21st Century Archmage

“Kyre-nim, it is Aramis.”

It was late at night. I finished the contract with Chrisia and had been organizing the work I would have to do tomorrow when I heard Aramis’ voice come from outside.

“Come in.”

Aramis had taken Rosiathe to her temple after the princess fled the dining hall, and after a long while, Aramis came to find me.

Creak.

She came inside.

“Because of me, you weren’t even able to eat dinner… I’m sorry.”

Aramis’ body was as fragile as a saintess who subsisted off morning dew.

“It is nothing. Your feelings alone are enough to fill me up, always.”

These last few days, the atmosphere around Aramis had completely changed. It was hard to describe, but her gaze towards me was a little deeper and warmer, I guess? Just looking at her brought me a feeling of peace.

“How is Princess Rosiathe?”

If it were me, I would have already returned to my kingdom, but I hadn’t heard that she had gone back yet.

“Kyre-nim…” Aramis quietly called.

“Yes, Aramis-nim.”

“All people who are born, die.” she began, talking about life and death out of nowhere. “Do not cause pain. Accept everyone and everything, like the sun in the sky. Try returning the feelings of all those who look at you with a heart entirely free of discrimination, at least once. This inadequate servant of the gods… prays every day that Kyre-nim becomes that kind of great hero.”

Aramis’ quiet and soft words settled heavily on my soul like a boulder. Her words to look at everything with a heart free of discrimination fell like a command.

“I will do my best.”

There was nothing else I could say.

As a lord ruling over the lives of 500,000 Nerman people, it was only natural that I should live with that kind of mindset.

Aramis smiled like a lily in full bloom. “Rosiathe-nim is in the temple. Go to her,” she said at last. “Rosiathe-nim came here because she wanted to be comforted by you, Kyre-nim. When the nobles of her kingdom were calling for war, she alone blocked them for your sake. But Kyre-nim treated her so coldly…”

I could read between the lines.

‘I heard the court of the Havis Kingdom was upside down…’

The king was old and the nobles were strong. Almost exactly like Nerman, the Havis Kingdom was surrounded by enemies, but the nobles were unable to come to their senses.

‘Sigh, she didn’t have to do that because of me.’

It wasn’t like I wanted war, but I also had zero desire to apologize or kneel for my justified actions. But I did feel sorry to hear that Rosiathe had picked the hard road just to help me.

I didn’t cultivate for 10 years on a sacred mountain or anything, so how should I have known what was in a person’s heart?

‘So that’s why she said ‘You can’t do this to me.’’

Rosiathe had walked a difficult path.

“If not for Aramis-nim, I would have misunderstood.”

“This is why I like you, Kyre-nim. The Kyre-nim who listens carefully with an open mind when truths are being spoken, I pray in the name of the gods that he will never change.”

Aramis always raised my spirits with positive words. I would have liked to give her a big hug, but the mood was really not right.

“If it is alright with you, please keep tomorrow night free.”

“Yes…”

We had a secret only the two of us knew. A blush spread over Aramis’ cheeks.

The only time when I could embrace this shy woman without any awkwardness was during our night flights together.

“Then, until later.”

With Aramis’ warm support at my back, I walked towards Rosiathe, who was hurt because of me.

* * *

It was late at night.

‘Haah, a praying girl…’

I had reached the hangar used as a temporary temple. Inside, a woman had her head bowed towards a golden cross ensconced in a circle, the symbol of the Goddess of Mercy. Kneeling within the flickering candlelight, Rosiathe was sending a desperate prayer to God.

I walked towards Rosiathe, and with a slight rustle, kneeled next to her.

Before me was not a person, but a God. I had no qualms about kneeling to Neran, who had mercy to grant to all living beings.

When I kneeled next to her, Rosiathe trembled.

A short while of silence descended upon the temple.

“My grandfather once said that others live harder lives than your own,” I began, looking at the sacred artifact representing Neran. “When I was young, I didn’t know what that meant. But as I grew up, I was able to slowly understand it. I came to understand that no matter how rich they may be, the wealthy will lose sleep over fear that their fortune will disappear, and the poor will lose sleep over anxiety that they might not be able to eat tomorrow.”

Rosiathe listened quietly to my words.

“In fact, I was also afraid. I was someone who originally had nothing, but there were many times when I could not sleep because my thoughts were filled with the abandoned people of Nerman. But I held on, thinking that if my efforts alone could bring joy to many, there was no work more valuable in the world. Of course, I too am a human, so there are many times when I act for my own benefit. However, if it is for the sake of those who sincerely trust and follow me, I will go through fire and water. Though they do not share my blood, I need to take responsibility for those who have boarded the same boat as those who share my fate.”

