21st Century Archmage

Chapter 75: Leaving Home

After returning to the office, I took out the letter under the flickering, silent light of the magic lamp. As soon as I opened the gilded envelope, I was met by a certain name.

“I-Igis….”

The letter, which started with “Dear Sir Kyre,” was clearly signed at the very end with “Igis von Bajran.”

I hurriedly read the letter.

“Dear Sir Kyre, I quickly wrote a few lines after hearing that you’d be coming to the celebration party for my esteemed father…”

And thus began a completely unexpected letter from Princess Igis.

She wrote that every time she thought about the day she flew with me on Bebeto, she would yearn for it and be unable to fall asleep. The letter was suffused with the dear wish of a girl waiting, with her fingers crossed, for such a day to come again one day.

“…I will be waiting. For the day we can meet again…”

The brief letter ended with “Igis von Bajran.”

“Haah…”

This was a bit of a headache.

I still hadn’t decided whether to attend the emperor’s birthday banquet or not. The Crown Prince and other jerkwad nobles would definitely be waiting for me to fall into their trap.

“What a pain.”

However, at the same time, I needed to see the emperor at least once. Nerman still needed the weight behind the name of Bajran. I was a felon who impulsively pocketed the Laviter Empire’s Gold Wyverns and locked their Imperial Prince into a cave. When those crimes are discovered, the Laviter bastards would no doubt come attacking in full force.

As such, I needed time. A short, painful period where Laviter would pause for a moment because of Bajran, even after finding out.

“Even if they don’t find the Imperial Prince, if they find out that there are Gold Wyverns here, they will suspect me.”

I entrusted the life or death of Prince Alskane, the kind fellow who gave me the wyverns, to the heavens. I could have just dug a pit and buried them all alive, but my heart wasn’t black enough to kill the Laviter prince and Imperial Knights who hadn’t done anything personal to me… yet.

Of course, I had already committed murder. But that was mostly just when I needed to protect my precious Nerman soldiers and residents.

“We should have at least fifteen days. The key is how fast they discover the Prince, and they’ll also need some time to figure out why there are Gold Wyverns in Nerman.”

I had been wearing my helmet, so they shouldn’t have been able to see my black hair. However, they would definitely not be mystified for long. Countless people had already noticed the Gold Wyverns. There was no way the empire wouldn’t find out.

“The emperor’s birthday party, huh… Maybe I should just take the chance to pay my respects properly for once.”

I thought about the courtesy towards the emperor that Rothello had mentioned. The few people in the large Bajran Empire who received the personal invitation of the emperor were required to bring something valuable as a present.

“No sleep tonight either, I guess.”

I took my helmet and went outside.

The most valuable things in my possession right now were goods from the dwarves and elves. Between those two, I picked the elves.

‘Narmias….’

As soon as I thought of the Elven Village, a certain elven woman naturally appeared in my thoughts, along with the sad gaze she had sent my way.

“Sigh….”

I let out a long sigh.

A long sigh with a meaning even I could not understand….

* * *

‘To think that grimoires would be the key to make those leeches fall off… What a relief.’

The moment I tried to leave the office, the beastmen who had woken up at some point were lying in wait outside. I wasn’t even their mom, but the beastmen seemed to think that they would die if they parted from me.

So what did I do? I gave the beastmen a few 5th Circle magic formulas, specifically Master Bumdalf’s formulas. They wouldn’t be able to comprehend it if they weren’t Master’s disciples.

After receiving that, the beastmen tossed me to the side. Well, to be more precise, they just forgot about me in their hurry to understand the magic formulas.

‘As expected, night flights are the best.’

Swoooooooooosh.

Sweltering heat had followed the short rainy season. You couldn’t quite call it a heat wave, but the salty wind from the sea mixed with the heat of the sun and harassed Nerman.

However, the heat couldn’t touch one place, the sky. Wind currents swept past Bebeto’s wings. I couldn’t feel the temperature thanks to my airplate, but just looking made me feel plenty refreshed.

‘I need the help of the elves.’

