21st Century Archmage

The feeling of smooth silk ran over my face. I groaned, not wanting to wake from the depths of my slumber, but the familiar fragrance tickling my nose compelled me to open my eyes.

“L-Lord Kyre…”

I heard a woman’s voice. I opened my eyelids with great effort.

‘Aramis…’

This familiar fragrance was from Aramis.

‘My room?’

The backdrop behind Aramis was my room, the very same room in my Nerman mansion that Master had filched from me.

‘What about the demon soldiers?’

I knew I could only be lying here because the war was over, but I was curious about what had become of the Demon Realm soldiers summoned by the demon.

“Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?” Aramis asked, her voice full of worry.

‘Hm? It doesn’t hurt.’

When I lost consciousness, it felt like my stomach was being stabbed with knives and my head was being knocked around in a wildly tolling bell, but right now, I was the picture of health, like nothing had happened.

“Aramis, how did the battle go?”

“The battle? It has already been ten days since the battle ended.”

“T-Ten days!”

Her words woke me like a bucket of ice water. It felt like I just had a nice, restful sleep, but ten days had passed.

“I am told that all of the demon beasts summoned from the Demon Realm were killed. Not many survived the concentrated fire of the Skyknights.”

Only then did I recall the rain of spears fired by the Skyknights before I lost consciousness. The demon beasts were probably killed without much resistance because they lost the commanding demon who protected them.

“Congratulations, Lord Kyre.”

Aramis gazed at me with a wide smile on her lips. I met her clear brown eyes with a questioning look.

“Due to your heroic achievements in repelling the Dark Empire and becoming a Demon Slayer, thus saving the Continent from destruction, all empires and kingdoms of the Continent have unanimously acknowledged Nerman as an empire and appointed you to the position of Emperor.”

“!!!”

“Not only that, but the Laviter Empire has been annexed into the Nerman Empire.”

“…”

My jaw dropped in shock and stayed there. The kingdoms of the Continent were desperate to seize land for themselves, yet they acknowledged Nerman as an empire and appointed me to the throne. On top of that, the Laviter Empire that was toe to toe with the Opern Empire would be given as a whole to me. I was so gobsmacked that I couldn’t decide whether I should laugh or cry from happiness.

‘Hoo…’

Inwardly, I let out a long breath. The sudden changes were overwhelming, but my heroic feat was more than deserving of such a reward.

‘That’s right, an emperor’s gotta be at least that much.’

I vividly recalled struggling to manage Nerman when I first took up the lord’s mantle. Now, my lot in life had grown to archmage status, as big as my mana core that had multiplied in size.

‘My mana core…!’

I suddenly thought of my mana core. There was no way I was unchanged after swallowing what was definitely the demon’s manaheart and sleeping like a log for ten days. I hurriedly activated my mana and checked my circles.

Whirrrrr.

Mana flowed to life naturally at my call. It felt different. The mana was flowing within me with buttery smoothness, as if I switched from an ancient Intel 386 to a modern computer fitted with a cutting-edge CPU, mainboard, RAM, and graphics card.

‘One, two, three… seven… eight… !!!!!’

While counting the circles to myself, my body stiffened. This was no arithmetic. As long as you could count, it was possible to see how many circles I had.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!”

My scream split the air. Aramis flinched in alarm, and I pulled her into my arms.

“Wha—” she began, surprised.

“Thank you! This is all thanks to you, Aramis!”

“Pardon?”

Her eyes grew round at my words. She was so cute. My thumping heart grew red-hot at her cute face, clear skin, and the womanly fragrance she exuded.

“Mmh!”

There was no need to hesitate. I no longer had nothing to fear in this world but the gods. I stole away Aramis’ sweet, sweet lips.

‘Huhuhu, you’re all dead now.’

My paradise was finally complete. I would enjoy it to my heart’s content. I earned this by working like a dog, and I was planning on getting 100% my money’s worth, with interest on top.

