21st Century Archmage

"Yaaaawn!"

After casting Warp from the Bajran Imperial City at the break of dawn, Bebeto and I arrived in the yard of some viscount's castle. Upon my sudden arrival, there was a bout of initial chaos, but everyone made themselves scarce after recognizing Bebeto and I. It might be a countryside viscount household, but there wasn't a single person who didn't know what kind of person I was.

Bebeto and I then flew over the Rual Mountains directly to my mansion. The Grade 2 magic crystal was completely drained by the long-distance Warp, so it was faster to fly over the mountains rather than to wait for the mana to recharge.

"Nothing beats being at home."

After crossing the mountains, we happily flew through the perfectly uneventful skies of Nerman and arrived at my Nerman mansion. As soon as we touched down, I told Derval to not wake me unless something urgent happened and fell into a dead sleep. I wasn't all that physically tired, but many psychologically shocking things had taken place, so my soul was fatigued. As a result, by the time I woke up after getting my fill of rest, night had already descended in full force outside.

"Nnnnghhhh!"

Stretching widely, I got up from my bed. As expected of a luxury bed made by dwarven hands, sleeping on it made all my fatigue fly away.

Gruuuumble.

"Alright, I hear you. I'll feed you."

After getting plenty of rest, I was hungry. I wasn't treated poorly in the Garvit Duchy or the Bajran Capital, but nothing satisfied me as much as eating rice after taking a warm shower in my home.

"It's been a while, shall we throw a grilled pork belly party?"

The territory had rolled along well even without me. I suddenly wanted to have a beer with my hard-working knights.

While entertaining various thoughts, I opened the door to my terrace and walked out.

Shalala, shalala.

The refreshing evening breeze came blowing over right on cue. I filled my lungs to the brim with fresh air full of clean natural energy that couldn't be bought with any amount of money in the 21st century.

"Nice!!!"

What could this be called but the joy of a homeowner? I remembered how my mom and dad jumped for joy after closing on a house. They were so happy purchasing a house that didn't have a fountain, a pond, or a garden thousands of square meters large, a house inferior to even Bebeto's hangar. I was pretty curious as to what kind of expression they would make if they knew I lived in a castle.

"My parents are doing well, right…?"

When my thoughts turned to my parents, I automatically looked into the sky. Painted above me in the sky was a splash of galaxies, unobscured by light pollution. The Big Dipper that could be seen from any location in South Korea wasn't there, but it felt like the solar system might be somewhere beyond those stars.

"I'm sure Master is taking good care of them."

I did my best to reassure myself that Master wouldn't ill-treat my parents after dimensionally teleporting me without warning to the Kallian Continent. Though, to be honest, my parents weren't ones to be shaken one iota even if I disappeared for several years. When I was a kid, a friend of my grandpa read my fortune and physiognomy and said that I would live a long, long life and was country-governing-president material. My parents resolutely believed in those words. They probably didn't even know that this son of theirs was in such a faraway place. I could guess that my wily master had employed a smokescreen operation, saying something or another about special education.

"I have to get to the 8th Circle to be able to approach magic related to dimensional teleportation… I wonder when I'll get there."

With a little exaggeration, the difference between a 7th and 8th Circle mage was like heaven and earth. I heard that back when Master was rampaging on the Kallian Continent, there were quite a few 7th Circle mages around. Despite that, no empire or magic tower was able to defy Master. And now, the task of reaching the 8th Circle was on my shoulders. It felt like the matters of a remote and far land.

"Hm?"

While I was looking at the stars in the distance, I spotted a bird flying over to my castle under the shine of the moon and stars. The wyverns patrolling the skies approached before quickly turning away and returning to their original positions.

"Narmias!"

To my surprise, a harpy, the king eagle exclusive to the elves, was flying to my terrace. She must have found out that I had returned. My brief melancholy disappeared without a trace.

Kioooooo.

