21st Century Archmage

'There's really no one here.'

The Palace of Honor was where important banquets took place, it was among the most important places in the capital as it was used for hosting noble meetings. Yet such an important place didn't have a single Imperial Knight or Soldier guarding the entrance.

"Kukuku…kukukukuku."

But there was one person inside. Unpleasant laughter was flowing from the huge doors.

He was inside.

With my sword unsheathed in order to prepare for danger, I took the lead and went inside.

'Ah!'

The moment I walked in, the intense reek of blood assaulted my nose.

'P-Poltviran!'

Inside the impressively large Palace of Honor, sitting on the completely empty inner stage with the thrones for the emperor, the queens, and the other members of the Imperial Family, was Poltviran. He was sitting arrogantly on the throne, a sword in one hand and a crown encrusted with large gems on his head.

"You crazy…"

He wasn't the only one inside the Palace of Honor. I was met with the sight of cut necks, hot blood pouring out as if the deed had been done not long ago. In the palace was the body of Elmiane, Poltviran's mother and the Queen of Emperor Havitron.

And it wasn't just her. Even the 1st Princess Elemia who garnered my disapproval in the Imperial Garden back then was sitting on one of the thrones next to Poltviran, her throat sliced open.

"Ohh! Welcome, my beloved siblings."

Looking at Igis and Razcion who followed me in, Poltviran made a truly welcoming expression. It was like he wanted to run over and embrace his long-lost siblings.

"Haha! Imperial Mother, my siblings have come back. Elemia, what are you doing? Igis and Razcion have returned, you should greet them."

He had definitely gone mad. He was undoubtedly the one who killed them, but Poltviran was talking to the Queen and Princess as if they were still alive.

"Come and sit. I prepared a glorious party at the news of your coming. Hurry and come sit next to me. You are members of the Imperial Family, just like me. Hurry and sit next to me."

"……"

Our party walked into the palace one by one, our eyes fixed on Poltviran. Nobody was able to say anything. These were the actions of the truly insane, something no one had ever seen before. What's more, this tragedy was painted by the Bajran Emperor, so everyone had forgotten their words.

"Why, you don't want to? Still not satisfied with your elder brother from a different mother? Forget that now, let bygones be bygones. I just want to get along with you two. I know Imperial Father loves you two more than me, but this elder brother of yours wasn't jealous. I've always been well aware that you resemble Father more than me."

As if waxing nostalgic, Poltviran continued to sadly prattle on.

"P-Please stop… A member of the Imperial Family must never forget their dignity, even in death."

Igis' voice trembled. No matter how despicable Poltviran was, he was a brother with the blood of their father. I was sure Igis was pained by the crazy actions of her brother.

"Stop? Even you dare to tell the Emperor of the Great Bajran Empire to stop, who do you think you are?! You've returned home after a long absence, so I was willing to forgive you for everything, but you dare to scorn Us?! Razcion, Igis! Come here at once! If you don't, you will bear the severe crime of defying an imperial command!"

Poltviran's enraged voice echoed sharply through the Palace of Honor. But not a single person moved to obey. Everyone was fully aware that the moment they approached, they would become just like the Queen and Princess who had spilled all the blood in their bodies.

'There's crazy, and then there's Poltviran. Sigh.'

Before coming face to face with Poltviran, I intended on sending him flying for the crime of causing trouble for me and Nerman. But Poltviran had already lost his marbles. No matter how deep my resentment was, I wasn't despicable enough to beat up the mentally insane.

"Do you truly intend on defying Our words?!"

Poltviran jumped out of his seat.

Seeing that, the nobles and knights hastily drew their swords with a clatter of steel.

"Kukukukukukuku. Kekekekekekeke….kikikikikiki."

A diverse range of laughs flowed from Poltviran's lips, so bizarre that it sent a horripilation down my spine.

"I am the Emperor of the Great Bajran Empire! Who would dare to defy me?! Kuhahahahahaha!"

Poltviran was acting out a one-man show.

Plunge!

'Holy!'

"Ah!"

"Ahh…"

With the sound of splitting leather, Poltviran plunged his sword into his own stomach.