Because Aramis was able to treat the disease of the elves, my intimacy level had gone up a ton with them, but achieving overall harmony with the elves was difficult. The elves had lived in seclusion away from humans for over a thousand years. Moreover, these beings who lived for hundreds of years were likely still holding onto their hurt pride from the humiliating race war between their predecessors and the humans.

‘With the summoning ability and magic of the elves, Nerman’s safety can be instantly secured.’

What Nerman needed right now was high-class manpower like summoners and mages. In that regard, no one on the continent fit the job description better than the elves.

Bebeto and I passed through the illusion magic circle arrayed above the skies of the Elven Village with a slight hum.

‘No matter when I see it, it’s fascinating.’

8th Circle magic was still far, far away for me. I was awed anew by the scene of the Elven Village that unfolded before my eyes after going through the illusion magic circle.

‘Is everyone sleeping?’

It was late, and I had come without notice. The Elven Village, which had only ever been visited by Master Bumdalf, myself, and Aramis, was deeply embraced in the tranquility of midnight.

Flap, flap, flap flap flap.

I directed Bebeto to carefully land in the clearing of the Elven Village.

Zing!

At that moment, I perceived a few gazes.

‘So the elven warriors were awake.’

The sharp energy of the elven warriors I’d met before confirmed my identity. However, the sting of their eyes only lasted for a moment; before long, the knifelike energy of the elven warriors disappeared into the night like an illusion.

“Damn.”

Even the elven warriors were ignoring me. All I could do was look around in vain like a third wheel.

‘Hm?’

But after a short while, I spotted someone hastily running over from the direction of the village, an elf heading towards me so quickly she was almost flying.

‘Narmias!’

It was her.

As if she had always been waiting for me, the one and only elf to greet me was Narmias.

“Y-You have come.”

She had run over so fast that she was barefoot, the wooden shoes worn by the elves nowhere to be seen. Smiling happily, she even forgot the customary greeting of the elves in her haste.

“May green serenity be with thee… I hope you were well,” I said.

“Yes… It has been a while.”

During the monster subjugation and the rainy season, I hadn’t visited the Elven Village. Even though that might seem like a long time, for the long-living elves, it might feel like just one or two days in human terms. But Narmias had a joyful expression on her face as she said it had been a while.

‘Hng.’

My chest suddenly felt stuffy. I really couldn’t figure out why this elf would make this kind of expression towards me. I wasn’t a fool, and the elves were honest folk who could not lie.

‘Does she like me?’

If a legendary elf really liked me, I would welcome that with open arms, but Countess Irene’s words were lodged firmly in my head.

“You’re more of a playboy than you look,” is what she had said…

It didn’t make me happy to acknowledge it, but it seemed I had somehow become a playboy…

“Are you hurt? You look tired, shall I cast Heal magic at least? Have you eaten?”

“…..”

Narmias peppered me with questions in the wake of my silence.

It was so confusing. In all the Kallian common knowledge I’d acquired, I had never read or heard of elves showing this much interest in a human.

“I-I am okay.”

“I see…”

At my stuttering reassurance, she beamed in relief. Her hair was silver, like Irene’s, but Narmias’ hair was half-mixed with blue which gave her a mystical aura under the moonlight.

“But for what reason did you come this late at night…?”

“Haha, I came because I suddenly wished to see you, Narmias-nim.”

“I-Is that really true?!!”

‘Oh my god, wtf am I saying?!!”

Somehow, a pick-up line popped out of my mouth.

‘Am I really a Casanova?? Really?’

I met Narmias’ overly happy face with a feeble smile.

“It seems you have become even more beautiful in the few days we have not seen each other. Your skin seems to have become finer…”

‘Eurgh! Wrong, wrong, wrong!’

My mouth continued to spew pick-up lines.

I was unable to snap out of it. There was definitely someone else lurking inside me. Otherwise, how else could these cheesy lines come right out of me like a string of sausages?

“K-Kyre-nim has also become more handsome. More than anyone else in the world…”

Narmias gazed at me with hazy eyes.

“…..”

The mood had suddenly turned strange.

