21st Century Archmage

Chapter 194: He Who Came From Hell

“Go aloft!”

Flap flap, flap flap flap flap flap.

“Wyverns on the starboard deck, go aloft!”

Kaoooooooooooo!

‘It’s finally starting.’

Just looking at the time we spent on sea, it was a pretty short voyage. But for me, the last five days felt like a never ending stream of tedium. For someone like me who had been going all over the world with the energetic Bebeto on a near daily basis, life confined to a narrow ship was hell. Of course, I went aloft on Bebeto several times a day, but I quickly had my fill of flying over the featureless sea, so that didn’t last long.

But today, we finally reached the sea near the Laviter Empire, and using the cover of late night, we went aloft on our wyverns.

‘The Imperial City is a 2 hours flight from here. Thankfully, there’s a lot of fog blowing in from the ocean today, and it’s a moonless night, so we shouldn’t get caught as long as we’re careful.’

It seemed even the heavens were helping us, because nature was on our side. It was common for the seas around here to be foggy, but the fog decking the shore tonight was thicker than usual. The scout Skyknights had also reported that the fog was even blanketing the river that would be guiding us to our destination.

“Princess Chrisia, make sure you stay close behind me.”

“Yes, Lord Kyre.”

“Hmph, you’re worried about Chrisia, but don’t give a rat’s ass about me?”

“Haha, it’s my first time using a helmet fitted with communication magic. How fascinating.”

In order to carry out Operation King Wedgie as swiftly and precisely as possible, I supplied the fleet commanders with communication helmets I had prepared for them. Though they were fleet commanders, they were all simultaneously Skyknights, and each one of them was coming to the battlefield.

“As I said in the meeting just now, the main objectives of this operation are to end the life of the Laviter Empire’s Emperor, blitz the Imperial Guard Skyknights, and acquire the Imperial Family’s treasures. Everyone must act precisely according to their assigned objectives.”

“Don’t worry. We will cleanly and surely wipe out the Empire’s wyverns.”

“Lord Kyre, our fleet will do our utmost, so do not worry.”

“Thank you. When the battle is over, let us have a hearty drink of Draco’s Tears.”

“…”

As soon as Draco’s Tears were mentioned, the line became quiet. After hearing that dozens of bottles were left in the wake of my drinking spree with the King, no one asked me to come drink with them.

“I believe all Skyknights have gone aloft. Let us depart at once.”

Elsia’s excited voice sounded the departure.

‘Each fleet of wyverns has its own goal and can work well together, so I’m sure they’ll do things right.’

The Imperial Palace was large. Our most important objective today was to end Emperor Hadveria’s life. I wasn’t a butcher, but I resolved to take down the Emperor without fail for the sake of peace on the Continent and Nerman’s safety. Actually, even if I didn’t go as far as killing him, I fully intended on making sure that he would never dare to think of doing anything to Nerman after today.

“In that case, everyone, charge!”

Guooooooooooooo!

Bebeto let out a vigorous bellow at my words.

Kauuuuuuuuuuuuu! Kuaaa, kuaaaaaa!

Wyverns screamed out energetically after him.

And so, as we flew through the thick fog silently blanketing the sea, our attack of the Laviter Imperial Palace began.

* * *

‘It’s too quiet.’

Swooooooosh.

We followed the Yukane River heavily blanketed with fog, flying at the point where the fog reached the sky. A little longer, and we would arrive at the Imperial Capital of the Laviter Empire. As I began to feel the tension, a bad feeling budded in my gut.

For whatever reason, no sound was coming from the ground. On this moonless night, the sky was covered in dark clouds that carried a portent of rain. Even high up in the air, I could instinctively feel the presence of life below, but today, I didn’t feel or see anything. A bad feeling shivered down my spine, like I was crossing the Lute, the River of the Afterlife mentioned in the stories.

‘A night like this is better. Perfect for a quick bout of fun.’

I stamped down the ominous feeling in my heart and filled myself with positive thoughts.

“…”

The fleet commanders who had been chatting now and then up until recently were also quiet. The wyverns had also read the mood and were flying in silence.

‘Today is the last. After this, I’ll rest to my heart’s content in Paradise.’

This was the final price I would have to pay to achieve my dream. Taking in a deep breath, I flew forward.

When I saw the castle looming in the distance, I issued the final command. “Shoot down all enemies that appear. Commander Jeramik, take the wyverns under your lead and secure the skies around the Imperial Capital. Everyone else, after blitzing the covert attached to the Imperial Palace, head into the inner castle, eliminate the Emperor, and seize the treasure.”

“Huaaa. This is making me real nervous.”

“Haha, my heart hasn’t raced like this in a while.”

‘We’re finally here!’

