21st Century Archmage

Chapter 74: More of a Playboy Than You Look

‘What’s this now?’

My brain stopped for a moment because of Countess Irene, but ‘Emperor’s command’ startled me back to reality.

Why did I have to obey or receive such a thing?

No matter how I thought about it, all the empire had given me were a few meals and a place to sleep after entering knight academy.

You could maybe say they gave me Bebeto, but that was to some extent giving me something expendable that they thought was trash, and I was curious as to why they would give me orders now after very “kindly” flinging me off to Nerman, this bleak and hostile land.

‘Let’s hear what it is first.’

Still, it was an imperial mandate.

I still possessed a Bajran Empire baronet peerage, so I decided to lower my head this time. If it was nonsense, all I had to do was let it come out the other ear, anyway.

“Do you intend to defy the imperial mandate?!”

‘Jesus, this dude is seriously impatient.’

The knight yelled at me after seeing me hesitate for a moment. He was a gangly person with a bad-tempered, gaunt face.

“Kyre, what are you doing? Hurry up and receive the mandate,” said a grinning man standing next to Irene.

‘Baron Rothello.’

It was Rothello, the 185 cm tall Skyknight whose shining blond hair suited his cynical expression. He was sending his characteristic smile my way.

Zing!

‘Wut?’

I decided to kneel and receive the mandate when I suddenly felt a powerful bloodthirst coming from next to me.

‘They’re gonna cause a mess.’

The beastmen were openly showing their bloodthirst towards the knight who yelled at me.

“I, Baronet Kyre de Nerman , await the imperial mandate.”

Going down to my right knee, I lowered my head.

“Loyal knight of the Empire, Baronet Kyre de Nerman, is hereby invited to the banquet celebrating the birthday of His Imperial Majesty.”

“…..?”

‘What, that’s all?’

The nonsensical imperial mandate was only one line? I looked up and stared at the knight reading the mandate.

“What are you doing, not submitting to the imperial mandate at once?!”

‘Jeez, at least you could say I worked hard or something, why bother with these kinds of pleasantries?’

I was busy securing the peace of Nerman with my own precious money, but the emperor’s command was to invite me to his frickin’ birthday party.

“I, Baronet Kyre de Nerman, receive the imperial mandate!”

I put even more force into my voice since it was so cheap and lousy.

‘Shit, you think you’re all that because you’re the emperor, inviting a busy person,’ I thought to myself, scolding the emperor.

“Sir Derval, precious guests have come. Prepare a feast.”

“As you command!”

Rising from the ground, I gave Derval a command.

KUAAAAAA!

“Uwaaaah! A, a wyvern is going crazy!”

Just then, one of the male Gold Wyverns that still had sass in him flapped his wings unhappily with a loud roar.

“Bebeto, step on him!”

My loyal go-getter needed little encouragement.

KUAAA!

Crunch crunch cruuunch.

KWAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Bebeto flew up with powerful strokes of his wings and gave the unruly wyvern a high kick to the face with his sharp claws. The Gold Wyvern shrieked bloody murder, red blood flying from its nose.

Flop.

Its patchy body pressed into the ground by Bebeto’s massive foot, the wyvern flopped groggily.

GUOOOOOOOOOO!

Bebeto roared his victory into the sky as if he were a wolf. In my eyes, he was no different from a neighborhood bully bringing “peace” to the village.

“There are always some folks who fool around without knowing their place. Seriously, you can’t know if it’s shit or soup without taking a sip. Tsk tsk.”

Clicking my tongue, I stared at the knight who had angrily berated me in the name of the imperial mandate.

The skinny knight flinched under my gaze.

Even the Black Wyverns lowered their heads at Bebeto’s madness.

The knight also looked away, finally coming to his senses. Nerman knights were surrounding him, and he must have perceived the threat to his life from the unusual-looking beastmen who continued to direct bloodthirst at him.

‘They only ever listen after a beating.’

This knight dared to act impertinent in front of the master of great Nerman, me. It was only after witnessing Bebeto’s violence that he retracted his claws and took a meek appearance.

