21st Century Archmage

"Raise your head."

"I await thy imperial command!"

In the great throne room of the Laviter Imperial Palace, where the Emperor was having a meeting with all the nobles, one man raised his head at the emperor's words. He was a nervous-looking man with a skinny frame and a wicked scar near his right eye.

"Did you say your name was Lukence?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

It was Viscount Lukence, the man who had at one point been called the master of Nerman. He had been the first to smell the danger and flee during Laviter's failed invasion, and now, he had entered the palace at the summons of Emperor Hadveria.

"I summoned you because I heard you are well-informed about Nerman."

Emperor Hadveria's voice was as quiet as usual, but carried an invisible dignity that everyone in the room could feel. At that voice, Lukence lowered his head and awaited the next words.

"Let me ask you. What kind of person is the Lord of Nerman, the man named Kyre?"

Hadveria asked about Kyre without preamble, his expression and words unreadable. However, those who knew the Emperor knew how angry he was right now.

"Your Majesty, the man named Kyre is an impressive person. As such, he is also someone who must absolutely be killed."

Because the Emperor was asking, Lukence uttered the frosty feelings he'd buried deep in his heart regarding Kyre. Lukence knew that this was the last opportunity he had in his life. He had a grudge that absolutely needed to be fulfilled before his death. Lukence began conversing with the Emperor with his wits fully about him.

"Mm… a person who absolutely must be killed…"

"O' mighty and sagacious master of the Great Laviter Empire! This humble one will speak the honest truth." With a thud, Lukence knelt. "The Lord of Nerman, Kyre, is a truly terrifying person. He appeared alone in Nerman with a single wyvern and transformed Nerman, a territory even the Bajran Empire had thrown away, into the best place to live in merely one year. Moreover, something truly incredible is occurring in Nerman right now."

Lukence's hot words spilled out as if a dam had burst.

"The treacherous and dangerous Lord of Nerman established an alliance with the Temir tribes and Kesmire pirates and stabilized the territory, and he somehow learned a wyvern taming method to turn captured wyverns into his own. The number of wyverns under his control have already exceeded 200. Not only that, but as one saw with the recent Nerman invasion, he used dwarven-made ballistas to hold wyverns and soldiers in check, and has begun accumulating wealth using his personal magic knowledge to develop a salt farm that exists nowhere else in the continent."

Lukence knew the ins and outs of Nerman through the spies he had planted in Nerman. He revealed everything he knew about Nerman to the Emperor.

"That is not all. He is an open-minded person who used the Laviter Empire soldiers captured as prisoners to subjugate monsters, and a wise person capable of using demihumans like dwarves and elves for territory development. In addition, recently, an enormous castle being called the "Great Nerman Castle" is approaching completion within just a few months of construction. He used the dwarves and elves to achieve the feat in a short period of time."

"Dwarves and elves… so that information was true."

Emperor Hadveria nodded at Lukence's words. He had been informed in advance about this through the empire's information network. Not only had the dwarves and elves come out of hiding in the territory, but they were actively helping Nerman. The dwarves and elves that appeared only in legends would probably be dismissed as a tall tale by regular commoners, but every empire, kingdom, magic tower, temple, and countless other places were craning their ears to determine the truth or falsehood of that information. The demihumans had hidden their whereabouts because they had been defeated in the past war with humans, but politicians and mages alike knew that dwarves and elves possesed tremendous abilities. And Nerman, a territory receiving the active support of such races, was an extremely dangerous existence.

"In addition to that, it is said that there are even beastmen in his service. And they are magic swordsmen beastmen capable of 5th Circle magic at the least."

Lukence revealed important knowledge he thought was exclusive to him.

"Huhu…"

However, the Emperor was already aware. The fact that the Second Prince had almost lost his life to Kyre because of beastmen was a secret that only the Imperial Family and high-ranking nobles knew.

"Do you have the confidence?"

After a brief chuckle, Hadveria suddenly asked Lukence whether he had the confidence.

"What does that…"

Lukence's head whipped up with a dazed expression at the Emperor's sudden words.