I heard the characteristic cry of a harpy as Narmias reached my terrace in no time at all. Then, in response to Narmias suddenly leaping down from 5 meters in the air out of some sense of urgency, I uttered a cry of surprise.

"Woah!"

"Kyre-nim!"

Narmias called out my name as she buried herself in my arms.

'S-She's crying? Did something happen?'

Thanks to the Nerman construction work, the elves were mingling with humans, but it was an ironclad rule of theirs to return to the Elven Village at sunset. So it was highly unusual for Narmias to come looking for me in the dark evening, and with a face full of worry, at that.

"Did something happen? Why are you crying?" I asked in a hurry, surprised.

"I am so glad you're okay. In the few days you were away, I was plagued by nightmares. Huge black clouds that covered Nerman were… sob sob."

The elves considered mental self-restraint for anything but the most severe occurrences a virtue. Narmias might be bold when it came to love, but she didn't show her emotions so readily. She was asking about my wellbeing in tears. How terrible had those nightmares been to make her come here at night in defiance of the elven taboo?

"It's alright. I'm perfectly fine, see?"

I consoled Narmias, giving her a tight hug.

'Just what in the world is happening right now?' Before leaving Nerman, Aramis also told me about the oracle she received. 'Black clouds… black clouds.'

Narmias definitely had a more pure soul than any human. I didn't know exactly what she dreamed of, but I could certainly tell that it was something ominous.

'Come… No matter who you are, I'll crush you.'

But I wasn't scared. No matter what came to block my way, I would destroy them all and advance forward. In order to protect everything I held dear, I would never back down. Even if my opponent was death itself…

* * *

"The Emperor of the Bajran Empire committed suicide? And all of the surrounding kingdoms that invaded the Empire retreated in defeat?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. And all of it is said to have been caused by one person."

"You said that person was the Lord of Nerman, Kyre, correct? The person that boy is serving as his lord."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

In the Imperial City of the Opern Empire, the ruler of the southern region of the Kallian Continent, the generous-faced Emperor Rubert von Opern III was looking over the incoming reports of the continent's affairs as he chatted with Yarvaison, his friend and the most important noble of the Empire. The matters described in the papers had happened in the northern region of the Continent, but it wasn't as if they had no impact on the southern region.

With the collapse of the Bajran Empire as the trigger, the northern kingdoms would begin to wage territorial wars, and in time, the chaos would spread to the surrounding kingdoms. Then, the entire continent would be swept by the bloody winds of war—that was what the Continent's history foretold.

But the coming storm was stopped in its tracks by one person.

"I'd like to meet him once."

"Nerman is not yet stable, so I think it will be difficult to meet him for the time being."

"I imagine so. But still, I want to meet him. This feeling of wanting to leave the palace for the first time in a while, don't you feel it too?"

"Y-Your Majesty…"

Yarvaison felt cold sweat drip down his back at the Emperor's dangerous remark. Those words shouldn't be said. Several years had passed since the Crown Prince took on his father's ridiculous bet and left to see the world. Even though he knew where the Crown Prince was living, Yarvaison had been sitting on pins and needles for ages, fretful that something might happen to him. So it was no laughing matter for the Emperor to express a desire to run away from home(?) this time, wanting to meet the Lord of Nerman.

"If you truly feel that way, then please have a good trip."

"Oh! Do you mean it?!"

Yarvaison was a vassal in rank, but his affection towards the Imperial Family was so great that even the Emperor heeded him.

"Only, you must first receive permission from Her Majesty the Empress."

"Cough…"

The Emperor let out a cough at the mention of the Empress, the liveliness in his face just now fizzling out into nothingness. He might be an emperor in command of the Empire, but he was helpless before the Empress, who had made his insides twist and churn when they were younger. Just a few moments ago, he was subjected to a long session of nagging to bring back the Crown Prince.

"If it troubles you, should I relay the message? The message that Your Majesty wants to go out into the world and light one final wick of romance."

