21st Century Archmage

Chapter 156

‘Is it finally finished?!’

Thanks to the magic crystals I brought from Haildrian, the dwarves, elves, and the now-craftsman-level territory residents, Nerman Castle was completed. The finishing touches were being put on the great mansion separated from the rest of the castle by an inner castle wall. 

The massive mansion towered 30 meters above the ground and was crowned by a dome. Since the number three was considered a lucky number on the continent, the yard with the dome as its central axis was divided into three unique flower beds arranged in an intricate Korean knot shape, which then joined together into the front yard, which was adorned with a Black Wyvern fountain in the middle. In front of the fountain trickled a small stream that flowed naturally in perfect harmony with the garden into three different circular ponds. Sculptures, water, pathways, and tree-lined avenues arranged in geometric shapes were coming together to create a phenomenal garden.

The mansion at the center was also a marvel. As was only right for my residence, it was the natural center of the entire garden and the surrounding buildings. A triangular roof was positioned with the castle walls and the huge parasol-shaped dome behind it at the highest point, and there was a huge terrace like the ones in the movies, all of which was supported by elegant cement pillars. If time had allowed, I would have had the pillars carved from marble, but it wasn’t like I was going to live for an eternity, so I made do with smooth, bubble-free cement pillars reinforced by iron.

‘Amazing! Amazing!’

I looked at my nearly-completed mansion with satisfaction as I flew around it on Bebeto’s back. Up to the third floor, the bricks had a reddish tint, but above that, the bricks were made by mixing gold with a black material. The large windows made with reinforced glass glinted in the sunlight as they dazzled my eyes.

‘If I use the Grade 1 magic crystal, even 7th Circle magic can be defended against. My home can’t be destroyed by anyone anymore.’

Defensive power on the level of the 7th Circle could create a barrier sturdy enough that even Blessed Spears would bounce right off. My mansion offered an invincible defensive barrier simply being inside it. There was even a beautiful arrangement of ballista battlements set up everywhere. 

“Raise it carefully!”

“If it breaks, I’ll chop off that fatass spirit’s head with my battleaxe!”

A life-size sculpture of Bebeto had been carved to adorn the top of the dome. When the Djinn spirit holding the sculpture wobbled in the air for a brief moment, the dwarves began to scream curses as they glared daggers. Their vehement reaction was evidence of how much care they had put into this sculpture of Bebeto.

Out of everything in this slapdash castle, the sculpture was the masterpiece they had created with the greatest sincerity. An enormous boulder was cut from the Kovilan Mountains, and five wyverns had flown it over. Also, strengthening magic that could protect it from any amount of lightning was cast over the finished sculpture.

Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

When the sculpture that bore his resemblance was placed on the dome by the wind spirit, Bebeto gave a cry of happiness.

‘Actually, this feels kinda shitty. Bebeto is basically sitting on top of my head.’

I could feel my satisfaction towards the nearly complete mansion souring a little. Bebeto might have gone through hell and back with me, but the thought that he would be sitting above me every night was pretty unsettling.

‘Whatever. Let’s just think of it as a fertility blessing.’

I quickly turned my thoughts around. This frightful bird hulk had exerted himself so vigorously that I was recently told that a whopping 50 female wyverns in the covert had laid eggs. Even without eating fertility-boosting eel with seal pizzle as a dessert, Bebeto boasted limitless fertility. I decided to let myself be graced by his energy and have a “joyful” time with the person I loved.

TN: Korean and Chinese traditional medicine believes that eating penises of animals with high fertility will increase one’s fertility. Among them, seal penis is said to be the best…

“Huhuhu…”

Unbeknownst to me, a sly chuckle came from my lips.

Flap flap flap flap flap.

At that moment, a cute elf flew up next to me on a huge eagle, a harpy. My cute fiancé had cast off her mithril helmet, allowing her blue-tinted silver hair to fly behind her.

I gulped unconsciously. Narmias directed a pure smile my way, and my passionate mind grew calm and cool at the sight of her blossoming smile.

‘I didn’t expect the Elven Village to be made next to the Dwarven Village… they’ve really grown close.’

While squabbling over this and that, the dwarves and elves had grown fond of each other. The foul-mouthed dwarves and the shrewd elves suited each other, in a strange way. Maybe they were united by their shared history of being betrayed by humans, because these days, they were sticking together so closely that wherever there was a dwarf, there was always an elf, too. Recently, the Dwarven Patriarch Cassiars and the Elven Elder Parciano met and agreed to make a shared village together.

“Narmias.”

“Yes.”

As wyvern and harpy flew in place, I called Narmias while looking into her eyes.

“How about going on a refreshing flight, just you and I?”