The master of the Laviter Empire, Hadveria von Laviter the Third… was an absolute ruler regarded as a god by all of the nobles and knights. Not a single person dared to oppose the Emperor's authority or say anything irreverent. No matter how wise a king was said to be, politics was a field where nobles inevitably had complaints, yet not a single person dared to express them. That was simply how much respect and fear the emperor commanded.

Lukence felt that he could finally understand how those nobles felt. The emperor looking down on him was a little ordinary in appearance, but in his gaze, one could feel an invisible, suffocating power of mana, an aura that only a person of true strength could exude.

Lukence made himself small and awaited the Emperor's next words.

"I shall give you the power, so do you have the confidence to occupy Nerman."

"!!"

The Emperor's tremendous proposal made Lukence exclaim wordlessly in shock. That the Emperor would give him power was a statement more impactful than any other. Moreover, by asking Lukence if he had the confidence to occupy Nerman, it was akin to granting him the responsibility of a commander, a position only a noble of at least count or higher could assume.

Thud!

Lukence kowtowed with a loud thump.

"Your Majesty! If Your Majesty would do me the benevolence of believing in me, I will devote all my life to bring destruction upon Nerman!"

Lukence had thought it would be good enough if he could relieve his grievances, but the world had granted him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He had kowtowed so heavily that blood flowed onto the ground.

"Haha, hahaha, hahahahahahaha…!"

The Emperor burst out in loud laughter, delighted by something. His Blade Master-level mana filled the entirety of the throne room, a mana that bristled with the cold and dark sensation of the yin-attribute…

* * *

"It's fully cooked."

A Blessed Spear was a weapon a Skyknight had to treat as carefully as one's life. But to the man in front of her, this precious weapon merely amounted to a skewer for roasting fish.

"I've seasoned it with salt and other spices, so it shouldn't taste fishy."

He was seriously very attentive. Kyre had gone out to sea and hunted fish using lightning magic. He got rid of the guts by hand and began to roast the fish that were big enough to eat. And it wasn't just regular roasting, either. He summoned a Salamander on the branches that Chrisia had gathered and had it control the fire, and then earnestly sprinkled it generously with salt and precious spices.

Such work did not befit a count, and a lord of a great territory, no less, but Kyre did not sweat such formalities.

'This is why there's an endless number of beautiful women around him.'

As Chrisia held a large fish that had been roasted beautifully all the way through, she clearly saw through Kyre's playboy nature in a single glance. He was a man who possessed a manly vigor and confidence that had him unintimidated no matter where he went, and a sincerity that touched the hearts of women. On top of that, he was an upper-circle magic swordsman and a holder of a count peerage. His merits as a potential husband were no less than the crown prince of a nation.

However, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Rare beauties hooked on Kyre's charm were waiting thirstily around him. Chrisia was considered quite the beauty in Kesmire, but in front of the women next to Kyre, she felt inferior.

Crunch.

She moved her mouth a little to take a bite of the back region of the fish.

'Why is it so tasty?'

Even his cooking skill was incredible. Even if you had the world's best ingredients in front of you, without a sense for cooking, it was impossible to achieve this kind of flavor.

"How is it? Isn't it tasty?"

Kyre awaited her judgement with expectant eyes. His charismatic, impossibly deep black eyes bored into Chrisia's soul.

"I-It's delicious," she murmured, feeling her face suddenly getting red.

"Haha. That relieves me to hear. Thank goodness it's to your taste."

Kyre's pleasant, clear laughter was like the refreshing sea breeze on a spring morning. He watched Chrisia eating before picking up a fish and digging in.

Crunch crunch.

Even his manner of eating was seriously dashing. He must have been hungry, because he quickly and earnestly polished off the meat on the bone.

Guoo, guooo. Kugii, kugi.

The two wyverns left on the sandy beach mumbled sweet nothings at each other, happy about who knew what.

'The wyvern takes after the master… haah.'