Having experienced the Emperor's young days in detail, or rather, very painfully, Yarvaison extended a generous offer.

"F-Forget it."

"Do you truly have no unresolved feelings?"

"I said forget it. Ahem ahem, how could I possibly abandon the wellbeing of the Empire and go sightseeing. That aside, I think the time has come to bring the Crown Prince, that rascal, back home. He's reached the age where he should meet his match and leave behind heirs. The Empress must also want to see the brat; she's been deeply steeped in anxiety lately."

"Understood. I will have His Highness the Crown Prince contacted."

"Yes, do that. Perhaps I have also grown old, because I also wish to see my grandchildren toddling about, like you."

"Your Majesty…"

Time had flown, and the Emperor had passed his 40s and was approaching his mid-50s. He could still be said to be young, but most commoners at that age were grandparents.

The Emperor of the Opern Empire also wanted to try experiencing the joys of the common people. The wish was strong enough that he even wanted to see the Crown Prince, who had left home in a fit of rebelliousness.

* * *

"The middling merchant groups have come to the territory?"

"Yes, my liege. Among the merchants who have been unable to cross into our borders due to suppression by the Laviter Empire's threats, the middling merchants have begun to cross over first and conduct trade. I believe the newly crowned Emperor of the Bajran Empire proclaiming that Nerman would be an eternal ally at his coronation had a very large impact."

'Of course.'

Thinking about the kiddo made me feel a flush of satisfaction. Over a month had already passed since returning to Nerman. The seasons were preparing to transition from spring to summer, and young Razcion safely dealt with the Empire's trash and ascended to the throne. During his coronation, he proclaimed to all the neighboring kingdoms and the important personages of the Continent that Nerman was an eternal ally tightly linked to Bajran's fate. On top of that, the Inquisition hearing called on me was cleanly cancelled. Excluding the major merchant companies that conducted trade with the Laviter Empire, the middling merchant groups that had much profit to earn in Nerman were moving quickly.

"Release it."

"Pardon?"

"The storehouse is full of salt, yes?"

"Of course, sir. The temporary shed we built is also full, so we are currently building large storehouses in the vicinity."

I thought of the clean white salt that could only be produced in Nerman. Thanks to the unpolluted sea, the salt had almost zero impurities. There was no way rock salt or thermal salt could compare.

'Huhuhu. I might not have a monopoly, but a lot of people will be scared shitless now.'

Salt was an essential substance for survival. Up until now, the major merchant groups held a monopoly over it through trades with empires or kingdoms. If the middling merchants moved, the big fish would definitely show up. Anyone with half a wit would already know about Nerman's salt production capacity, which was like a goose laying golden eggs.

"Sell it 20% cheaper than the price we offered the black merchant group."

"U-Understood," responded Derval, stunned by my exceptional offer.

'We can't be too greedy.'

Salt production was nearly cost-free, requiring only labor costs. We had already secured enough provisions and salt to feed the Nerman populace for several years. There was no need to keep an excess locked up in our warehouses.

"Also, sell off the weapons at a cheap price to any who want them. Clearing them out by making a deal with the Mercenary Guild would also be a good method."

I drove a hard deal with the black merchants, but I didn't mind selling cheaply to mercenaries. They were basically ordinary folk, and even if we kept the weapons around, they would only gather rust.

"The border fortress has nearly entered the final stage of completion, yes?"

"It is around 90% complete. If the defensive magic array and the anti-air defensive weapons were to be installed, it could begin operation today."

We were maintaining perfect ally relationships with Bajran, the Temir on the other side of the Litore Mountains, Kesmire, and the Havis Kingdom. But the Laviter Empire was still like a thorn in the side, but way more annoying. According to the intel I checked on a daily basis, they had dispatched at least twice the auxiliary forces to the corps at the Havis Kingdom borders and the Kovilan Mountains bordering Nerman. If they put their mind to it, we could come face to face with the enemy's infantry within a month.