“Ah…”

To start, I would show my gratitude to Aramis, the person who made it possible for the current me to exist. I encircled Aramis’ slender waist with my steady right arm, swearing to protect this woman for all of eternity…

* * *

“Congratulations, my liege!”

I hungrily explored Aramis’ lips like a dehydrated man stumbling on an oasis. In the middle of my hot, fervent moment with Aramis, Derval showed up and burst out in tears upon seeing me awake. His crying made me cry. I remembered the time when we were chased out of the Bajran Empire and crossed the Rual Mountains with almost nothing but the clothes on our backs.

After crying for a long time, Derval said that the territory’s key knights and the important figures of the kingdoms that had participated were currently waiting in the throne room. Of course, despite his swelling emotions, Derval didn’t forget to give a short report. He quietly reported that all the trash that attacked Nerman was taken care of, and he even had our men stash away the stuff that seemed valuable.

Derval was truly the right hand I could not live without. I decided to bestow him a very generous reward later.

* * *

‘Just look at all those gazes of admiration. Huhuhu.’

They had all witnessed the unbelievable sight of me whacking off the demon’s head. The people gathered in the massive throne room were firing blazing looks of admiration at me, the mighty, passionate, strong man with a great character and even greater looks and ability, a hero who scribed a new page in the Continent’s annals. They treated me with utmost respect, as if they were facing an emperor.

“Well done, everyone.” I said, filling my voice with majesty.

It was natural for a person’s demeanor to change when their standing was elevated. I was no longer the lord of a territory and a count, but an emperor-to-be. Inside my castle was a hall and throne made in preparation for such a day. I was seated atop a plushy throne embellished with a magnificent carving of Bebeto.

‘Kyaa, this is the life.’

From my elevated position on the throne, the knights of the territory and the high ranking nobles of various nations were all below me.

“We offer you our sincerest felicitations. The Andain Kingdom wishes to vow here and now that we will always be steadfast allies of Nerman Terri—I mean, Empire.”

The high ranking noble dispatched from the Andain Kingdom was in such a hurry to declare their allegiance that he didn’t even introduce himself first.

“Your Imperial Majesty, it is the dearest wish of my liege lord, the King of Delphiran, that the kingdom forges an eternal alliance with Nerman. His Majesty himself has said that should the Nerman Empire ever require Delphiran’s strength, His Majesty will come in person leading the entire kingdom’s forces!”

“Your Imperial Majesty! Our Pakinch Kingdom also…”

A competition to declare loyalty first broke out between the kingdoms. Someone who stumbled upon this scene might think that a gang boss who just unified the entire nation was getting vows of loyalty from local bosses or something.

‘Very good, they’re bending over nicely with no encouragement needed.’

It was true that this was a necessary process. The Kallian Continent I dreamed of did not reek of blood. I wasn’t an emperor who unified the Continent, so I couldn’t micro-manage the people of the Continent, but I at least wanted to prevent the wars that made the lives of the powerless so much more difficult and sad.

‘Irene’s here too. Oh, and there’s Russell, and Hyneth… Woah! Since when has Rosiathe been here?’

Even as I listened to the stream of brown nosing from the nobles of various kingdoms, I found my women from the crowd of nearly one thousand people.

While the kingdom nobles were clamoring to say this and that in front of me, a woman opened the door to the throne room and came in. She strode down the pathway going down the middle of the throne room without hesitation.

‘Woah there!’

She walked confidently up to me, heedless of the gazes of everyone in the hall.

“Hoho, lots of people are here.”

That woman was the ruler of the Temir, Lokoro?a. Her hair was glistening, as if she had just finished taking a shower.

And then, she plopped down on the seat next to mine with absolutely zero restraint.

Bzzzzzt.

Unlike the dazed looks of the nobles shocked by her brash actions, several women were shooting lasers from their eyes.

“My dear, did you sleep well?”

‘M-My dear… nghh.’

Lokoro?a had always been audacious. She clung to my arm with her A-line-turned-S-line body and spoke intimately with me, her breath minty fresh.