"Huhu… it's, it's blood."

He had used mana to cut his stomach. The organs and guts in his body came pouring out in a deluge of blood to the ground, steaming hot.

"I'm… th-the Emperor…"

Thud.

I knew he was crazy, but I never expected him to end his own life. No matter how crazy he might be, I thought he would value his life, but Poltviran had committed suicide by disembowelment without a shred of hesitation.

'They say the throne is built on blood…'

A saying I had read in some book came to mind. A throne was the highest seat of power, built upon the blood of countless people. The Bajran Empire was no different.

"E-Elder Brother… heuk."

Igis called the Emperor collapsed in his seat, his mad eyes wide open in death, her elder brother. Her pure heart that hated the crime but was not capable of hating the person who committed it was clearly bared before me.

"Knights of the Imperial Guard, what are you doing?! Collect the remains of the late Emperor Poltviran and the Imperial Family members at once!"

"As you command!"

Duke Garvit transitioned from watching to rousing the dazed Imperial Knights, his voice full of complicated emotions.

Several Imperial Skyknights ran over quickly, and they covered the bodies of Poltviran, Elmiane, and Elemia with a flutter of the crimson cloaks that signified the Bajran Empire Imperial Family.

'You were in pain too, weren't you.'

That was when I saw it. At the lips of the man who had taken his life, was a small smile.

"Kingdom Coalition wyverns are approaching?"

With Poltviran's death, the curtain fell on the chaos of the Bajran Empire. The Imperial Family was quickly put to order under Duke Garvit's orders. Because the legitimate successor, Razcion, and Igis were there, the Knights and Soldiers of the Imperial Guard were not agitated. Rather, smiles spread over the faces of some, as if they had awaited Poltviran's death. While this was going on, we were given the news of the invasion of kingdom wyverns.

"They dare… on a day like this."

Razcion seemed to have grown up in an instant. Murderous intent glinted in his eyes. The Empire was in the wrong, but the kingdoms were just as contemptible for trying to twist a crisis into an opportunity to end the Empire. It was only reasonable that the next emperor who would rule Bajran was enraged.

PR/N: I mean, who wouldn't lmao

'Hardaim, you've grown impatient out of a desire to end this.'

The sight of Poltviran killing himself was still vivid in my mind. As a result, I wasn't in a very good mood.

I only became involved in the inner workings of the Bajran Empire because of my relationship with Igis and Razcion and the request from Emperor Havitron. They might not be directly related to Nerman, but so many people had died, and I no longer wanted to see anymore blood spilled. But contrary to my wish, the Kingdom Coalition was approaching the capital in a rush to kill.

This was why it was said that there were no eternal enemies or allies between nations. When the Empire was healthy, they were scrambling to bow and scrape at a single sneeze of the Empire, but now that Bajran was sick and ailing, they were tripping over themselves to hunt the Empire down. Also, Duke Hardaim was someone who even received a warning from me. It was now time for him to bear the consequences of his own making, of his greed.

"I ask that you lend me the Skyknights of the Imperial Guard."

"The Skyknights of the Imperial Guard…" repeated Duke Garvit, surprised. At the moment, there were over 500 Skyknights in the capital. Only 50 of them were from the Imperial Guard, so my request likely rang strange to his ears.

"Please show them… that the Bajran Imperial Family has not yet breathed its last."

However, Igis understood my intent. She permitted my request, her eyes full of frosty rage.

"I will be back."

There was no need to say much. The Kingdom Coalition had advanced so deep into Bajran territory that they were not far from the Imperial City. The time to neatly sort them out had come.

'As expected, home is the best.'

Whenever I left home, it was an uncomfortable affair. I longed desperately for the paradise mansion that was constructed for me in Nerman. Once this was over, I wanted to sleep for several days in my room, where white rays of sunlight shone in with a pleasurable glow.

* * *

'What's going on?'

Hardaim had heard that there weren't many Skyknights left in the capital. After the two key forts were captured and even Duke Garvit had jumped into the fray, there weren't many who were willing to throw away their lives for Emperor Poltviran. Because of that, except for the Imperial Guard, there shouldn't be any Skyknights left next to the Emperor.