'From now on, I will never allow the enemies to come into Nerman's interior.'

In the past, we drew the enemies all the way to Denfors and waged decisive battles there because our strength was lacking, but there was no need for that anymore. Our national defense and the movement of goods were unfolding swiftly due to the defensive fort, walls, and roads quickly approaching completion. The fort at the border that rivaled Denfors Castle would become the face of Nerman's growing national power.

"If need be, you may also trade the surplus goods produced by the dwarves. Also, don't forget to ensure that the merchants can never travel anywhere but Denfors."

"I have never forgotten your commands, my liege."

I couldn't give foreigners the freedom of movement through my territory like in the 21st century. We were supplying the necessary key goods as needed by mobilizing our steadily growing administrative force, and merchants were being nurtured from within Nerman itself. Merchants coming in from other nations were restricted to trading only with Denfors merchants who received permission from Nerman authorities. Nerman was not just the home of me and other humans. It was possible for people with malicious intent to pull wicked acts on the dwarves or elves, so I paid special care.

"Is the reassignment of the troops going well?"

"Just as you commanded, besides the required personnel from the soldiers stationed in Orakk Castle, the rest are being reassigned to the border fort. Other than a few problematic people among the soldiers that surrendered from the Laviter Empire, they are being reassigned along with the Nerman soldiers."

It wasn't that I couldn't trust people who surrendered, but that I was worried that the Laviter Empire might have threatened them. Because there was a possibility that they might open the castle gate or destroy an important facility in the middle of a battle in order to ensure the safety of their families, there had been a short probation period for them. Excluding the suspicious people, I commanded my people to accept the rest as Nerman soldiers.

"The reassignment of the Skyknights is also complete, I assume?"

"Yes, sir. The 2nd Flight stationed in Orakk Castle has been transferred to the new covert of the border fort, and a number of the Skyknights from Fort Ciaris' 3rd Flight and Denfors' 1st Flight, plus newly trained and appointed Skyknights, have been turned into a 4th Flight and assigned to Fort Dalphoia, the key stronghold situated in the Lovent Administrative Division."

The knights and I had put our heads together to establish the 4th Flight. When our wyvern numbers exceeded 400, we split the three existing flights to create a new one. The territory wasn't all that large, but it also couldn't be called small. We created several secret guard posts near the Kovilan Mountains and also arranged a new covert there in preparation for an attack by the Laviter Empire. We had just enough wyverns in each flight to maintain uninterrupted patrol coverage at all times.

"Any other new important information?"

"Not yet, sir."

'It's weird because it's too quiet.'

My days had been so hectic that the peace felt strange. Laviter had always been low-key, but the rest of the Continent was just as incredibly quiet. The Tove Kingdom that invaded the Onsk Kingdom also turned their forces around and returned to the kingdom as soon as they heard word of the Kerpe Kingdom's defeat.

'That Altakas guy keeps worrying me.'

I didn't hear more from Aramis after she received the oracle, though that was in part due to how busy she was because of the priest cadets that came from all over Kallian to see the extraordinarily gifted Saintess.

'It won't be that all the major temples will be built on this small territory at this rate, right?'

I firmly stated that donations, an important source of income for the temples, would be fundamentally prohibited, but that didn't stop all of the temples from rushing over to express their desire to build a temple in Nerman. They all asked me to build a temple like the Temple of Nerman, saying they would agree to my conditions.

It was a real pain to deal with. The people of Nerman were already satisfied with Aramis, the paladins serving her, and the new priests devoted to other gods. We couldn't furnish each household with holy water, but we could afford to supply each village with ten bottles of the highest quality holy water for emergency use. Also, unless they were elderly people on the verge of returning to God's embrace, Aramis treated all of the sick for free in the temple. But the temples wanted to offer their services free of charge, and because they were approaching me with their heads bowed, I couldn't treat them harshly.

"If you have nothing else to report, then you can go tend to other matters."