“Haha, my place is humble, but please, let us go inside.”

Laughing heartily, I strode into the office.

Even a dog held his head high in his own home. But I was the master of Nerman, and this land was 100% mine.

* * *

Sluuuuurp sluuurp.

‘My god…’

Somehow, the situation had become complicated.

Refusing to be separated from me, the beastmen took the spots next to me at the table, along with Aramis, and Countess Irene, Rothello, and the Imperial Skyknight (whose name was Betress) were sitting in front of me.

However, there was a problem.

‘Are they dogs or something….? They sure are eating well.’

They must have lived too long away from society, because as soon as the soup came in, the beastmen gulped it down in a single go. The dishes that continued to come in were eaten without forks or knives, just their two hands.

I was dumbfounded.

It was a little lacking, but this was still a feast of nobles in name. Everyone was blankly staring at the beastmen scarfing down dish after dish while wearing a mage robe like a skinny tee and valuable airplates.

“Please eat slowly, you’ll get indigestion,” said the angel Aramis with a kind smile as she gave the beastmen her share of bread and meat.

“Thanks.”

They were really tactless. Hasifor didn’t even say “thank you,” but a blunt “thanks.”

“Please tell me if you would like more.”

They were currently taking human form, but perhaps as a characteristic of beastmen, they kinda looked like buff cats. Aramis wasn’t frightened at all by the sight and treated them with sincerity. She truly was always a woman with a beautiful heart.

“Sir Kyre, where did you get the Gold Wyverns outside?”

It was right around dinner time, so food had already been prepared. Even if you called it a feast, it was just bread and soup, smoked pork, honey and a few biscuits—simple fare.

After finishing her meal with a single piece of bread, Countess Irene stroked her silver hair with one hand as she looked at me with shining eyes. As expected of a Skyknight, she was interested in the Gold Wyverns of the Laviter Empire, the #1 enemy of the Bajran Empire.

“I borrowed them.”

“Borrowed? Gold Wyverns that symbolize the Laviter Empire Imperial Family? And not just one or two, but over ten of them?” Rothello questioned my words with a dumbfounded expression.

“I told them about the difficult circumstances of the Nerman Plains and they let me borrow them. Much friendlier than a certain place that didn’t send us a single scrap of support.”

I lied through my teeth without a hitch. In any case, if I told the truth, things would get even messier. That would also require me to reveal the existence of the beastmen, so I decided to go all out on the lies while I was at it.

“Those words just now, do you intend to pass over Nerman, a territory of the Bajran Empire and His Imperial Majesty, to the Laviter Empire?!”

Viscount Betress, who was apparently so displeased that he sat there with a frown and didn’t touch the food, yelled outright.

‘What? Territory of Bajran and His Imperial Majesty?’

Betress spoke exactly as if someone else saved a dog kicked out onto the streets because it got sick, but he still claimed the dog as his. It was really irritating to the ears.

“I said I borrowed them, you have really poor comprehension.”

I roughly tore a bite out of the bread in my hand.

“Y-Youuuu!!!!”

Betress, someone with a viscount title, turned bright red at the rudeness of me, a baronet.

“And since when did the empire have so much interest in Nerman? It would be best for our mental health if we just minded our own business, don’t you think, Sir Betress?”

Since I decided to engage in verbal sparring anyway, I added oil to the flames with a slight smirk.

“C-Can you deny that the words you are saying are treasonous?! How can a knight of the empire, who lives thanks to the grace of His Imperial Majesty, say such treasonous things?! Countess Irene, I believe we cannot let Baronet Kyre pass like this. Please take action at once.”

Betress convicted me as a traitor, saying this and that about the empire, the empire, and being a fuckin’ knight. He even cunningly dragged Irene, who wasn’t saying anything, into it.

“He said he borrowed them, did he not.”

“Huh? D-Do you truly believe that ridiculous lie?”

Stunned by Irene’s unexpected words, the stupid viscount stared at Irene.

“Then why don’t you personally find out how those Gold Wyverns came here, Sir Betress? Find evidence that Sir Kyre did not borrow them, but is planning to commit treason with the support of the Laviter Empire.”