“Yes…” responded Narmias like usual, the picture of a good wife and wise mother.

“Then let’s go. If you’re slower than me, it’s 100 kisses for you tonight! Go, Bebeto!”

“……”

Instead of replying, Narmias’ face turned beet red.

Flap flap flap flap flap flap.

At my command, Bebeto began surging forward in a dynamic flight accompanied by the powerful beats of his wings.

Whoooooooooooosh.

Just then, a gust of wind came from the far-off ocean, bearing a cool but refreshing energy.

‘This is what freedom is…’

It could be explained in a few words. The right to enjoy life without hardship… that was the freedom that everyone dreamed of, the freedom to not get trapped in a net or shocked by a lion’s roar.

* * *

“Kukuku. Just perfect.”

The Imperial Palace of the Bajran Empire.

Emperor Poltviran had long since heard the news that the Laviter Empire’s Skyknights were either buried or captured in Nerman without a single one returning to the empire. And today, he heard the latest intelligence that the Emperor of the Laviter Empire had declared a full mobilization order in preparation to invade Nerman.

“Your Majesty, how would you like to move forward? If you were to give the order, we could topple Nerman within the fortnight.”

In the palace’s throne room, besides Duke Garvit, who had locked himself in his territory using sickness as an excuse, the uncle of the Emperor and the leader of the nobles, Duke Ormere, and the other two dukes, Duke Pernike von Delphois and Duke Jeportyne von Rusvake, as well as the important nobles in the capital with peerages of counthood and up, were all gathered. The power of the nobles was elevated following the fall of the Krantz Kingdom, and their bellies were fuller than ever. The increase in tax rates, something that had been partially restricted by imperial law, was now fully under their control, and as a result, the number of slaves in the nobles’ possession increased exponentially. Anyone who could not pay their taxes was turned into a serf.

As such, their loyalty towards the Emperor was impressive. Commoners who had recently advanced into the aristocracy were either demoted to the countryside, or excluded from the central ring of power, so all the matters of the empire, trivial or great, were under the jurisdiction of the Emperor and the corrupt nobles.

This was the greatest crisis the Bajran Empire had ever faced. However, not a single noble gathered in the throne room thought of it as a crisis.

Everything was in the eye of the beholder. The more hungry commoners there were, the fatter the purse of the nobles would become.

“Duke Ormere, what kind of question is that?”

Approximately 600 Skyknights from the Kuviran, Kerpe, and Andain Kingdoms were already assembling in the Gaetz Principality. The kingdoms had borne the humiliation of dispatching their Skyknights to the Empire as the Emperor had ordered them to do.

“My sincere apologies, Your Majesty.”

Poltviran’s madness had been growing stronger, but now, that madness had become boredom. There shouldn’t be anything he couldn’t do after becoming the emperor, but that unlimited power had wearied him. He’d already embraced plenty of pretty bitches, eaten plenty of tasty meals, and even had plenty of kingdoms trembling in fear at his feet. But not even an empire could jump recklessly into war, and nothing could satisfy his endless sense of hunger.

But there was one thing that could. These days, Poltviran was excited because of the Nerman subjugation. He was lost in the delusion that if he was able to exterminate a territory that had brought humiliation to the Laviter Empire, everyone on the continent would acknowledge his strength.

“Duke Ormere, you will lead the kingdom Skyknights and assemble on the Nerman borders in the Havis Kingdom. This Emperor will personally come shortly afterwards with the Imperial Skyknights and the Empire’s courageous Skyknights.”

“By Your Majesty’s will!”

“In addition, the rest of you will mobilize your territory Skyknights to participate in this glorious subjugation of the traitor. At the same time, order the magic towers to have the mages participate in this great undertaking as well!”

“By Your Majesty’s will!!”

Not a single person questioned him. Poltviran was mad enough that he had beheaded a marquis simply for the crime of defying his order. Plus, when they thought of all the profit they could gain by subjugating Nerman, it was only natural that they accepted the Emperor’s command.

“In two weeks from now, this Emperor and the honorable knights of Bajran shall wipe the traitor’s land, Nerman, off the map of the continent!”

“Yes, sir!”

The nobles bowed at Poltviran’s not just mad, but bloodthirsty shout. 

A decisive command had come from the Emperor’s mouth.

Now, all that was left for them was to complete the mission without fail.

* * *

* * *

“Woooow…”

“My goodness…”

“It’s beautiful.”

Besides the dwarves, elves, and construction personnel, Nerman Castle hadn’t been opened to the public. The knights and guests who had tied their wyverns to the new hangars exclaimed in admiration.

“The garden here flowers in every season of the year. Also, the temperature is being controlled with a magic barrier.”