Kyre's wyvern, named Bebeto, had caught the tastiest-looking fish and thrown it in front of Chrisia's wyvern. And then, he descaled it with his horns in what was definitely an undisguised show of goodwill. Seeing that, Chrisia suddenly had the thought that she was jealous. Like those wyverns, Chrisia wished she could have an undisguised conversation with Kyre. She stopped eating and started stealing glances at Kyre, who was focusing on his meal.

'Sigh.'

This man could make you feel happy and warm inside just by looking at him. Chrisia breathed out a long sigh. She knew she was falling deeper and deeper into the thick charisma exuded by the man in front of her. Unbeknownst to her, her sigh expressed mostly regret, but also some contradictory expectation.

* * *

The Temple of the Great God Adeine was located in the continent's Central Mountain Range. It was not served by separate priests, but was instead managed and maintained by the combined strength of priests and paladins of the eleven temples, excluding the Temple of the Evil God Kerma.

The Temple of Adeine. As per the main teaching of the Great God, which stipulated that the world existed and did not exist simultaneously, the interior of the temple was completely undecorated.

Eleven priests were gathered inside such a bare temple. They were the cardinals who served the Goddess of Destiny, Pallan; the Goddess of Mercy, Neran; the Goddess of Abundance and Festivities, Sapphire; the Goddess of Blessings, Semire; the Overseer of Fate, Romero; the God of the Sun, Lassiar; the God of Alcohol and Art, Elfos; the Goddess of Victory, Ormion; the God of Wind and Freedom, Bormio; the God of Truth and Justice, Siportyne; and the Goddess of Wisdom and Beauty, Varshua.

All eleven had gathered in one place for the first time in a long, long while. It was all to conduct a Council of Cardinals, which was only convened when the continent was threatened by demons, black mages, or any who revered such beings.

They had gathered here today at the behest of Cardinal Torphon, who served the Goddess of Mercy, Neran. After facing the sky and showing their respect to the Great God, the cardinals took their seats.

It was not an unusual occurrence for the cardinals of each temple to die without ever once seeing each other. Each person's holy temple was located in different countries, and the position of a cardinal was one that could not be readily or carelessly moved.

"In the name of Mercy, I wish to show my thanks to everyone who came today." The host of today's rare Council of Cardinals, Cardinal Torphon of Neran, rose from his seat and bowed his head. "As was already described in the convening letter, the reason I requested for everyone's presence today was because of a heretic who is more than capable of causing a disaster on the continent."

The Temple of the Great God was a completely open space, with the ceiling and walls on every side made out of glass so clear it was impossible to differentiate the outside from the inside. An incredible sight was visible from those glass walls. Hundreds of temple-affiliated Skyknights and wyverns that had flown here to protect the cardinals of each temple were soaring through the sky, keeping a close guard. Of course, the words spoken within the temple couldn't be heard outside, not in a million years. Absolutely nothing could penetrate the defensive barrier made of holy power.

"As you already know, the Lord of Nerman, the man named Kyre, kidnapped a priestess of our temple who was completing her training to become a saintess and is now imprisoning her within his territory. He is committing such evil deeds that would never be possible if he were not an evil minion of darkness with no fear of the gods. However… our temple cannot face him alone. In order to find the saintess who exists in order to show the glory of God, the man named Kyre is receiving as much blessing of darkness as a high-ranking demon. As one who is lacking, I wish to request the assistance of the cardinals here today, in the name of Holy Neran."

It was customary for the Council of Cardinals to begin with a remark from the one who convened the meeting. And as per custom, Cardinal Torphon delivered his statement.

"In the name of Destiny… From what I heard, the female priestess of Neran captured in Nerman is said to have gone there voluntarily. I wonder if my ears were wrong in hearing that she went to the most remote place in the continent, a place ailed by suffering and pain, to practice the glory of God, as is befitting a priestess of the Goddess of Mercy, Neran."

The white beard of the cardinal serving the God of Destiny fluttered as he nailed the bullseye Toprhon wished to conceal. News of Nerman had already spread across the continent. The cardinals knew about the Saintess of Nerman, Aramis, through the merchants and mercenaries that had visited Nerman.

"That is a falsehood. The fact that our pure priestess was seduced by that wicked Lord of Nerman, Kyre, is the truth of the matter that our temple has deduced." He had expected a question of this nature, so Torphon responded without hesitation.