It felt like this elven lady would jump right into my embrace with an affectionate cry if I just reached out. It was a moment of temptation difficult to resist for a young lad in the prime of his stormy youth.

“What’s going on this late at night?”

‘Elder Parciano.’

The 8th Circle mage Parciano appeared without a sound. Just like how people said there was no sleep for old men, he showed up in front of me. I felt a bit more vexation than happiness to see him.

“I hope you have been well these last few days,” I said, greeting the elder with a bow of my head.

“I have been fine. Though it was problematic that the monsters outside kept on yapping for a while.”

Because of the monster subjugation, a large number of monsters had fled into the mountains. That’s why it must have been noisy in the mountains for a time.

“I apologize if it caused a disturbance.”

“It’s fine, there was no damage done to us. That aside, why are you here so late at night?”

Any set of eyes would tell you the elder looked barely 40. However, the elf was a 400-year-old mountain ginseng. Under his characteristic detached gaze, I began to speak.

“Please give me one suit of elven-made mithril armor.”

“Mithril armor?”

“Yes. I must soon go to see the emperor, but I have no adequate present to give, so I came to ask for a favor.”

It might be annoying, but it wasn’t a difficult request. They had a mithril mine next to them, the excellent magic ability, and even a helluva lot of time on their hands.

After thinking for a bit, Elder Parciano responded. “Well, it isn’t difficult, so why not. However, is that the only reason why you came?”

‘What was this dude expecting to hear?’

He spoke quietly while looking at me and Narmias.

“Haha, that can’t possibly be the only reason. I also wanted to see you and Narmias-nim here.”

“You are a skillful liar, I see. That might be true for Narmias, but surely you did not come to see an old bear like me. Even I wouldn’t want that.”

“…..”

It seemed the pure elves realized the ways of the world after their many years of life. Parciano cut down my lie with precision.

“Ha, haha…”

I gave an awkward laugh.

“Narmias.”

“Yes, Elder.”

“Go get a mithril armor to give to Kyre.”

“Understood, sir,” said Narmias, bowing at the elder’s command.

Then, she ran into the village with nimble steps.

“Young man, are you aware of the kind of romance elves experience?”

“Pardon?”

“From the moment elves are born, we adapt to nature and coexist with it all throughout our lives, living under nature’s protection until the day we die. At most, elves live 500 years, and even a short lifespan is still 400 years long.”

Parciano began talking about the elves. SInce it was valuable information unobtainable anywhere else in the world, I craned my ears and paid close attention.

“One might say that elves have less passion compared to humans, but even for us elves, there is such a thing as love. It may not be hot, but we love with intense sincerity, and unlike humans, for whom parting comes quickly, once we choose a partnert, we look only at that person for the rest of our lives—such is the noble and pure love of the elves.”

‘Wow! That’s a picture-perfect good wife and wise mother.’

There were probably people who loved like the elves did on 21st century Earth as well. But most humans hurt and tormented each other too much to sincerely love and treasure someone for their entire lives.

I was still young, so I didn’t know much, but I had grown up seeing and hearing the universal love of modern people through mass media. A world where you cannot live if you don’t love someone, that was the kind of love for 21st century people. Thirsty for love, humans would rather buy an instant drink on the street—fleeting, but instantly gratifying—rather than dig a well for life, falling quickly in love and parting even faster.

Unfortunately, I hadn’t yet met anyone who loved like the elves did. Even my parents, who were rumored to be real lovebirds, waged intense couple fights occasionally, and I had heard quite a lot of hurtful things during those fights.

‘I’m jealous.’

I was simply jealous.

A few of my friends appeared to be “in love” as well. But I absolutely didn’t envy them. Whenever my friends were apart from their girlfriends for just a moment, rather than wanting to see them and thinking of good memories, my friends would be suspicious of their girlfriends, wondering if they were seeing someone else. Looking at them made me understand why there were people who would live by the creed of “solo life is heaven, couple life is hell.”

“Open your heart. Then, you will see.”

Elder Parciano spoke cryptically, like some kind of Buddhist high priest.

A short moment of silence ensued, and then Narmias, who had definitely run there and back, came dashing over with an unflagging smile like an evening primrose. In her hands was a suit of  mithril armor.

