21st Century Archmage

Whoooooooosh.

Whooooooooooooosh.

The new year had dawned, but the fierceness of winter was at its peak. In that wintry, frosty sky, flew twelve wyverns. Black Wyverns, the symbol of the Bajran Imperial Family, were flying eastward at breakneck speed, as if fleeing urgently from pursuit.

Just then, the smallest of the Black Wyverns fell behind, faltering in strength, and the other wyverns instantly decreased their speed to match its pace. At some point, upon reaching a lake, the wyvern flying at the front began to descend.

Flap, flap flap flap.

Following the lead of the wyvern at the front, the other wyverns also began to land in orderly fashion.

Click.

A certain female Skyknight unclasped her safety ring and jumped down from the first wyvern to land. As she did so, the other Skyknights hastened to land as well, leaving just five mounted in preparation for potential attack.

As the woman removed her helmet, long locks glowing with golden light flowed out and were lifted by the wind.

"Razcion!"

"N-Noona…!" said the boy who was descending from the small wyvern, startled by his sister's sharp cry.

"Leave Datero behind."

"No! Datero is the wyvern Esteemed Father personally picked out for me!"

The young boy, Razcion, normally minded his older sister's words well and was born as a prince of the Great Bajran Empire in the seat of utmost privilege. But on this wintry day, he was making what could only be called an escape.

"You're not a kid anymore. You're now a superior who must take responsibility for all the Skyknights here. So how do you intend on taking responsibility if they are hurt because of your stubbornness?!"

Her brother was still young, but Princess Igis laid out the cold reality without mincing her words.

Two days ago, they received a sudden imperial mandate and were able to flee the palace with the help of Duke Garvit.

'Esteemed Father, what are we to do now…'

She knew. She knew that even as they, an imperial princess and prince, were leaving the empire as if running for their lives, their beloved father might have already crossed the river of death, where they would never be able to see him again.

"I'm sorry, Noona. But I can't abandon Datero. If he is a burden… then leave me behind."

He was young, but he was still a young lion with the blood of the emperor running through his veins. With firm resolve, Razcion resisted his sister's command.

"I was planning on taking a short break in any case. Princess, Prince, I beseech you to calm down."

Countess Irene had removed her helmet and neatly tied up her fairy-like silver hair. She intervened in the quarrel with the courteousness of a knight.

'Something feels off. We have to get away from here as quickly as possible.'

On the day they departed, and the day after that, every territory Skyknight who saw their Black Wyverns showed their respect. However, when they crossed paths with several territory wyverns on patrol today, the wyverns approached them immediately and fell into attack positions without any pleasantries. That attitude was mirrored in not just one or two territories, but all of them. Every Skyknight they met in the several territories they passed was hostile.

'Two days from now… will be problematic.'

Irene didn't know the whole story, but she could figure out the gist of it. She was given an imperial mandate to escort the princess and prince to Nerman with utmost haste. For members of the imperial family to be moved to Nerman, the most remote territory in the empire and a place where the emperor's power was practically nonexistent, it could only mean that they would soon be political exiles.

'All I can do is my best. As a knight, there's nothing more honorable than dying while carrying out an order from one's lord.'

Emperor Havitron had appointed her, someone from an insignificant family, to the lofty position of countess. She didn't think it was such a bad thing to die for the sake of such an emperor. However, even if she had to offer her life to do so, she needed to complete her mission of bringing the prince and princess to asylum.

The Bajran lords and Skyknights who would soon become their enemies were problematic on their own, but Prince Razcion's wyvern was an even bigger problem. With a size and musculature that exceeded regular wyverns, Black Wyverns had exceptional sustain and speed. But the Prince's wyvern was not yet fully grown and only had the mobility and speed of a regular wyvern at most. Leaving it behind like Princess Igis wanted was the wisest choice, but Irene could also sympathize with Razcion's desire to treasure the last thread of connection with his father, the emperor.

Up until just a few days ago, the Prince was waited on by dozens of maids and guarded by sturdy Imperial Knights. In the span of one morning, he was nearly reduced into being an orphan.