My heart was thumping just as hard. The great Lord of Nerman’s invasion on the Imperial Palace of the Laviter Empire would be remembered for all time in continental history. Who other than me would possibly come up with a plan as bold as this?

‘But it’s really strange. No matter how careless they’re being, there’s not a single wyvern flight on patrol.’

Even in Nerman, everyone took shifts to go out on patrol every night. But this was an empire. They might be lulled by the conviction that no one would dare to invade the Empire, but basic patrols were standard fare for every city. However, I couldn’t see any wyverns whatsoever in the skies above the Imperial Capital.

‘What?! Th-There aren’t any lights?!’

To my shock, the outer castle that was home to an immense number of people was completely dark. Excluding the Imperial Castle in the distance that was brightly lit up by magic lamps, the Laviter Capital was entirely blanketed in darkness. Cold sweat trickled down my back at the unbelievable sight.

Thump, thump.

My heart started beating hard. Grasping Bebeto’s reins, I headed towards the inner castle where the Emperor resided. As expected of an empire that put a great deal of importance on strength, the covert was inside the city rather than outside.

Despite the bad feeling I was getting, we moved according to plan. About now, the soldiers guarding the city should be catching sight of us, but the entire city was all too quiet.

‘The soldiers… aren’t moving.’

A considerable number of soldiers were standing on the castle walls. But not a single one of them turned towards us, even though the flapping of our wyverns should be very audible.

‘Hadveria, just what in the world have you done?’

Just thinking of his name made displeasure surge within me.

“Everyone… be careful.”

I uttered a grave warning to the commanders following in tense silence. Because it felt to me that I wasn’t flying towards the Imperial City of the Laviter Empire, but a massive grave…

* * *

Reaper Scans

* * *

“Huhuhu. Foolish bastards… You dare to come here…”

At an altar of blood located under the Imperial Palace, the 8th Circle mage Altakas gave a cold sneer. He had sensed the mana energy of approaching invaders a few moments ago.

“It must be you, Kyre. Kukuku, your plans are laudable, but you’ve met the wrong enemy.”

Once everything was finished in the Empire, he was planning on personally making a visit to Nerman to remove the rookie’s head from his neck. Altakas could tell that Kyre had come personally from the swarm of mana energies he could feel outside.

“Oh King of Darkness, He who shall become the Master of the World, we await thy command. The preparations to subdue the enemies are complete.”

One trait of darkness magic and the Evil God, Kerma, was that magic power was able to perform at its best at night rather than day. The black mages who loved the night had recognized the existence of invaders.

“Leave them. Allowing them to enjoy their final struggle before death should make a decent show. Kukuku.”

Despite knowing they had visitors, the 8th Circle black magic swordsman Altakas was completely at ease. Just a few minutes ago, he had made an offering to God with the blood of 100 healthy captured children. The blood, still steaming with heat, was hovering around the moist underground chamber. As it moved, some of it was sucked deep into the nostrils of the King of Darkness, Altakas, whose eyes were closed in an expression of rapture.

* * *

“All-out attack!”

“Worry not, Lord Kyre, please go straight into the Imperial Palace and kill the Emperor!”

“Haah, you’re all dead now!”

Despite our appearance, the massive covert in the castle grounds wasn’t alarmed in the least, and no one went aloft. According to what we knew, the wyverns of the Imperial Guard Skyknights should be here, the last true strength the Laviter Empire had left. Perhaps because of the sweltering weather, about a hundred wyverns were laying outside of their hangars or on the runway, as if they were asking to be killed.

‘Rest in peace, sleepyheads.’

I had nothing against the wyverns, but they had to die for Nerman to live.

“Hasifor, send them all flying with magic.”

“Got it, Master.”

The beastmen and their wyverns had followed me in silence from Nerman. They gave a brisk acquiescence to my command.

‘Go!’

But just in case things go sour, I decided to save my mana. As such, I decided to use Blessed Spears instead, so I hurled one towards a wyvern laying on the ground with all my strength.

Flash!

Glowing with mana, the Blessed Spear flashed down like a ray of light.

Flaaaaash!

My spear did not travel alone. More spears of death descended simultaneously, fired by the Kesmire Skyknights.

Spluuuuurt! Bam! Kuaaaaaaaaaak! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!

The agonized screams of the wyverns given a rude awakening pierced the air.

“Fire Blast!”

“Lightning Rain!”

“Flame Cannon!”

“Explosion!”

Through my visor, I saw the beastmen vigorously casting the 6th Circle spells they had recently mastered and memorized.

Schwiiiiiiiiip. Boooooooooooom! Fwooooooooooooooooosh! Babaaaaaaam! Bzzzzzzzzzt.