I explained my belief, telling her my mindset and why I had been able to fearlessly cross the Havis Kingdom’s borders for Aramis.

“Please understand why I could not understand your feelings, Rosiathe-nim.”

I did not ask for forgiveness, because there was no reason yet to seek any from Rosiathe.

“I-I apologize. I am sorry that you were bothered by a thoughtless girl’s words.”

Rosiathe called herself a ‘thoughtless girl’ as she bowed low.She was, in her own right, an amazing person. She might be the princess of a kingdom falling into ruin, but it was a truly difficult thing to lower yourself all the way to the ground.

“No, I am the one who is sorry for not understanding your feelings when you came all this way for me.”

“Sob…”

‘Ehhh? She’s crying again.’

Some kind of sadness was lodged deep within her heart, because Rosiathe sobbed at my words of comfort.

“You say everyone has it rough… but I-I am struggling so much.”

Clear teardrops fell soundlessly from Rosiathe’s eyes to the floor.

“What is the matter…”

“Like I mentioned before… The Havis Kingdom is heading towards the road of destruction.” Princess Rosiathe began to speak negatively about the kingdom that might one day become her own. “My esteemed Father is old, the nobles are aggressive, and the people are tired. And the enemies all around us are shining greedy eyes towards us every day, just waiting for the moment they can tear the last of our kingdom’s land apart.”

‘To think there’s a place worse than Nerman.’

If it was bad enough that the nation’s princess would say so, it was already a foregone conclusion.

“The nobles who have lost all loyalty and are blinded by money and power are grabbing the Havis Kingdom and the Royal Family by the throat and shaking them. The people who cannot wait to sell me, the princess, to a different empire or kingdom… I fear them. If not for my elderly Father and Mother, I would have become a priestess serving the gods long ago.”

The more I heard, the more of a mess Havis Kingdom sounded. I listened attentively in silence.

“Please help me. I know that it is ridiculous for me to request this of you, but you are the only person in the world who smiled warmly at me without hesitation. I beg of you… help me, help Havis Kingdom. Sob sob…”

‘Geh!’

Rosiathe wasn’t asking me to just help a single person, but a whole kingdom. Like she said, it was a ridiculous request. She was asking me to protect a failing kingdom when I already had my hands full with managing Nerman.

‘I’m not Superman, you know?’

My heart throbbed uncomfortably. I raised my head and silently looked at the faintly gleaming sacred artifact of Neran.

‘With what strength do you want me to help her with? Is this also your intent?’

If it were Nerman, I could have pushed through with powerful leadership, but the Havis Kingdom was different—the nobles were influential and had what could be called a pre-established force. A feeble effort to help could arouse a huge bloodbath.

“Sigh…”

A sigh came out of me unbidden. I came to offer a few words of comfort but ended up troubled by Rosiathe’s heart-aching confession.

“…It must be a very difficult request.”

Rosiathe bit her lip hard and suppressed her sadness.

“I will help you.”

“….!!”

‘Give it a shot, failure be darned!’

That was the life motto hidden within a Korean card game named Go-Stop.

Rosiathe’s big, double-lidded eyes trembled. “K-Kyre-nim… Sob!”

‘!!’

As she called me, she sobbed and tears spewed from her eyes before she grabbed me in an embrace.

“Sob sob… Th-Thank you.”

Warm tears wetted my clothes, and I felt the warmth flowing from Rosiathe’s body.

Someone said that all things that exude warmth have the right to be loved.

I carefully embraced Rosiathe’s thin shoulders as they trembled in my arms.

‘Sigh, this damned popularity of mine.’

Even if the continent were to collapse tomorrow, tonight, I wanted to make a memory with Rosiathe. I decided to help her anyway, but I couldn’t just spill my blood for free. If I didn’t get at least this much reward, for what reason would I bear a cross on my back and run myself ragged?

“…..”

The sound of weeping quieted after a while, replaced by the quiet sounds of Rosiathe’s breathing.

‘Geh! I-Is she asleep?’

Maybe she was relieved by my agreement to help and lost all her tension, because Rosiathe was in a deep, deep sleep.

‘Euuurgh!’

Why the fuck did I kneel to be all cool?! My feelings of delight over the sensation of Rosiathe’s elastic body in my arms withered all at once.

To fight the pins and needles starting in my legs and spreading painfully throughout my body, I desperately relied on the Korean superstition of licking my finger and touching my nose.

‘Oh, Gods above…’

And just then, I saw the sacred artifact of Neran.

It seemed to gleam with a certain message towards me.

Serves you right, sucker!