"Countess! Please ascend at once. Dozens of wyverns are approaching in attack formation from the south!"

Flap, flap, flap flap flap flap.

One of the Skyknights standing guard shouted a warning as he went aloft ahead of Irene. She had flown out of the capital with former commoners selected by virtue of their talent, rather than their birth.

"Your Highness, please feed Datero holy water. With that, he'll be able to recover from his fatigue, if only for a while."

"Thank you, Knight Irene."

Despite the danger, Razcion expressed his thanks to Irene's kindness before quickly taking a bottle from the bag on his wyvern and feeding the holy water to his wyvern.

"Haah…"

Igis sighed, thinking about the words her father had spoken not long ago as if giving his last will. She had prepared herself, but as everything unfolded, she felt at a loss. She was no longer a princess under the protection of a powerful empire, but someone being chased from her home. It was, naturally, a sad plight.

'Kyre…'

However, if there was any consolation, it was that she had somewhere to go. Igis recalled Count Kyre's reliable appearance as he told her to come find him if she was ever in danger. Thinking of Count Kyre, Igis drew strength anew.

She could not stop here. Because she had a duty, an obligation, to protect the poor citizens of the Bajran Empire, who would soon be subject to the tyranny of a violent emperor.

No matter what anyone said, she and Razcion were genuine successors to the throne of the Great Bajran Empire, they were the daughter and son of the emperor.

"The reigning emperor has died?"

"I believe so, yes. It's a message that was sent specially from the capital by the Rubis Merchants, so we can only believe that to be the case."

"Mm…"

It seemed Rubis had paid particular care to inform Jamir, an executive in their ranks. A Lumikar had flown from the Bajran capital to Nerman, delivering urgent news. When he arrived in Nerman several days ago, Jamir had used several lumikar to inform them of his location.

'Something big has happened.'

It was in Nerman's best interests for the friendly Emperor to be alive. I was already at odds with Poltviran, the next in line. If someone like him became the emperor, I could roughly guess how he would act towards Nerman.

"Did you hear anything else?"

"There's something going on in the capital. The message also reported that Skyknights under the imperial family suddenly began flying east in large scale, and several nobles were captured."

He was truly an impatient bastard. From what I knew, even before the emperor's death, the Crown Prince had a backing that couldn't be threatened by anyone. But the bastard didn't even wait for the Emperor's funeral to end before he began his purge.

'So Skyknights have flown towards the east, huh.'

That seemed to be the most important aspect from the delivered info. It probably had something to do with the uneasiness I felt in the morning.

"My liege! A lumikar has come from the capital!"

A knight's voice rang out from outside my office, interrupting my thoughts.

"Come in."

Creak.

"Sir!" Upon entering the room, the knight gave a crisp salute before handing me a golden note.

"Lord of Nerman, Count Kyre de Nerman, is strictly ordered to refuse asylum to potential rebellious individuals. In the case this order is defied, he shall be guilty with the crime of defying an imperial mandate and rebellion. Emperor of the Great Bajran Empire, Poltviran von Bajran…"

As I read the note, Derval's expression hardened as he groaned.

'Seeing as it's even stamped with the imperial seal, I guess Poltviran is already in the seat of command.'

Normally, after the passing of an emperor, it was customary for the empress to assume command of state administration until the formal coronation ceremony was held. But the Crown Prince's mother wasn't the Empress, but a queen. It seemed Poltviran had worked with Duke Ormere to rule out the Empress and assume command ahead of time.

"My liege, potential rebellious individuals refers to…"

"I think we'll be having some precious guests soon."

"Pardon?"

"Tarry not. Rooms must be prepared for the guests, and since Nerman will be treated as criminals for defying an imperial mandate and rebellion, we must also prepare our defenses, should we not?"

"I humbly obey!"

This was already written in the plans for the new year, anyway. Derval must have figured out the identity of the 'precious guests,' because he received my command without a word of protest.

'It's only polite to go out and greet the guests, right?'

I had already given my promises to the young Prince and Igis. Come at any time—that was what I had said. It was time for me to honor my promise.