The fireworks show of spells exploded on the grounds by the hangar. Burning and exploding blue fangs of lightning rampaged like a storm.

‘I have to find the Emperor.’

We neutralized the important forces in the covert. Our next goal was the Emperor.

“Princess Chrisia, please cover me.”

“Yes, Lord Kyre!”

I had long since perfectly memorized the layout of the Emperor’s palace.

“Bebeto, let’s go over there!”

Guooooooooooo!

With a cry of excitement fueled by the thrill of battle, Bebeto quickly moved to the inner castle that I had designated as our destination.

“Secure the treasury of the Imperial Family. If any ground troops appear, eliminate them without hesitation!”

Like a real daughter of a pirate, Elsia shouted a mana-charged command to the Skyknights in her fleet to secure the booty. It was a good thing the helmet’s communicator had a function to reduce sounds of a certain volume, because otherwise, that excited woman warrior’s voice would have burst my eardrums.

‘But why… why do I still have a bad feeling about this?’

PR/N: Gee kyre, I wonder if it has to do with the fact that, despite being the largest empire on the continent, you’re barely facing any opposition.

My eyes clearly saw spears landing squarely on the Gold Wyverns, but a sense of foreboding still lingered in me. I knew for certain that the answer would be revealed when I met the Emperor.

* * *

The Emperor’s Palace in the inner castle was supposed to be the place where you could normally find the Emperor, but he wasn’t there. In fact, not only was the Emperor not there, but the Imperial Knights were also nowhere to be seen.

‘What the hell is going on?’

I looked all over the place with my sword unsheathed, but no one was in the room where the Emperor slept. I rapidly ran to the window and looked outside.

‘There’s really no one here…?’

I had infiltrated the Emperor’s room through the window using Fly, thus avoiding any potential Imperial Guard Knights who might be standing guard. However, to my shock, I couldn’t sense anyone not only in the room, but outside of it as well. It was almost… as if I had come to a ghost town.

Booooom! Craaaaaaash!

If I didn’t know the beastmen were out there hurling spells, I would have thought that someone was making a pointless racket outside. It was just that deathly quiet inside the palace.

“Huh?”

As the din continued outside, a group of knights suddenly began to pop out of the darkness under the palace, like they were coming from the shadows themselves. Their enemies were making a mess all over the place, but the knights’ movements were as leisurely as ever. They scattered into every direction, so calm that they were even marching in time, their armor sounding a rhythmic beat. Their utter calm seemed to say that the current situation had nothing to do with them.

“Ah! Wh-What the hell?!”

“Uwaahhh! D-Dead wyverns are flying into the air!”

“My… my god…”

The alarmed voices of the commanders rang in my helmet.

‘What do they mean dead wyverns are flying up?!’

I was so shocked that my heart nearly skipped a beat.

“Master, strange creatures are riding the wyverns. I can’t feel any lifeforce from them.”

An alarming explanation came from the communication line the beastmen had exclusively with me.

‘He can’t feel any lifeforce from them?’

Whirrrrrrrrrr.

That wasn’t all. The yin-attribute mana mixed into my mana was thrashing, beginning to activate on its own, almost like iron being pulled towards a magnet.

‘I-It can’t be…’

And then, a terrifying thought struck me.

“A-Altakas!”

I had certainly received information from the Haildrian Empire that Altakas was active somewhere. But he had been far too quiet. I didn’t expect an impatient 8th Circle black magic swordsman to change his ways, so I was inwardly prepared for him to spring out of nowhere. I just never thought that we would be experiencing this chilling terror here, in the Laviter Imperial Palace.

“By the gods, they’re attacking!”

“L-Lord Kyre! The guys riding the dead wyverns are still perfectly fine after getting hit by spears!”

Elsia and Chrisia’s screams pierced my ears. This wasn’t the time for me to be standing around in a daze.

“Fl—”

I was about to cast Fly in order to reach Bebeto in the sky, but at that moment, I felt a frosty aura behind me. My body instinctively screamed a warning, telling me that the moment I cast my spell, something would punch through my body. The incantation died in my throat, and gripping my sword tightly, I slowly turned around. 

“Huhuhu…”

And then, I heard a voice. Inside this room that had been empty until moments ago, someone was there. I turned my head.

“Ahh…”

A breath—a groan—fell unbidden from my lips.

A man was standing there. I had no idea how long, or since when. There was a gold dragon embroidered on his crimson cloak.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lord of Nerman, Kyre…”

He knew me.

“You are…?”

“Me? In this Empire, they call me their ruler, Emperor Hadveria… but those who knew me in the past call me this: He Who Came From Hell… the Black Magic Swordsman of Destruction, Altakas. Kukukuku…”

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