Her expression was full of happiness that came from who knows where.

‘Sigh…’

There was no need to open my heart and see or whatever.

For whatever reason, Narmias was showing intense sincerity towards me.

I was extremely worried that I would hurt her pure heart. I was a human driven by passion, but she was an elf who would live their whole lives with only one person in their heart…

* * *

“In my absence, I shall entrust the position of Deputy Lord to you, Derval. I trust you can handle it?”

“My liege, do not worry and have a good trip!”

In the Nerman Plains, the hot days had come in full force. At noon, the wind blowing in from the sea would enhance the sting of the sun’s rays. Fortunately, there wasn’t much humidity, so it didn’t feel muggy, but summer was still summer.

However, thanks to temperature control magic that worked like an air conditioner, the office was pleasantly cool. I was having a quiet meeting with Derval and the others.

“Hasifor.”

“Speak, Master.”

He had definitely stayed up all night after getting the magic formulas, but the boss of the beastmen, Hasifor, didn’t look tired at all.

“If there are any disobedient wyverns, beat them up one inch from death.”

“Got it. Don’t worry about that.”

Hasifor gave me a vigorous nod. He would probably be very useful in the future.

“Derval, pay close attention to protecting Aramis. Be sure to keep a close guard around her at all times with good knights.”

“Understood.”

I might be nagging a bit too much like an old person, but it was true that I was worried. The territory was not perfectly secured, and there were even more enemies now. I couldn’t help but worry about leaving for a moment at a time like this.

‘Nothing will happen, right?’

The emperor’s birthday banquet would take between 15 and 20 days at most. I suppressed my worries and thought about the matters ahead.

“Sir Janice, Sir Ryker, and Sir Cedrian. I leave things to you.”

“Please go without worries, my liege!”

“My lord, how about reconsidering? If something happens in the capital, it would be helpful to have a skilled person like me around. Please take me with you! I will guard you with my life on the line!”

‘You persistent fool!’

All of my important knights had gathered early in the morning. Unlike Janice and Cedrian, who answered with energetic affirmatives, Ryker clung to me while begging for me to take him along.

But his black heart was in clear view. His goal wasn’t to guard me—he was definitely aiming for the many noble ladies he would be able to meet in the capital.

That’s why I absolutely couldn’t take him. With his head full of women and drink, he would bring disgrace to me with a whole truckload of lecherous mistakes in the two weeks in the capital.

“Sir Ryker, if you truly wish to come, then come.”

“R-Really?!!” cried Ryker in disbelief.

“But you have to come on horseback.”

“…..”

His happy expression stiffened as it slowly wilted in disappointment. I had to stomp him down like this once in a while to keep him quiet.

‘Just wait a bit. I’ll make it so that the continent’s beauties will come rolling into Nerman one day.’

I would make a place no inferior to the empire’s capital city, a territory of fantasy that everyone on the continent would envy.

“I trust you all.”

“Yes, sir!”

The knights saluted with determined voices.

‘Guess it’s time to set off.’

Outside, Irene and the Skyknights of the Imperial Guard would be waiting.

I walked towards the open office door, wondering for a moment what fate would be awaiting me in the capital.

* * *

“Bebeto! Fly!”

GUOOOOOOOOO!

Flap, flap, flap flap flap.

As soon as I gave the command, Bebeto, who had been bored to death of waiting, flapped his wings with a great roar.

I felt my body lifting into the air.

Swooosh swoosh swoooosh.

Booooong! Boooong!

The soldiers blew horns to see me off.

‘I hope nothing happens….’

Worries surged in me like a parent leaving their children behind.

‘Aramis, be well.’

Aramis was waving her hand at me from below.

Whoooosh.

After flying a circle around the covert, I set course for the capital of the Bajran Empire.

Swoooooosh.

Three Black Wyverns followed behind me.

After the worries came a feeling of sadness, that strange feeling you get when leaving home.

Before I knew it, I had become attached to Nerman.

There could be no other home for me.

A place that you are strongly attached to…

That was my idea of home.