… You orc dongs…’

When you became a 3rd Circle mage, it was compulsory to record your name in the Log of Mages. I had heard of it, too. You could only act in the continent as a mage if you were registered in the mage directory called the Log of Mages.

If your name was scrubbed from the Log of Mages, a mage would have nowhere left to go.

“Huhu, so you want to use that as an excuse? Are a few lines in that stupid Log that don’t help in the least with one’s growth in the ways of magic so important that you would waste the last opportunity of your life?”

“We couldn’t believe you! So many nobles strung us along, saying they would give us magic tomes or introduce us to a magic tower! Not a single one of them kept their promise to us, mages without affiliation or master! At best, they would throw a few coins at us, and that was it! We also want to learn! We want to become acquaintances of mana more than anyone! We want to live and die proudly on this world as children of mana, not as the shameful mages we are!” screamed the mage.

I understood.

On 21st century Earth as well, no matter how skilled you might be, without connections, kinship, and blood ties, rising to the upper class was but a pipe dream.

And as a place where the same humans lived, Kallian was no different. Even among mages, the elite of the elite, they formed cliques and ostracized the unlucky budding sprouts.

“I apologize for coming so late. But please understand why we could only come like this. It took this much time to decide that you weren’t someone who would simply take advantage of us like the other nobles. If… If you are willing to give us a chance… I will put my life on the line to entrust the Lord with my mana. This I vow, in the name of mana!”

A vow made in the name of mana wasn’t so fierce that you would dissipate into mana particles the moment you broke the vow, but it would linger in the mind whenever you cast magic and restrict spell manifestation. It was an absolute promise only a mage could make.

“I will devote my entire life to you, Your Lordship! I beg of you… Please allow us to live and die as children of mana!”

“Please!!!!!!”

“Argh….”

Thud, thud.

In a sudden reversal of attitude, the mages that were said to be nothing without their pride all fell to their knees, hot tears flowing from their eyes.

‘Sigh….’

I could understand their feelings.

It was said that once you stepped on the road of a mage, you could no longer walk a different path. That feeling of being on top of the world the moment you cast magic, that hope of experiencing a stronger power of mana with a little more effort, I understood them too. You would want to get closer to the path of mana even if you had to sell your wife and kids.

That passion that could drive you crazy, you would never be able to understand if you weren’t a mage.

That’s why mages hardly ever married and burned up their youth in smelly research rooms and practice rooms.

To be honest, I needed mages. It was no exaggeration to say the beastmen holed up in the practice room were specialized in combat magic. The reason my bad-tempered Master cast them aside was probably because their natures were so specialized for combat magic. The knowledge in my head was telling me that just like how children needed to eat food from all five food groups in order to grow, mages needed to be well-versed not just in combat spells, but also in theory, practical experience, the arcane, and alchemy.

‘If I can just raise them well…’

Moreover, mages were absolutely necessary for current territory development.

“Leave.”

“…Argh.”

“Just kill us …”

The mages looked at me like they would rather commit seppuku here and now.

“Ask anyone outside and they’ll tell you where the building we are temporarily using as a magic tower is.”

“!!”

“T-Then, you will—!”

“Let me see the way you live and die without shame as true children of mana.”

“My lord!!!!”

Understanding my implication, snot and tears ran down the mages’ faces.

‘Just know you’re all done for!’

Only

I accepted them, but I had no intent to easily guide them to the sweet world of mana.

What suddenly popped up in my head was a certain miserable magic training method and the spells I had learned with my life on the line under Master Bumdalf.

‘Do you guys know what tear-soaked boar tastes like?’

There was no way these mages sobbing with emotion would know. That the Golden-Eyed Reaper, Aidal, whose name alone made the continent tremble in fear 100 years ago, was a devil wearing a human mask, a man who went beyond shamelessness and into demon territory was worse than every Dark Knight put together.

I intended to give these guys a taste of that wickedness and make them wish they had never been born as children of mana, an experience they would never forget even in death…