21st Century Archmage-Chapter 172: An Uncomfortable Truth

“A treaty?”

Fort Halberk, the key strategic bastion in the East, seemed time and time again that it would fall, but continued to endure. Unlike the other castles in the vicinity, it was prepared for aerial combat, and protected by a great defensive magic array of the highest level. The number of Bajran wyverns had sharply declined, but the battle wasn’t over yet.

At the core of that offensive was Duke Hardaim of the Kerpe Kingdom. He was holding a secret letter that had come from the Bajran Imperial Family.

“Puhahahahahahaha!”

After reading the first word on the letter and then the rest of the letter, Duke Hardaim broke out in a guffaw so loud that the tent seemed to shake.

“Crazy bastards…”

But his laughter faded as quickly as it came. He cursed under his breath, disgusted by the ridiculous words of his enemies. This letter, written so they could save their own skins, was a stain on the long-standing prestige of the Empire. As someone born with the innate character of a knight, Duke Hardaim shook his head at the futile tricks of the fat pigs residing in the Bajran Imperial Capital. The situation was so dire that it might already be too late even if the entire Empire joined forces to overcome their crisis, yet this earnest letter offered to respect the current front lines as new national borders in exchange for ending the war. To Hardaim’s shock, it was stamped with the seal of the Bajran Empire’s Emperor.

“It’s a shame, but I think this proposal won’t be necessary.”

According to the urgent report that had just come in, the core of the Empire’s western defense, Pepeon Castle, was captured by the Kingdom Coalition. And in a few days, once the contents of this letter made its rounds, Fort Halberk would definitely crumble from the inside.

“Huhu. I’ll use it well.”

Holding the Empire’s treaty proposal, Hardaim smiled darkly. He planned on reading this letter to captured Bajran nobles. Then, he would release them.

This war was one their emperor had given up on.

Hardaim planned on pouring cold water over the nobles who still had loyalty to the Empire and still had a will to resist.

* * *

“Where is this place…?”

“Hmm…”

A party of 20 Imperial Knights with the symbol of the Laviter Imperial Family, the Gold Wyvern, emblazoned over their hearts on their armor murmured fearfully. They had received a sudden imperial mandate and were given an important duty, one that required them to use the teleport array that was only used when members of the Imperial Family were in great danger. Once they teleported, they found themselves in a fairly large underground space dimly lit by ominous red magic lamps.

Gulp.

Someone gulped nervously. An imperial mandate was something they should obey at the cost of their lives, but the current situation was enough to strike fear into the Imperial Knights, as powerful and loyal as they were.

“Maintain formation. According to the command of His Majesty the Emperor, there will be someone who will give us further orders here.”

The head of the 15th Order of the Imperial Guard gave a command to the agitated knights he led. He didn’t know what was going on, but recently, several groups of Imperial Knights had been sent on similar missions. He obeyed the Emperor’s command without suspicion.

As they stood in the underground chamber in a two row formation, the Imperial Knights heard light footsteps approaching them.

“Are you the knights of His Majesty?”

A man emerged from one area of the underground chamber, cast by the hazy red light. It was dark, so he couldn’t be clearly seen, but he was wearing a dark grey or black robe.

“Yes, we are,” briskly responded the head of the knights.

The Emperor had always been secretive and cryptic. The Imperial Knights were molded to fit the tastes of the Emperor, who only wanted absolute loyalty, but they were all inwardly curious as to what the Emperor’s command might be.

“Huhuhu. Rejoice. His Majesty the Emperor has decided to grant you immortal bodies free of death and power none can withstand. Offer your loyalty to him with all your souls!”

With a cackle that made every hair on their bodies stand on end, the man didn’t come any closer and spoke of unbelievable things like immortal bodies and powerful strength.

“Atilaion balametus haitagaon…”

Standing about 40 meters away, the robed man began to chant an incomprehensible incantation with his ominous voice.

“…..!!”

Unable to move because it was the Emperor’s command, the knights stared with wide eyes, filled with a bad feeling they could not understand.

Flaaaaash!

“Ah!”

“Aahh!”

At that moment, a strong red light came surging up from the knights’ feet. Shockingly, an unknown magic circle had activated underneath them, giving off a wicked crimson light.

“W-What is this?!”

The head knight shouted, alarmed that his body was frozen in place by some invisible power the moment he was covered by the red light.

“Huhuhu. The price for immortality cannot be denied. To pay that price, your souls will be extracted from your bodies. And then, you will be made into glorious Death Knights that shall protect the army of darkness!”