"In the name of Wisdom… That being said, I heard that the Lord of Nerman, Count Kyre, commands an impressive reputation among his people. He is ruling with a justness that no other king or noble has been able to achieve. Everyone here knows what kind of place Nerman is. Every single temple here has deferred on the construction of a temple in Nerman due to its unstable situation, is that not true? Since he was able to stabilize such a territory in a short amount of time and even repel the invasion of the Laviter Empire, Count Kyre must not be an ordinary noble. Also, there is no conclusive evidence that Lord Kyre committed any acts that defy the laws of the Great God. If you cannot clearly explain that point, Cardinal Torphon, I cannot agree upon an inquisition ruling."

Those words were spoken calmly by Cardinal Aziare, the leader of the Temple of the Goddess of Wisdom and Beauty, Varshua. She was recognized as the person with the most rational and logical mind in the ecclesiastical world. Even though she might not be on the level of a saintess, a being that graced the world only once in several centuries, Cardinal Aziare commanded great trust from the believers.

'What a repugnant bitch!'

The Cardinal of Neran, Torphon, was already deeply sullied by evil. He inwardly rained curses down on Cardinal Aziare, who had raised a compelling objection to his words.

"I am well aware of what everyone is worried about. As such, I am not asking for an inquisition ruling right now. I am asking that an inquisition be declared once priests from each temple have personally met Count Kyre. I ask that you do that much, on my behalf as a sincere servant of the Goddess of Mercy."

Fueled by whatever confidence he had, Torphon asked the gathering to make a judgement after meeting Count Kyre. He was ultimately requesting an inquisition for the Lord of Nerman, Kyre, who everyone here knew of thanks to the swiftness of their information gathering. Meeting here and ratifying the inquisition was merely a formality. If a temple of one of the eleven children of the Great God requested it, an investigation was necessary before an inquisition could truly be declared. They might be people serving the gods, but they were not free from the bounds of politics.

"I concur with Cardinal Torphon's words. Rather than believing that he might possibly be dangerous, it would be best to meet him and confirm it ourselves."

"I concur as well."

"I concur."

Words of agreement came spilling out of the mouths of the remaining cardinals who had been listening quietly.

The Lord of Nerman, Kyre, was creating a great storm over the continent. If he continued to grow in strength like he was doing now, they would certainly have to meet him one day.

The Kallian Continent had become too saturated to build any more temples. Nerman was the last remaining site where temples could be constructed. The territory's development potential was infinite, and it was a land of opportunity that could contribute greatly to temple finances.

* * *

'So many islands.'

After eating lunch at the island called the Bugle of Repose, we flew for a while. Then, all of a sudden, I began to see one island after another on the sea, and then, my vision was full of them.

'It must be the Kesmire Archipelago from here on out.'

The Kesmire Archipelago was known to be made up of not just thousands, but tens of thousands of islands. This was the land of the pirates, who used their control over the entire, enormous ocean to interfere with the movement between continents and enjoy a monopoly over in-between trade. According to Chrisia, the Kesmire possessed a total of seven formal fleets, and they also had two reserve fleets for the archipelago's defense.

'Fleets and sailors proficient at handling sea travel, as well as wyverns… They really do deserve to be called invincible on the sea.'

Kesmire had named itself a kingdom, leaving their forebears' past as pirates behind them. You could even call them the Laviter Empire of the Seas and not be exaggerating in the least.

'Even if you came here with wyverns, the fleets would completely wipe them out on their own.'

Countless instances of naval warfare were recorded in the annals of continental history. In particular, the naval battle that occurred between the Laviter Empire and Kesmire several decades ago was well known. After occupying the Perkan Kingdom, Laviter wanted to personally conduct trade with the eastern continent, and Kesmire stepped up to prevent that from happening. The almighty Laviter Empire concentrated all their national power for several years to organize wyvern carriers and a fleet, then sent an expeditionary force made up of dozens of transport carriers, hundreds of wyverns, and hundreds of ships to the Kesmire Archipelago.