Irene’s pleasant voice rang throughout the dining hall.

“…..”

“Also, we are currently here as messengers to relay Sir Kyre the command of His Imperial Majesty, not as inspectors here to interfere or investigate matters of the territory or treason. As you know, Sir Betress, Nerman has been half-discarded by the empire, and we should be thankful that Sir Kyre is taking care of it in the empire’s name. If you have complaints, then I would recommend you to come support this place personally.”

In the time I hadn’t seen her, Countess Irene’s womanly aura had become even more pronounced. She must have resolved herself, because she made Viscount Betress’ pie hole shut right up.

“Oh! What a great idea, Countess Irene. It just so happens that the Temir are coming south with dozens of wyverns these days and the pirates are also invading en masse. If Sir Betress were to join us, I would send him straight to the front lines and give him an opportunity to show his loyalty towards the Bajran Empire and His Imperial Majesty.”

‘Stupid fool. Huhuhu.’

I didn’t expect that Irene would help me so actively. Therefore, it was important to take advantage of the moment and come in with a pincer attack.

“T-That is…”

Betress’ face blanched and he stuttered into silence.

He must also know. That Count Yaix had lost his wyvern and most of his wealth after getting sent to Nerman.

“Huhu. As expected of Sir Kyre. You were assigned a wyvern as a cadet and became a Skyknight, and now you’ve even managed to borrow and use Gold Wyverns as the provisional lord! You have my admiration, Sir Kyre!”

“Haha, this much is nothing.”

Unlike Betress, who had turned into a stone statue, Rothello didn’t hesitate to add a good word for me. He sent a wink my way.

“Since such valuable guests have come today, let us be done with the meal and do some real catching up. I was regretfully unable to provide a proper feast due to the unstable state of the territory, but all of your unhappy thoughts will be washed away by the taste of the beer I recommend.”

“Beer! It just so happens that I was thinking about beer because it was so muggy today.”

“What do you think, Countess Irene?”

Along with Sir Rothello’s exuberance, Countess Irene grinned at my query.

‘Oh man…’

I suddenly remembered a certain occurrence.

That time when I accidentally grabbed that one part of Irene during the flight training on Irene’s wyvern…

My face slowly reddened as I looked at her inscrutable smile.

* * *

“Kyaa, this is killer! This kind of taste is hard to come by even in the empire!”

Drinking parties were ensuing all over the place with my “festival” command.

Viscount Betress helplessly left the dining hall and went into the appointed lodgings with a scowl.

As for me, Irene, Aramis, Derval, and Rothello, we threw a party in one of the watchtowers, enjoying the wide-open view of Denfors while drinking beer chilled by magic.

‘In this world too, money is might.’

We were using a magic storage device that was difficult for regular people to buy even after saving their whole lives. Modern-day refrigerators and other incredible products were used for the convenience of nobles. Back when I caught tuna for the Rubis Merchants, they had used a magic refrigerator device to keep it fresh. Beer was also stored in such a device to maintain its freshness.

To be more precise, it was the beer made through Master’s secret method. Made with a mixture of honey and various spices, the beer was so delicious that it could even make those beer-crazy dwarves cry. Also, we had jerky made with beef and other kinds of meats (a close second to shrimp crackers), the best beer snacks one could ask for in this world.

“Aramis-nim, may I ask which God you serve?”

Countess Irene, who hadn’t said much up until now, showed an interest in Aramis, who was sipping a glass of beer.

“I am in the service of the Goddess of Mercy, Neran-nim,” replied Aramis, her face reddened after just a few sips of beer. My heart warmed at that cute sight, which was different from usual.

GLUG GLUG.

‘They’re driving me nuts.’

The watchtower was small, so the beastmen had settled on the stairs. All of them were clutching small beer containers and gulping down the contents.

‘It’ll cost quite a lot to feed them.’

I didn’t know the legendary beastmen were this kind of race. It was true that they had lived apart from the human world, but this was still too much. They called me master, but followed me around as if I was their mother duck.