“D-Death Kni—Kuaaaaaaaghhh!”

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaghhh!”

“Aaaaaaghghhhhhhhhhhh!”

The head knight was stuttering in shock, when a head-splitting agony overcame the Imperial Knights. However, because of the barrier, they could not move their bodies. Instead, the incredible pain made the veins all over their bodies snap, and red blood seeped from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths.

“The pain will be momentary. When you wake up, you will live as Death Knights that will never die. Kuhahahahaha!”

Because they were instructed by the Emperor, the Imperial Knights and nobles of the Laviter Empire unsuspectingly teleported themselves one after another to the Shining Magic Tower. As soon as they arrived, they were reborn through black magic as Death Knights, excellent servants that would stand at the vanguard of the mighty Empire of Darkness that would descend upon the Kallian Continent.

* * *

Swoooooooooooosh!

The Bajran Empire’s Western Plains was extremely unfamiliar to me.

Unlike Nerman, which was mostly made up of low plains, fairly tall mountains and hills were poking out among Western Plains. As I flew over them on Bebeto’s back, I drew deep breaths of the wind bearing the same scent of spring as Nerman.

‘It sure is big, though.’

Nerman could hardly compare to the Empire’s expansive lands, which I was crossing over with the 300 wyverns I left Duke Garvit’s castle with.

‘The news must have reached them by now.’

Some time after we ate lunch at the castle of some viscount falling under Duke Garvit’s influence and went aloft again, we encountered a flight of kingdom Skyknights on patrol. Of course, we didn’t fight them. As soon as they spotted us, they turned tail and fled westward, and I was even able to see a messenger lumikar flying away from one of the wyverns.

It was just as I wanted. Sounding the alarm to the kingdoms was our primary objective anyway. I wanted them to be in perfect formation, ready to meet us. Since I was going to destroy them anyway, I wanted to squash them neatly in one fell swoop.

“The weather’s great!”

The touch of spring was palpable in the air. The blue expanse, free of a single cloud, was as captivating as a cold autumn day.

* * *

“A-A massive imperial wyvern flight is heading this way?!”

“Yes. We just received word from the wyvern flight patrolling the North, where Duke Garvit is located.”

“Mm…”

“B-But why would they move now, when they’ve been still all this time?”

Upon hearing that the army of Duke Garvit in the Bajran North was coming to attack, just as Duke Setnion had worried, Veyons’ face turned pale.

“What do they number?”

“It was written that they are approximately 300 in number.”

“300?” repeated Duke Setnion, stunned by the reporting adjutant’s words.

Veyons also looked puzzled. “300? What do they intend on doing with just that?”

This was Empire territory. There were definitely spies active in various places, and the Kingdom Coalition’s forces must have been exposed through them. However, Duke Garvit sortied an offensive that wasn’t even half their number.

“It’s suspicious. With just that many wyverns, even Duke Garvit wouldn’t be able to win,” murmured Duke Setnion, thinking hard.

“What are you worried about? Duke Garvit only sortied that many wyverns because that’s all he has. Let us go to counter them at once. Our kingdom Skyknights are in high spirits and will send them to hell!”

As a product of his youth, Veyons had courage to spare and pressed for a sortie. In contrast, Setnion was deeply immersed in thought, his eyes tightly closed. As he continued to think, his brows slowly furrowed.

“The Tove Kingdom Army has just crossed over the border!”

“W-What, they really dared…!?”

The Onsk Kingdom was located in the southwestern region of the Kallian Continent. The Southwest was not adjacent to the Laviter, Bajran, or Opern Empires and was a gathering of smaller kingdoms that had been peaceful for many years. The Kerpe Kingdom could be called the strongest among them, but Kerpe did not warmonger for territory because they had to be conscious of Bajran, and the next strongest kingdom, Tove, did not reveal its ambitions. In addition, most of the kingdoms arranged political marriages with the goal of avoiding war, so the royals were largely related to each other.

However, a disaster occurred in that peaceful southwestern region. While the kingdoms surrounding Bajran were busy investing their military power in the invasion of the Empire, the Onsk Kingdom, which was waiting with bated breath to see what changes would sweep the Continent, was invaded by the Tove Kingdom.

Thanks to the frequent appearance of monsters from the Kobionne Mountains, the Tove Kingdom Army was rumored to be made up of elites. They would be a difficult foe for the Onsk Kingdom, a nation that had lived without many worries to speak of.

“Send an envoy to the Kerpe Kingdom at once, saying that Tove has dared to invade, ignoring the alliance our kingdom has with the Kerpe Kingdom! Dispatch envoys to the Dapis and Gapitz Kingdoms as well! We shall use this opportunity to correct Tove’s poor manners!”