However, in a single night of decisive battle, the empire's pride was reduced to tatters. Not long after the Laviter fleet left the low Yukane River and sailed into the sea, at around the point when wyverns could no longer fly back to land, Kesmire wyverns unleashed an attack from all sides. It was a cloudy, dark night without the light of the stars or moon. In the fog made by the sea, the Kesmire Skyknights were said to have begun a fierce assault.

The wyverns on the Laviter transport carriers sortied in response. But in the ocean fog so thick one could hardly see one foot ahead, they either crashed and died, or died to friendly fire. Infected by the fear of an enemy they could not see, the imperial sailors suppressed the nobles and completely surrendered before the dawn broke. It was said that the wyverns and Skyknights that refused to surrender were not allowed to land on the ships, and afterwards, not a single Skyknight made it back to the empire. If the Laviter Empire, which had been winning victory after victory, had not been defeated then, all of the kingdoms surrounding it would have likely disappeared from the map by now.

'That's why the western powers tried to dominate the ocean on Earth.'

I thought back to the medieval naval battles recorded in world history books on Earth. 'The Empire on which the sun never sets' was a glorious address the British Empire had earned when they had defeated France and all their other rival countries, most notably Spain's Invincible Armada, and dominated the sea. If you looked at it like that, only the Kesmire Kingdom was deserving of such a title in the Kallian Continent right now.

'There's no need to make them my enemies. They need to make a living, too.'

They might be called rulers without peer or enemy on the seas, but in the end, they were seamen who had to live on the sea with their lives on the line. I had no desire to steal their food bowl and starve them out. I just really wished that Kesmire merchant ships would only do trade with our territory.

'Hm, looking at the amount of land they have, it does look habitable.'

Flying over the islands and between them gave me a far, far greater sense of security than flying in the landmark-less, great blue sea. I followed Chrisia, feeling the pleasant wind on my face.

I had to pacify the Haildrian Empress as soon as possible and return to Nerman, because I was sure that even now, a certain someone was drooling as they set their sights on my territory.

* * *

"This is the new Blessed Spear produced in Nerman."

Duke Ormere entered the Imperial Palace of the Bajran Empire upon receiving Emperor Poltviran's summons. He then showed the Emperor Nerman's new Blessed Spear, something they had acquired when pursuing the Prince and Princess.

"Our findings have concluded that it has an effective range of over 3 km, and it flies twice as fast as regular spears. As such, it has been made clear that these spears will cause tremendous damage in an aerial fight."

"You say we cannot make these?"

Poltviran was as mad as they came, but because he had received a proper crown prince's education under the strict emperor, he had outstanding judgement skills. He had an intense desire to attack Nerman, but he didn't run into it headlong. He had known that the Krantz Kingdom, at least, could be stamped down in a mere instant, but even Poltviran knew that Nerman was strong.

"I deeply apologize, Your Majesty. With our current level of magic technology, we cannot recreate the Blessed Spear made in Nerman."

The person who responded was Marquis Darvasin of the Bajran Imperial Magic Tower, who had entered with Duke Ormere. He wasn't at Master level, but he was one of the less than ten 7th Circle mages on the continent. However, he confessed that it was impossible for him to produce Nerman's Blessed Spear.

"Why is that so? It doesn't look much different in my eyes." Poltviran expressed his doubt while stroking the normal-looking Blessed Spear in his hand.

"From what the Magic Tower has concluded, Nerman's Blessed Spear is installed with a unique magic array."

"A unique magic array?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Surprisingly enough, long-lost ancient Runic and a magic array of the Ancient Magic Era are making up the finishing layer. The ancient Runic is engraved within the runes so elaborately that even a mage of my circle is not able to decipher them."

"Ancient Magic Era Runic…"

Poltviran was in a position where he had nothing to fear and nothing to be curious about, but the mention of the Ancient Magic Era was more than sufficient to stimulate his interest.