It was also time for me to repay the kindness I received from the emperor. When I received my count peerage, the sickly Emperor had whispered 'I'll leave it to you' in my ear, and his request was something I had to fulfill at all costs.

Because he was the very first emperor I gave my vow of loyalty to…

* * *

Ping! Piiing!

"Shield!"

Flash!

Claaaang!

Black Wyverns representing the imperial family, existences that no one could dare to recklessly oppose in the Bajran Empire, were being attacked. Sitting astride wyverns that had flags of various territories fluttering from their bellies, showing that the wyverns were all from different territories, Skyknights mercilessly rained spears on the flight Black Wyverns desperately flying eastward.

A staggering 60 wyverns were on the offensive. As if savoring the siege, they jumped out in front of the Black Wyverns flying with all their strength and hurled spears at their leisure.

'Ah…!'

Princess Igis barely managed to keep her life by deploying the shield spell that was her last resort. It was her first time doing so. She could ride a wyvern, but she had never taken part in battle before. The afterimage of the Blessed Spear that grazed past her was burned into her retina. In the realm of life and death, Igis actually felt herself growing calmer.

'Even if I die, Razcion must live.'

Igis' thoughts were dominated by her conviction that Razcion, the son of the father and mother she held so dear, second in line to the throne, had to survive and reach Nerman.

Babam!

Gwaaaaaaaaak!

A spear buried itself into the torso of the wyvern protecting her on the right, and the wyvern's scream of pain seemed to shatter the skies.

However, they could not stop their procession. If they stopped here, everyone would die. Their assailants gave them no opportunity to surrender. Their Black Wyverns were, without a doubt, carrying the golden flag of royalty, but the attacks rained down spears on them regardless.

It seemed that they were given an order, a dirty one, to shoot down all wyverns flying towards Nerman.

* * *

'They've sure got guts.'

In order to receive the guests, I departed Denfors and was now flying over the Rual Mountains. It was a noble custom to not go into other territories without an imperial mandate, but I was still crossing the territory borders, anyway. Rather, I went as far as to throw the imperial mandate warning me to not commit rebellion to the wind and crossed the Rual Mountains with my head held up high.

Kiooooooooo!

Kuaaaaaaaaaaak!

What's more, accompanying me were the beastmen, the five Power Rangers protecting Nerman under their wings.

'I don't know who's bringing them, but they'll choose the fastest route.'

Someone who didn't realize the severity of the situation might fly leisurely eastward while enjoying the hospitality of noble households on the way, but anyone who valued their lives would make a straight shot from the capital to Nerman's central city, Denfors. I trusted my gut and flew accordingly. It wasn't possible for us to comb the entirety of the massive Rual Mountains, so this was the most rational decision I could make.

'If it's bad enough that word was sent to Nerman, it's a given that the other territories were informed as well. I'm sure that cowardly little punk gave the order to kill them.'

Poltiviran, who was mean, wicked, and had a shitty personality to boot, would never allow the young prince and Igis, potential threats to his rule, to live.

Whooooooosh!

'The die is cast!'

With that thought, I crossed the final peak of the Rual Mountains that separated Nerman from the empire. It was formally empire territory from here on out.

It was all or nothing. In any case, the moment that bastard Poltiviran became the emperor, I was bound to duke it out with him. He was just that despicable.

'Kiddo, hold on tight. Your hyung is coming!'

The little prince, someone who had even been smacked on the buttocks by me, had lost his father and home, becoming something akin to an orphan. I felt sorry for him.

"Bebeto, pick it up a notch! Who told you to overdo it like that yesterday?! You're asking for it!"

Babam.

Bebeto was flying incredibly fast, but I still smacked him. From what I heard, he had apparently spent the whole night—right up until dawn—indulging in the pleasures of the flesh with female wyverns in the hangars, while his master stayed up all night doing manual labor. What a rude brute.

Guooooooooooooooooooo!

Without getting mad at my kicking, Bebeto roared energetically and flapped his wings. His mind was probably occupied by thoughts of the lovely date he would have tonight.