“Y-Yeah.”

I found myself automatically responding to the lass, who had grown up as marvelously as anyone could have hoped.

“Hoho. After a few nights of sleep, my spouse’s face is full of life.”

As everyone watched, she lovingly stroked my cheek.

‘That’s right, only a woman with courage can capture the hero.’

I was never a stickler for formalities in the first place. Moreover, I now possessed absolute strength and had no one to fear. Actions like these, which neither killed nor harassed but merely incurred “mental pain”, were perfectly fine.

“Have you eaten, Lokoro?a?”

“Yup~ I ate a lot.”

‘Sigh, what a cutie.’

She wasn’t a loli or anything, but Lokoro?a was definitely the youngest contender out of all the women aiming for the spot of Empress.

“Ahem, ahem…”

However, no one was watching our lovey-dovey actions with happy eyes. Unlike the nobles who didn’t dare to say anything, Derval coughed lightly.

‘I’ve gotta rescue him from the single life soon.’

Others might have seen his cough as a reminder to me to be more aware of my position, but I heard it as a warning from him. He was urging me with his eyes to hurry and bestow the blessing of couple life upon him as a reward for slaving to the bone.

“I wish to thank you all once again for your contribution in overcoming the Continent’s crisis. Sir Derval.”

“Yes, my liege!”

Derval’s cry of liege was more pleasing to the ear than the stiff ‘Your Imperial Majesty’.

“We will hold the official coronation in one month. Make preparations as needed.”

“AS YOU COMMAND!” shouted Derval, his bellow echoing in the hall.

“I trust that the nobles of the various kingdoms have also heard me loud and clear.”

“B-By your will.”

My quiet words had the nobles bowing their heads and acquiescing. I could guess that they would be scrambling to send lumikars aloft as soon as they got out of here.

“There are many matters that require my attention today, so aside from the Nerman Knights, everyone is dismissed.”

We had a mountain of things to do, like the management of the Laviter Empire that fell into my lap and issuing compensation to the families of those who died in battle. There were many things I needed to handle as the liege lord of my knights.

“Understood.”

I glimpsed a group of priests and paladins among the nobles leaving the hall. They played a rather significant role in the battle, but I was loath to praise them since they hadn’t participated willingly. On the contrary, I was prepared to disallow them from evangelizing in the Laviter Empire in the future if I detected even one hint of complaint in their expressions.

“Princess Rosiathe, Princess Chrisia, Lokoro?a, and Lady Irene, Russell, and Hyneth may also remain.”

The ladies stopped while leaving with the others to look at me with blushing faces. I was going to take responsibility now. I was an emperor no one could disparage even if I took ten queens. The women who would all become mistresses of my paradise by my side gazed warmly at me.

‘Uhahaha. What else is there to life? You just gotta live happy and die when your time comes.’

I grinned at the thought of my life, which would shine bright and unhindered in the days to come. Sitting on my throne, I relished the leisure of life.

* * *

“Currently, the Laviter Imperial City is being occupied by soldiers dispatched from the Opern Empire. Also, local militias, knights, and the surviving relatives of nobles are temporarily maintaining stability in each of the territories.”

Altakas had completely ravaged the Laviter Empire. They had almost no nobles or Skyknights left. Most of them had become Death Skyknights or Knights, all of whom were now dust.

‘Ryker’s the Crown Prince of the Opern Empire, huh?’

To my surprise, the knight who left my territory was the Crown Prince of the Opern Empire, the most powerful of the three empires on the Continent. I knew his origins weren’t ordinary, but it was still hard to believe that a crown prince of such a huge empire rubbed elbows with everyone in my territory.

“Thankfully, a considerable number of the bewitched monsters that resided in the Kovilan and Bertz Mountains were slain, so there should be no problems there. The rumors that you would be taking over the empire spread like wildfire, and I am told that no one in the empire is putting up a protest.”

It was true that they didn’t have any nobles or knights to speak of, but I was still surprised by how meek and obedient the Laviter Empire was. They had probably grown used to submission over many years of Altakas’ rule.