"Your Majesty, even so, it is not as if there is no method. Though it does not exceed Nerman's spears, Marquis Darvasin and the Imperial Magic Tower have recently developed a spear of far superior specs than the regular spear. In the sky, 1 kilometer is a distance that one can cross in the blink of an eye anyway. If overwhelming numbers and a special tactic are put to use, we should be able to fight on equal terms with Nerman's spears."

Ormere had planned to control the empire by puppeteering Poltviran. Even though his plans had veered slightly off course, he still held power in his hands. From the beginning, Poltviran was the type to be more interested in satisfying his own interests than empire management. Therefore, Ormere was handling the majority of the management rights of the empire, the core of authority.

'I have to use this opportunity to take care of Nerman.'

Nerman and Kyre were like thorns stuck in Ormere's throat. The 2nd Prince and Princess who could pose a threat to the Emperor's power and his own authority were reason enough to destroy Nerman.

"Also, we must absolutely use this opportunity to occupy Nerman."

After receiving Poltviran's summons, Ormere had spent the last few days planning his conquest of Nerman. He tacitly received the active cooperation of the magic towers, which had suffered indignity in Nerman, and had also received a promise of military goods, including a fixed amount of military funds, from the continent's large merchant groups.

"Why?" Poltviran asked, his characteristic, madness-filled eyes gleaming.

Ormere had to be careful. He was the Emperor's uncle and had played a significant role in raising Poltviran to the throne, but he had no idea what this madman's temperament would do.

"According to the new information we received, we are not the only ones after Nerman. The Laviter Empire is after them as well. In addition, I am told that Nerman's development speed is incredible. Recently, not only did they develop a salt production method that can control the continent, but they are also receiving active cooperation from dwarves and elves to build roads, as well as a great castle that rivals the Imperial Palace."

"Elves? Hooh. So you're saying those legendary elves are helping him in a backcountry like that."

Ormere had anticipated this response. The Emperor, who let his perverted lust control him, would undoubtedly show a strong interest at the mention of elves.

"Yes. And it is not just one or two elves helping Nerman, but dozens. I believe that there are at least hundreds of elves."

"Hundreds, you say… That many elves, huh."

"Your Majesty, there is a method we can use to attack Nerman with less investment."

Duke Ormere had planned everything out. He carefully laid out the bait, dancing in beat to the Emperor's change in temperament.

"What do you mean?"

"As Your Majesty knows, Nerman blocked Laviter's elite troops without taking much damage. If we are to haphazardly attempt to conquer such a place with strength alone, the empire will have to pay a considerable cost. However, if we were to receive the help of our allied kingdoms, we will be able to secure two wins with one scheme."

When it came to the Bajran Empire's politics, Duke Ormere was an old hand. He proposed a scheme so cunning that if the allied kingdoms had heard it, their blood would have curdled.

"I am sure that after the recent destruction of the Krantz Kingdom, the kingdoms around the empire have been harboring plenty of complaints in their hearts. Although the power they hold as individuals is weak, if they band together in an alliance, it could become troublesome. In two days, at Your Majesty's birthday celebration, please make an order. Say that Your Majesty will promise a permanent alliance in exchange for the kingdoms forming the spearhead for the conquest of Nerman."

"KUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! As expected of you, Uncle. I was just thinking about what to do about those guys, but you thought of such a great solution for me."

Poltviran laughed heartily as he called Ormere "Uncle" for the first time in a while. The Emperor's bright expression was proof that the idea had pleased him.

"Please, just leave it to this humble servant. I will use this chance to set the foundation for the empire. We shall make a great empire that no one can touch!"

Duke Ormere had seized the opportunity before him. He could never allow this chance to slip out of his hands.

If Poltviran, who was living like a no-good lout, just happened to die, who would be the one to take responsibility for the empire afterwards?

A certain someone laughed quietly in his heart. Only the person laughing knew the true answer to that question.

* * *

Whoooooooosh! Whap~! Whap~!

"Lower the sails! Turn to the direction of the incoming waves!"

'Uwahh! Where'd this storm come from!'

This might be how it would feel to be sleeping under a tree and get hit by a lightning bolt. Bebeto, Chrisia, and I had traveled over the Kesmire Archipelago like our lives depended on it and arrived at the last wyvern carrier. We only need to rest and fly one last time to reach the Haildrian Empire.