But to his surprise, Duke Hardaim caught sight of Bajran wyverns in patrol flight. The group of wyverns kept their distance, like they were observing the Kingdom Coalition from afar. Just like when the Empire was well, the wyverns and Skyknights were undertaking patrol flights without any fear. Upon seeing them, Hardaim had a bad feeling.

'Even so, it's already too late. Even if the Empire gathers all of its remaining strength, they cannot be my match.'

As long as Duke Garvit in the North and the elusive Count Kyre weren't there, that is.

Swooooooooosh.

The two Kingdom Coalition armies were flying swiftly towards the Bajran Imperial City, each kingdom forming the large attack formation they were used to. It was a glorious moment—they were going to seize the capital city of the Bajran Empire, the nation that had reigned as the Continent's ruler for hundreds of years. All of the Skyknights were gripping their wyvern reins tightly out of excitement.

'Ah!'

But just then, Duke Hardaim, who was flying at the front, spotted a group of wyverns flying towards them from the direction of the Imperial City.

'B-Black Wyverns! Skyknights of the Bajran Imperial Guard!'

Their numbers were halved from following the Emperor in his botched attempt to capture Nerman, and afterwards, many were sent to the front lines by order of the Emperor, leaving only a few dozen of the Black Wyverns that symbolized the Bajran Empire. They were even flying confidently in a proactive attack formation.

'Does that mean Poltviran has stepped forward?'

It was already late afternoon—the sun was beginning to slowly lower its head for the night. Hardaim fell into deep thought as he looked at the several dozen Bajran Imperial Skyknights appearing from the northern sky. They were existences that would never dare to move without an order from their master, the Emperor. If they were here, it could only mean that the Emperor of the Bajran Empire or someone of equivalent status was accompanying them.

'The one flying at the front is…'

Activating the mana scope in his helmet, Hardaim examined the identity of the approaching enemies.

"Ah!!" When he concentrated mana to use his mana scope, a cry jumped from his lips and escaped his helmet. "H-Hybrid wyvern!"

Simply hearing those two words was enough to make one wake from a dead sleep. The Lord of Nerman, Kyre, was the ruler of the skies, the person Hardaim didn't want to meet most out of all those he considered his enemies. The golden-striped black wyvern Kyre rode was flying at the head of the Black Wyverns, approaching quickly.

"Dammit!"

His expression crumpled into a frown as he shouted a curse. He wanted to turn his reins immediately, but he could not do so. The master of the Kerpe Kingdom and his liege, the king, had repeatedly beseeched Hardaim to do one thing: to guide the Empire to the road of destruction and raise the Kerpe Kingdom's status in the continent. Hardaim had every intent to faithfully carry out that order. He clenched his teeth and raised his hand high.

"All forces, assume battle formation!"

Using mana, he loudly shouted for battle formation to the Kingdom Coalition Skyknights who were already forming perfect battle formations without being ordered to.

* * *

'Huhu…'

I gave them one last chance. If the kingdoms turned and left, I was going to use my poor mood as an excuse to not pursue. But the Kingdom Coalition Skyknights rejected my last offer of goodwill and began to fall into battle formation. In line with the information we received, the 700 wyverns were filling the sky like a dark cloud.

'I'm sure everyone's ready.'

I turned to look behind me at the Bajran Empire Black Wyvern flight following me like stupidly earnest hunting dogs. It was time for them to be born anew. Like the honor of the Bajran Empire that had haggled with death and fallen into the mud, the Skyknights of the Imperial Guard had to be reborn… into the symbol of courage and loyalty that had once made the Continent tremble.

'Let's duke it out at once, then!'

I had always felt this, but the heartless world of victory and defeat was one where you had to kill or be killed. I still had so much to do and could not die. My mana core, which also did not wish for my death, stirred into motion.

Whiiiiiiiiir.

What felt like unlimited mana in my mana core began to pleasantly buzz, and I sighed in regret towards the enemy wyverns charging forward in a wide-spread formation. Like their owners, they had tossed any semblance of mercy far, far away.