“How many territory knights died in the battle?”

Derval had dodged the question the entire time, but I knew that many must have lost their lives in the battle with the Death Wyverns.

“A total of 136 Nerman Skyknights fell bravely in battle, while 700 from the Kingdom Coalition and paladins perished.”

“Mm…”

I expected it, but hearing the number made my heart throb with pain. All of my key knights survived the battle, but those who died were my precious knights all the same.

“Be sure to give the utmost courtesy to the bereaved.”

“As you command!”

It was only natural to compensate those who spilled their blood for me and Nerman. I, too, had fought with a readiness to die, so I understood the feelings of the fallen very well.

“My liege, where will you establish the Imperial City when you ascend to the position of emperor?”

In this throne room, where Derval, Shailt, Cedrian, Janice, the administrative knights, and my women were gathered, Derval brought up the issue of the Imperial City’s location.

“The Imperial City of the Nerman Empire is here.”

There was no decision to make. The heart of the paradise I designed was here, Nerman Castle.

“Is it not too remote to rule over the Empire…?”

“Don’t worry about that. We will restructure the Empire in the same way we restructured Nerman. The central cities there will all be fitted with a teleportation array connected to Nerman Imperial City.”

“!!”

“T-Teleportation arrays…!”

The knights expressed their shock at my words. If teleport arrays were really installed in each of the cities, there was no need to move the capital, since you could simply teleport to whichever city as needed.

“Sir Derval, compile a list of names of those who contributed to this battle and report it to me. Also, from this moment on, I am promoting all of Nerman’s Skyknights to Skyknights of Nerman’s Imperial Guard, so make the necessary preparations.”

“As you command!”

I had long since made plans for an empire of my own and gave out one command after another.

“In addition, there is something I need to tell you, my knights.”

The key figures who put their lives on the line to help me and protect Nerman looked at me, their eyes serious.

“I will never forget your loyalty. But although I will award peerages, I will not grant territory to nobles like in other empires. A 30% tax rate will apply to all territories, and I will draw from 5% of the sum to grant as a salary according to your rank.”

“Yes, sir!”

Not a single knight among them made a face of complaint. They were familiar with my style of rule, so even if a great deal of territory entered the picture, they didn’t get greedy.

‘I will achieve centralization of power.’

I wasn’t a human rights activist, but I didn’t want to see powerless citizens being oppressed by nobles. Nobles who protected their country would be given sufficient reward, and citizens who devoted themselves to their vocations would earn the fruits of their labor. That was the motto of the paradise I pursued.

“Thank you for your work up until now. And… Please continue to support me as you always have.”

I might be an emperor now, but that didn’t mean I could look down on my knights. Nerman Empire was the kind of place where everyone worked hard in harmony.

“Yes, sir!”

Looking at the knights saluting me, a grin spread over my lips.

* * *

Reaper Scans

* * *

‘Haah…’

As she listened to Kyre and his knights conversing, Rosiathe breathed a sigh in her heart. Kyre wasn’t born in an imperial or royal family, or even in the nobility, but he carried a cloak of majesty about him like it was natural. He was the same Kyre who lived with a smile and a good sense of humor, but he looked different now. Now, he was the hero who put an end to the chaos created by Altakas’ Dark Empire and defeated an upper-class demon. He had confidence and ability in spades and was in no way lacking to become the ruler of a great empire.

‘Should I just use this opportunity to annex our kingdom, too…?’

Rosiathe felt apologetic to her ancestors, but the Havis Kingdom had been struggling for decades. It occurred to her that it wouldn’t be all that terrible to leave everything to the Nerman Empire and enjoy a peaceful life as a commoner.

“Princess Rosiathe.”

The affectionate voice of her beloved startled Princess Rosiathe from her thoughts.

“I am thinking of returning the Roen Principality to the Havis Kingdom. What are your thoughts?”

“Th-The Roen Principality?”