In particular, the female beastmen resembling lady cats with their 10/10 figures made me even more embarrassed. I was with Irene and Aramis, but they would rub their bodies onto me without reserve whenever there was a chance, like servants seeking their master’s passionate(?) affection.

“So you were a beautiful priestess of Neran-nim…”

This was something I always thought, but Countess Irene’s eyes were really difficult to read. Her blue eyes were quiet and calm. Like a huge lake that could not be shaken by small winds, their depths were indecipherable.

“What beautiful… I am merely a lacking servant. If not for Kyre-nim, I would have lived eternally as a foolish criminal without knowing God’s intent even while in their service.”

As she spoke, Aramis gazed at me with warm eyes.

“…..”

The beer was also at fault, but her gaze made me redden.

“Sir Kyre is… a good person.”

‘Ara? What’s wrong with Irene?’

Like Aramis, Irene looked at me with a hot gaze.

I suddenly felt super thirsty for beer. I was the embodiment of guts, but the gentle gazes of the women made my heart turn mushy. Moreover, the beauty of these two angel-level women was more than enough to light a bonfire in the heart of a greenling in the prime of his youth.

“Kyre, Nerman was cooler than I expected. The vast plains that cannot be seen in the empire, as well as that endless blue sea… If I could, I would even want to live here,” said Rothello with excitement, rising from his seat holding a beer glass made of crystal.

“You are welcome anytime. We will grant special treatment to a talent like you, Sir Rothello.”

“Hahaha. That’s right. It’s not easy to meet a talent like me. Right, Countess?”

“Sir Kyre, you sadden me.”

“…..?”

I cocked my head at Irene’s sudden words.

“If you give special treatment to a half-baked Skyknight like Rothello, how will you treat me? Is the relationship between us only of this level? Have you already forgotten the passionate relationship between us from the past?”

“Excuse me?”

To my utter confusion, Countess Irene earnestly brought up a ‘passionate’ past.

“Hohoho. So there are times when Kyre-nim is flustered, too.”

Aramis burst out in laughter at my shocked expression.

‘W-When were things hot between us??’

Irene was looking straight into my eyes without a shred of embarrassment. My face burned.

“Ohhh! Don’t tell me the goddess of all Skyknights has an interest in the rookie Sir Kyre?? My goodness! My goodness!!”

Rothello made a fuss, emphasizing “rookie.”

But Irene did not contradict his words.

‘I-It wasn’t a joke?’

“You’re killing me” was the perfect phrase for a moment like this. I thought it was definitely a joke, but instead of contradicting Rothello, Irene continued to stare at me with a strange smile.

Glug glug.

In a time like this, the beer glass was there to hide one’s confusion. I chugged down the beer to cool my burning chest in a single go.

“But Kyre, did you prepare a birthday present for His Imperial Majesty the Emperor? It is noble custom that nobles invited by imperial mandate must give the most valuable thing in their possession as a present.”

“A present?”

“Oh no, you didn’t know. Don’t worry too much. Everyone knows about Nerman’s circumstances, so you don’t have to take it too seriously.”

‘Have you ever seen a person this fuckin’ greedy?’

I wouldn’t be happy with this situation even if they paid me, but now I even had to give a gift. Curses spewed in my heart. How heartless did you have to be to aim for my things when I was so poor and had nothing to rip-off?

‘But I’m telling you, something feels off. Why is he calling me?’

No matter how hard I racked my brains, there was no reason for the emperor to invite me to his birthday party with an imperial mandate. I wasn’t even a formal noble, but a person with a shoddy baronet peerage. Additionally, I was the poor sop taking the provisional lordship of Nerman, a place that would only yield dirt when shaken upside down.

But the emperor still called me. Why?

“Aramis-nim, I have something private to tell Sir Kyre, so could you leave for a moment?”

“Please do so. I was tired anyway and thought maybe I should go rest now.”

“Thank you.”

‘Hm? Something to tell me?’

Countess Irene showed up like a phantom and surprised me a few times today. She confidently suggested that everyone leave.

“Since I’ve had my beer, I’ll go for a night flight over the sea.”

After draining his glass, Rothello left while muttering about a night flight.