The King of Onsk did not hold much military power, but he was in-laws with the Kerpe Kingdom. He shouted loudly in the palace, ordering the dispatch of envoys, completely unaware of one key fact.

Except for the Dapis Kingdom, the weakest among the kingdoms, the Gapitz and Kerpe Kingdoms had already made a secret treaty with the Tove Kingdom.

* * *

‘Nice!’

I could have brought all of the wyverns gathered in the Garvit Duchy. However, I reduced our offensive to 300 in order to deal a painful strike after showing a weak appearance. And just as I hoped, the kingdom wyverns took my bait and appeared in great numbers ahead of us.

‘Fucking around when you’ve only got 600 wyverns? Heh.’

I was someone who had fought enemy wyverns in the hundreds every time Nerman was attacked, and more than once. From what I heard, the Kingdom Coalition wyverns didn’t have any upper-circle mages or summoners. To me, they just looked like young elementary school students with only numbers going for them.

‘Here’s a real taste of fire!’

I decided to show them everything I had, like a barely revealing 19+ erotic video that had all men burning on the inside.

‘Too bad I don’t have the beastmen.’

The beastmen always took the lead whenever we charged. As I cast an eye over the Bajran Skyknights following hundreds of meters behind me, I missed my subordinates.

“Bebeto, charge!”

The moment the enemies failed to realize who I was, our victory was already decided. Even Skyknights from empires pissed themselves when they heard my name, yet the birdbrains and their masters ahead were fearlessly flying towards me in attack formation.

Guoooooooooooooo!

No matter how many times I heard it, Bebeto’s thunderous bellow was as loud as ever.

Swooooooooosh!

At my urging, Bebeto surged forward at a blistering speed, like pressing the accelerator on a sports car.

Flash!

Before I knew it, there was a Blessed Spear in my hand. Since I didn’t have a mana staff, right now, this Blessed Spear would be used as a staff.

It was time for 7th Circle magic, powered by the almost 8th Circle mana quantity rousing in my mana core, to awaken from its slumber.

* * *

‘What the hell is that person doing?’

Duke Garvit and the northern nobles that had maintained their silence even as the Empire was invaded were finally on the move. That was what Duke Setnion had expected, so the Coalition sortied immediately to respond, but he felt uncomfortable the entire time. The sight of the massive hybrid wyvern springing forward from the imperial troops without a hint of fear set Setnion’s nerves on edge.

Standing at the vanguard was an honor, but it came with the potential danger of being the first to die, so it was not a position just any random person could take. But the wyvern surging forward was simply charging towards them as if evasive maneuvers were never a consideration. The distance between them was only 3 km—yet it had continued to charge forward into spear hurling distance in the blink of an eye.

‘A black wyvern with golden stripes?’

Setnion examined the charging foe with the mana scope in his helmet. The moment he saw the enemy bravely riding a hybrid wyvern that no knight on the Continent would use, it was as if he was plunged into a tank of cold water.

There was a legend emerging on the Continent, one that Duke Setnion knew as well. A thought flashed through his mind. The Lord of Nerman, the man who used an egg to break the boulder that was the laviter empire, was said to ride a hybrid wyvern like the one he was seeing.

‘T-That, that can’t be…’

However, he could not bear to think that he might be here. Setnion held an important position in the kingdom, so he had a good grasp on most of Kallian’s political landscape. He was especially familiar with the recent news regarding the man protecting the exiled imperial royalty of Bajran, the person waging bloody battles against the Laviter Empire: the Lord of Nerman, Kyre. The same lord who could never appear here, considering the situation Nerman was in, as well as the distance and time constraints.

“Ah!”

But as the distance shrank more and more, the uncomfortable truth he didn’t want to believe became clear.

“Kyre!”

That man’s name fell from his lips.

‘Oh no!’

As Kyre’s came to mind, danger bells simultaneously clamored in his head. The man named Kyre was an upper-circle mage, a summoner, and a Blade Master all at once, a man with monstrous fighting ability.

“A-All forces, engage in evasive maneuvers!”

A roar full of mana exploded from the Duke as his wyvern flew in the center of the formation.

Flash!

But before the Duke could finish his shout, there was a flash, followed by a blinding light.

‘Oh! Gods above!’

The moment he saw that light, Setnion closed his eyes and sought the gods.

He finally knew. He knew what, or who, his instincts, the same instincts that had protected him for many decades, had been warning him about.