The grand opening of the inner castle was something I had anticipated for a long time. Unfortunately, because I wasn’t at the 7th Circle, I was only able to complete the wide-area temperature control barrier by asking Elder Parciano to come over.

‘Plants raised on holy water are so different.’

Elegant and beautiful trees and flowers we’d harvested from Nerman and the surrounding mountains had put down their roots to adorn the garden, nourished by holy water. They blended seamlessly into the garden, as if they had always been there. And now, they were being admired by the people walking through the garden. My eternal goddess, Aramis, the ideal wife and mother, the elf Narmias, the sophisticated beauty, Igis, the haughty Irene, the recipient of my first kiss, Russell, Ryker, the beastmen, and the other important territory knights were all there. Even I hadn’t stepped foot into the inner castle before this, all for this moment, so my heart was thumping along with the others.

‘It’s really incredible that they managed this in such a short period of time.’

The dwarves could really be called the best laborers in all of legend. Each and every one of them could make a masterpiece, and hundreds of them grabbed their shovels in unison to create this castle. The meticulous elves also contributed with spirits and magic. The outer wall might have been made with only sturdiness in mind, but in the inner castle, traces of their great care were everywhere.

“The central fountain over there can surge up to 50 meters with the addition of mana.”

“What a height.”

“Even the Imperial Palace didn’t have a fountain like that…”

“Hyung, it’s really amazing. Even the Bajran palace isn’t as good as this!”

In his excitement, the kiddo Razcion drew a comparison to the Bajran Empire’s palace.

“It’s passable, I suppose.”

However, one person had his hands behind his back, wearing an apathetic expression that said buildings of this level were nothing.

‘This little shit!’

This Ryker chap was a cheap hire, but I made sure to get my money’s worth by working him to the bone. However, his unimpressed attitude, as if he was some kind of prince who had grown up seeing buildings like this, was pissing me off.

‘I’ll restructure soon, just you watch.’

All this prodigal knight knew was women and alcohol. He was good at handling things and had outstanding skills, but the way he spoiled his liege’s mood with his insolent words was really a turn-off.

“Ahem ahem. Enough of the garden, let’s go inside,” I said, walking into the inner castle with the confidence of the homeowner.

‘Huhuhu. It’s always cool to see.’

I gazed at my mansion, the center of my paradise, with satisfaction. Stacked atop the extremely refined red bricks were the elegant black-gold bricks that represented the wealth of the master residing within. It wasn’t 100% to my satisfaction, but at least 99%.

“I did hear that nouveau riche lords built their castles with golden bricks, but who woulda thought such a person would be here as well? Hahaha.”

‘Wooooooooooooow!!!!!!!’

This insolent fucking knight really knew how to throw cold water on my enthusiasm.

‘Just you wait and see, Ryker.’

“I find those words rather inappropriate, Sir Ryker,” said Aramis quietly. “If you say it like that, what are you implying about the temple that was built with golden bricks?”

“T-That’s because that’s the home of a god, isn’t it?” Ryker stuttered.

“From what I have heard, a knight is supposed to be a reflection of the lord. So for a reflection to look down on the lord’s true appearance and dignity, that is no different from spitting on one’s own face.”

“……”

‘Oho, nice going, Aramis.’

I was straining to not rise to his provocation, but Aramis stepped up to beat Ryker down in my stead. I’d always thought of her as a goddess-like woman who always had a smile on her face, but it seemed she had a stronger side than her appearance suggested.

“Kyre-nim is someone who can live in a place even better than this. No emperor or king on the continent can come even close to what Kyre-nim has accomplished.”

Ryker had really met his match today. The smart Princess Igis sprinkled gold dust all over my face.

“Hng… well, that’s true, I guess.”

Ryker raised the white flag with a whimper.

‘You brat, you should be thankful. I was about to quietly bury you ten feet under tonight.’

Ryker dared to label his almighty liege a nouveau riche. I would never forget today’s enmity, if you could call it that. After all, my narrow-minded heart could harbor petty feelings for at least one year.

“Haha. Now then, let us go inside. Once we’re done looking around, a superb dinner has been prepared in the dining hall.”

In spite of Ryker, this was a pleasant time. The smile refused to leave my lips. Even the most rich and successful people in South Korea lived in houses that were a thousand square meters at most. CEOs of big conglomerates wouldn’t be able to live in a house like this. Even those extravagant European royal castles and fortresses were like a candle in front of a bonfire compared to my house. It was a natural fortress protected by magic. I had nothing to be jealous of.

‘Like Grandpa said, true independence begins when you have a comfortable place to sleep at night.’