“Yes. From what I hear, the Roen Principality lost almost all their knights at the hands of Altakas. The Principality was once Havis territory anyway, so now is a good time to annex them back in.”

Kyre spoke smilingly of earth-shattering matters like they were nothing. The scale of his thoughts was indeed different from ordinary people.

‘Even if he was given not just Laviter, but the entire continent… it wouldn’t shake Kyre’s heart. Haah…’

Rosiathe realized once again that the man in front of her was one who would not rejoice even if he obtained the entire world.

* * *

‘Tch… why is a playboy like him so darn cool?’

Irene was the first to admit that she was well and truly in love. As she watched Kyre dominate the audience with his presence, she felt slightly aggrieved. She knew there would be a lot of women, but Kyre and his bold manner of being affectionate in front of everyone were utterly shameless. Even after swallowing a huge amount of land, he didn’t show a hint of happiness.

‘I have to stay on my guard. At this rate…’

She glanced surreptitiously at the women who had stayed back in the throne room. Every single one of them was beautiful, and they each had their individual flair. She was the oldest out of all of them.

She steeled her heart with firm resolve. As embarrassing as it was, she was determined to act cutesy in front of Kyre like the girl named Lokoro?a.

* * *

‘In the end… you avenged me.’

Russell, no, Luminia, had abandoned her short hair and now possessed considerably longer hair at an awkward in-between length. She knew that Kyre punished Count Lainke of the Laviter Empire, the man responsible for her family’s downfall.

‘Thank you… for thinking of me despite all my faults.’

She was thankful. Her status might be the most humble out of all the women gathered here, but Kyre didn’t forget her. Her face reddened at the thought of him. She still couldn’t forget her first kiss with Kyre back at the Imperial Knight Academy.

Luminia wasn’t greedy for anything big. She just wanted to live with Kyre and dream of eternal happiness together with him.

* * *

‘It defies the law of House Petrin, but… unfortunately, I’ll have to give up on that.’

As she gazed at Kyre, the man loved by both her and the liege she served, Princess Igis, Hyneth decided to cast aside the tradition of her berserker warrior family. Kyre had become far too big to marry into House Petrin.

She decided to make the wise choice. Every time she looked up, she saw women superior to her in every way looking passionately at Kyre. She could hardly claim a monopoly on him like an idiot.

‘Hmph! But I will definitely… have his first child!’

She still had her pride. Hyneth began to burn with a desire to win in a contest of dubious nature.

* * *

‘Whew…’

Chrisia breathed a long sigh of relief as she watched Kyre.

Kesmire had suffered a significant loss of forces from raiding the Laviter Imperial City with him. Because of that, there were protests among the Kingdom’s nobles regarding sending reinforcements to fight the Dark Empire again. However, because of the Haildrian Empire’s participation, their dissent was naturally overturned.

‘Thank goodness. If we had made the wrong decision there…’

It made her shudder to think of what would have happened if they had turned their backs on Kyre. The aftermath wouldn’t have just affected her life, but the entire kingdom. Kyre was strong enough to simply bypass the distance between their nations. If he used ‘pirate extermination’ as a pretext to attack the Kesmire Kingdom, their maritime kingdom would have crumbled in an instant.

‘I’ll never let go of him. For Kesmire… no, for my life as a woman.’

From what she had seen of Kyre’s personality, he wasn’t one to turn a woman away even with his arms full. Critics might call him a playboy, but what could they do? It was natural for bees and butterflies to swarm a flower bearing fragrant honey, and it was inevitable that women would fall in love with a hero of unprecedented proportions.

‘Tiavel will come here soon, I guess.’

Once she got the news that Kyre would become an emperor, the coy Tiavel would fly over from Haildrian. Her eye for men was spot on, that was for sure. She, along with all the other women here, were well-meaning competitors. Chrisia resolved herself to show who among them could devote themselves most fully to Kyre.

That was the humble wish of a woman who wanted to walk through flower gardens with the man she loved instead roughing it on the seas.

—-

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