But then, a kink suddenly appeared in our plans. We found the transport carrier late at night after much struggle, so I had been sleeping deeply after eating dinner, but a strong gale on the level of a storm came blowing in out of nowhere, knocking me awake. The transport carrier lurched up and down like the butt of a stay-at-home-mom going wild at the cabaret with her shopping bag in hand.

Clunk.

Chrisia rushed into my room with an urgent expression. "Kyre-nim! We have to go aloft, right now!"

I'd never seen her look so alarmed.

'Dammit!'

I'd been having a lovely time flying with Aramis in dreamland, but this natural disaster had shaken me wide awake. I heard that when there was a powerful storm, wyverns usually had to go aloft. It was possible that their heavy weight could cause the ship to capsize, so when the storm was at its most intense, wyverns would have to undertake a dangerous flight.

'Why'd the wind fucking start messing around at a time like this?'

The aftermath of constant flights had my body feeling achy all over. No matter how young and limber I might be, sitting all day on the saddle was torture.

"There's no time. It looks like Kazofune and Sharikna's winds will collide not far from here. If we are too slow, we will lose our chance to go aloft entirely!"

From her tone, it seemed really dangerous.

"I-I understand," I managed, throwing open the cabin door and leaving with Chrisia.

Craaaaaaassh. Swooooooooooooooooosh. Whap, whap, whap.

'Uwahhh! Give me a break!'

The situation outside was more severe than I thought. Torrential rain and wind was pouring down so intensely that I could hardly see in front of myself, and the ship was doing acrobatics, as if it had transformed into a rollercoaster ride.

"Secure the ropes!"

WHOOOOOSH!

"UWAAHHHHHHH!"

Just then, a different kind of wind blew in amidst the whipping winds, carrying away one hapless sailor far into the ocean, where he disappeared.

'My god…'

The sea's terrifying wrath was imminent. I charged toward Bebeto.

GUOOOOOOO!

Bebeto's safety rings had already been released, and he was struggling to maintain balance atop the rocking ship. With a whumpf, I jumped off the ground and quickly got onto Bebeto's back.

"Kyre-nim! Just in case, if you lose your way, fly north!" shouted Chrisia using mana. She had been following closely but was forced to grab a railing due to the buffeting winds.

"Yes! I understand! Chrisia-nim, you come up quickly too!"

This was no situation to be helping anyone else. I might be an upper-circle mage who possessed a huge amount of mana, but in front of nature's almighty power, I was merely one pitiful human. Moreover, right now, I had to take responsibility for Bebeto's safety as well. Trusting Chrisia, who knew the ocean better than I did, I yanked Bebeto's reins.

"Bebeto, fly!"

Flap, flap, flap. Swooooooooooosh.

'Agh!'

The moment Bebeto spread his wings as commanded, the staggering wind struck Bebeto's wings like the gale beating the masts of the ship. If Bebeto's muscular strength had been even a little lacking, he would have been sent rolling backwards across the deck.

Flaaap, flaaap, flaaaaap.

But Bebeto was no scrawny shrimp. He was a young wyvern who'd been perfectly cheery the next day even after being faithful to his racial instincts with all sorts of females all night long. He overcame the gusts with his outrageous strength and lifted into the air.

Whooooooooosh.

'Uwaaaaaaahhh!'

The moment we flew into the air, Bebeto began flying at an incredible speed, propelled by the powerful wind. The rush of exhilaration was incomparable to any amusement park ride I'd ever experienced in my life. Fear and euphoria surged in me so intensely that a touch more of either would have had me peeing in my pants.

The crimson cloak I was wearing over my airplate whipped wildly behind me, stretched to breaking point.

'Shit, alright then, let's just see if you die or I live, why don't we!'

In my heart arose a wild desire to fight with the storm. I grasped Bebeto's reins hard as we flew through the rainy gusts.

This damned storm!

It might be doing its best to block my way forward, but I wasn't afraid.

I was the Lord of Nerman, Kyre, someone who feared no one other than my mother!