This picturesque house was something I’d longed for in my dreams. I walked with satisfaction into this castle I called my home. I would have liked to lay out a smiling pig head and carry out the traditional Korean rituals to ward off misfortune, but this wasn’t South Korea. I could only give thanks in my heart to the ancestors who had granted me this house as I went inside, all while under the guard of knights standing watch all over the castle.

‘Emperor? So what? Uhahahahaha.’

Right now, I wasn’t envious of anyone in the world.

Except for Bebeto, who was undertaking the labor of child-making in full force.

* * *

Shalalalalalala.

The wind blowing in from the windows of my exclusive bedroom made the silver curtains treated with anti-viral and anti-bacterial magic flutter, creating a pleasant noise.

“Nnnghhhh!”

I stretched and sat up on the double king-sized bed fitted with springs made by the dwarves.

‘Now this is life. Huhuhu.’

The sheets were 100% cotton, and made incredibly soft by magic processing. I kicked off the warm, but not at all stifling blankets and enjoyed the morning sunshine streaming in from the window.

“So nice!”

I couldn’t help but yell in happiness. I had stayed in the imperial palaces of empires before and still thought this room’s structure was perfect. Be it the bed, the desk, or the demon beast carpet on the ground, everything was the highest quality. The furniture the dwarves had produced with all their heart and soul was a delight to my eyes, and the characteristic aroma of pine wood made me feel as though I were sleeping in a pure forest and drew me into the depths of slumber.

The soft demon beast carpet on the ground rustled as I stepped on it to go out onto the terrace.

“Huhuhu…”

The terrace attached to my room looked just like the royal castle terraces I’d seen in the Lord of the Rings. It was big, big enough to host a banquet of hundreds, and in that large space was a tea table for my exclusive use.

Whoooooooooosh.

The spring wind tickled my nose.

“Haa…”

My room was in the highest place in Denfors. When I looked outwards, the wide, open plains stretching out endlessly in front of me graced my eyes. And that wasn’t all. If you went onto the smaller terrace on the other side of my room, you could even faintly see the ocean.

“It was worth the effort.”

This wasn’t something that had been handed to me on a silver platter. I had achieved this result with my blood, sweat, and tears. No one on Nerman would point fingers at me. All of the residents had warm backs and full bellies, and they didn’t live like dogs unlike the residents of other territories on the continent. In Nerman, as long as they put in the effort, they could care for their children with their own two hands and spend day after day in comfort. There was a civil militia to maintain public security, and Skyknights frequently ran patrols to perfectly restrict attacks by monsters.

And as a reward, I had earned my house. If this were 21st century Earth, a castle of this magnitude might feel out of place, but here, it was only natural for a lord to have the right to live in such a place. Moreover, I did everything I was supposed to and enjoyed that right fair and square. I also didn’t exploit the residents without giving anything in return, and didn’t force anyone to work on its creation.

I was someone who had the right to enjoy this mansion made by the prisoner soldiers, the elves, and the dwarves in its entirety.

‘Shall I go wash up now?’

The facilities and interior design of the room were on par with a 7-star hotel. On one side of this room, which was easily 330 sq. meters large, was a bathroom so large you could call it a pool. Installed in the bathroom was a 21st century flush toilet made according to a blueprint I provided. With magic, ancient magic era engineering, and the dwarves’ craftsmanship, a facility just as convenient as any bathroom on Earth was completed on the Kallian Continent.

“Lulu, lululu~”

I hummed lightly to myself while removing my clothes piece by piece like in a strip show.

‘Kyaa, I really gotta say, this is one killer body.’ 

Because I swung my sword every single day and ate natural foods unpolluted by preservatives, my body didn’t have a scrap of loose fat on it. Whoever it was, the woman who nabbed me in the future was really getting a good deal.

PR/N: God, you narcissist xD

I leisurely crossed over the expansive room and reached the entrance of the bathroom, leaving a trail of clothes on the ground. I grasped the handle of the door with a body as bare as it was when it came into the world. Then, while imagining the warmth of the water drawn straight from the water tank when the magic activation word was uttered, I was just about to open the door, when…

Clunk.

The familiar sound of a door being opened came into my ears.

“Kyre-nim, it’s time to get up. Breakfast is already—”

Because they were special guests, the royal siblings of the Bajran Empire had been situated on the floor just under mine. And of the two of them, one was a woman who apparently shared a special destiny with me. She had opened the door to my bedroom, which was next to the bathroom, without knocking in order to wake me up.

Th-thud!

“…..!!!”

It hadn’t been long since I woke up, and my mind had relaxed at the thought of enjoying a bath, but all of that quietude was disrupted by a loud thump. 

And then, I could feel her eyes looking at me, no, at that most precious part of a man.

‘OH MY GOD!’ A cry of shock nearly burst from my lips.