The mistress of Nerman, Derval, had labored so hard that his face looked five years older than his actual age.

"My liege…"

"What is it, Derval?"

Whenever he had something important to ask, Derval hemmed and hawed. He was biting his lips a little as he looked at me.

"This is presumptuous of me to say, but…" he trailed off, as if he was going to say something difficult.

I quietly waited for his next words. For the sake of the territory and me, Derval never withheld his honest advice. I was sure he had something important to say.

"Now that the territory is becoming stable… and the Laviter Empire won't be able to carelessly provoke Nerman because of the Bajran Emperor's proclamation, is it not the right time to proceed with that matter?"

'That matter? What matter?'

Derval vaguely brought up "that matter."

"If you're talking about the establishment of Nerman as a kingdom, then I told you before, did I not?" I said, guessing what he meant.

"No, sir. It's not about the kingdom establishment. It's possible it is an even more important matter than that."

'Dude, are we playing the 21 Questions Game? What in the world is it?'

I didn't want to show my impatient side to Derval, who regarded me as the coolest person in the world, so I kept a broad smile on my face. "What matter are you talking about? If it's a request from you, I'm prepared to do my best to fulfill it."

"My liege, I think that the time has come for the true mistress of the territory to take her place."

"Th-The true mistress of the territory?"

"Yes. That is the wish of us knights and all of Nerman's people. My liege, the time has come to wed and bear an heir who will continue the Nerman lineage. With your age, it isn't any faster than other noble households. Rather, in light of the situation the territory is in, it almost feels a little tardy."

"…..!!!"

At the word 'wed,' my mouth dropped open and stayed open.

'I'm gonna go nuts. Why are you pushing a young man not even twenty into marriage?!'

I was jealous of Bebeto, who had no time to be lonely every night, but I wasn't mentally prepared yet. I wasn't even twenty years old! It was true that I wanted to live all lovey-dovey with the women I loved, but I couldn't just end the youth that hadn't even had a chance to bloom.

"The rumors are already spreading like wildfire. The elf Narmias, Priestess Aramis… and Princess Igis of Bajran, House Petrin's Lady Hyneth… and more ladies beyond that, in my humble judgement, have given their hearts to you, my liege. If you were to delay marriage in such a situation, then…"

Derval couldn't bring himself to continue. I was sure that he wanted to say that I would be labeled the biggest playboy in the world.

'Haah, even though I tried my best to be careful…'

Well, I wasn't one to heed the gazes of my knights or people, but I felt my face grow hot at the string of names coming from Derval's mouth. It wasn't like he gave a comprehensive list, either. There was also the impassive Skyknight Irene, the Great Shaman of the Temir, Lokoroïa, the pitiful princess of the Havis Kingdom, Rosiathe, Chrisia of the pirate heritage, and Tiavel of the Haildrian Empire. If anything went wrong, even ten fingers might not be enough to count them.

"W-We'll discuss that issue later. There are still many things that need to be settled in the territory first, is that not so?"

"Understood. It is a pressing matter that requires attention, so I overstepped my bounds."

"No, if not for you, no one would say something like this to me."

'It's all unfounded fears that I'll be an old bachelor! Everything was going swell, so why'd you have to bring up marriage?!'

Derval was already going past his mid-twenties. When he was listing out the ladies who loved me, I saw his eyes turn cold. Single men liked to curse normies to hell… I couldn't be sure, but it suddenly occurred to me that Derval might also be a fervent supporter of the phrase "Single life is heaven, couple life is hell."

"You should also start thinking about it. If there's any lady you like, I'll give you my full approval."

I couldn't just take this lying down.

"Thank you. If there is any lady you can recommend, this humble one will try his best."

'Holy…'

Derval jumped on my words with gratitude, as if he'd been waiting for me to say them. I suddenly had the impression that I was the one who lost this round.

My closest confidant, Derval… If he wasn't envious of my love affairs, he probably wasn't a man.