“My liege, I also have something to do now so…”

Derval, who had been listening in silence, bowed and also left.

“…..”

And in mere moments, people left one after the other.

Only the tactless beastmen were hugging their beer containers while sleeping on the stairs. They were probably drunk after drinking beer for the first time in their lives.

“I worried a lot, but now I can rest easy.”

The land was bright under the blessing of the moon and stars. The wooden fires burning on Denfors’ castle walls flickered like candlelights.

‘Irene….’

After a moment of silence as she looked around into the distance, Irene finally said she could rest easy now.

Her voice had changed, turning into a gentle wind pleasant to the ear.

“Kyre…”

Her silver hair fluttered as she turned towards me.

“Yes…”

I quietly answered. Somehow the mood called for it.

I was curious as to why she chased away the others.

“You are more of a playboy than you look.”

“…..?”

Irene could be called a genius in making fools of people.

She grinned at me as she called me a playboy, of all things.

‘This is ridiculous! I don’t even have a girlfriend, so how can I be a playboy?!’

It was so unfair.

The spot next to me was formally empty, but I was accused of being a Casanova.

“Take this.”

“…..?”

Her usual inscrutable smile on lips, Irene held out something that looked like a letter.

“It is the letter of a lady who dearly yearns for a certain Kyre.”

‘Dearly yearns?’

I was puzzled, but I took the letter.

“It seems you’ve been busy here. After offending the Crown Prince, you kidnapped wyverns of nobles and even brewed resentment that cannot be reversed with the magic towers and a major merchant group… I struggled for a long time to determine whether your actions are brave or stupid. But the moment I saw the Gold Wyverns today, I gave up on my thoughts of giving you advice. I knew there was no need for something like my advice when you said you claimed you had borrowed the Gold Wyverns of the Laviter Empire, the nation that can be said to have the strongest force on the continent. You didn’t hesitate to invite me, a countess of the empire, to a commoner meal or do such a nonsensical thing like choosing me as your flight instructor, and now I know those actions were neither bravery nor courageousness.”

Irene spilled out her thoughts as if she had thought long and hard about what she wanted to say.

She looked happy.

Her tidy teeth shined at me in a smile as she looked at me as if admiring a fascinating thing that suddenly appeared in her boring life. Moonlight glistened on her silver hair, making her look like a playful fairy.

“The reckless actions of someone who doesn’t worry about tomorrow… Rather than worrying about the future that is to come, you are someone who doggedly does their very best to take care of the matters of today. That is the judgement I made after much thought. How is it, I’m correct, right?”

She wasn’t wrong. Anxious people would worry that the earth would end the next day or that the sky would crumble and fall on them.

However, I was different.

If I was hungry, I would eat, and if I wanted to play, I would play to my heart’s content; I was a person who loved the present.

That’s how I wanted to live, and that’s how I was living now.

Something like “tomorrow” was merely an impurity of the imagination, more futile and worthless than my dreams at night.

“We will leave at the break of dawn tomorrow. Think long and hard and make your decision.”

A wise person needs but a few words to make a point.

Irene told me to make a decision before tomorrow morning, implying that I should follow her if I needed the power of the Bajran Empire’s name.

“I understand.”

I gave her a slight nod, gratefully accepting the goodwill Irene was showing me.

“I think this place will become a truly lovely place to live. With a lord like you, Kyre, you will make a territory that cannot be found anywhere else on the continent. A place where the free winds can rest for a moment before going on their way…”

The sky and the winds that true Skyknights loved…

Irene spoke like a prophet.

A place that could infatuate the sky’s winds, something more fleeting and fickle than the hearts of people, if only briefly… It seemed Irene could feel the dream that I yearned for as well.

Shaaaaaa.

The cool evening wind blew into the watchtower from the sea, kicking up Irene’s silver hair in a silent dance.

And along with the wind came her unique fragrance.

I filled my lungs with it and closed my eyes.

Right now, right here, I was simply happy.

[TN: Adaron was a courtesy last name granted to Kyre because he didn’t have a last name. Now that he is the provisional Lord of Nerman, his last name is Nerman.]