21st Century Archmage

Translator: Lei

Proofreader: Imagine

“Tell me what you know about the military commander here.”

“Count Yaix? Hes a natural-born field commander. His sword skills have reached Master level and hes even got the bravery not to back down in front of his enemies. Not a single person here has complaints regarding Count Yaix. Even now, its only because he is defending at a fort on the front lines that the people here can still one way or another live another day.”

Ryker pronounced his trust towards Count Yaix with a firm voice. “Hes famous within the empire, too. He is a noble who started as an ordinary knight and rose to counthood with his skills.”

[TN: Everyone said Count Yaix, but in my heart, his name is Count Yikes. That is all.]

“Why is someone like him here? A count isnt someone that can be pushed around so easily even within the empire.”

“You can see it as Count Yaix having almost no political power even though he has outstanding military force. Due to the fact he doesnt have noble origins, is from a regular knight family, and has a loyal, incorruptible temperament, he has long been ostracized by the other nobles.” Derval spoke as if he also knew.

“Hes different from what I expected. Because he left someone like Lukence alone, I thought he was an incompetent noble greedy for money…”

“Its probably because of the Skyknights. Its been about 5 years since Count Yaix was assigned here. But most of the Skyknights who came with him were killed in close combat due to pirates and those from the damned Temir tribes, and the only wyvern left is the one the count himself rides. Thats probably why hes left Viscount Lukence, who has so many Skyknights, alone.”

‘Hooh, wouldnt you know, his situational evaluation is pretty outstanding too.”

I thought he only showed his skills when it came to chasing girls, but Ryker even had the ability to properly evaluate the situation. He divided the hundreds of mercenaries by skill level within a single day, and even appointed centurions to command them. He was more talented than I could have ever thought.

“Where is he now?”

“He is most likely in the northern territory where the Temir, demon beasts, and monsters frequently show up. In that direction, its a completely clear flatland unprotected by mountains.”

“Will you go meet him at once, sir?” asked Derval after listening to Rykers explanation.

The three of us had gathered in my office for a night meeting. I was looking for the best thing I could achieve with the means I had in hand.

“No, not yet… That aside, is Denfors public security and defense entrusted to the soldiers under the military commander?”

“That is ambiguous. The castle wall and the important forts in the area are being defended by the military commanders soldiers, but the citys public security is being arbitrarily enforced by Viscount Lukences soldiers. I believe Viscount Lukence has some kind of agreement with the commander.”

“Then if we attack Viscount Lukences men and chase them out of the city, what do you think the commander will do?”

“Im not sure….”

“Huhu. Dont worry about that. The commanders soldiers wont help Viscount Lukence.” An inscrutable grim smile on his face, Ryker said his words with absolute certainty.

“Why?”

“Most of the soldiers defending Denfors are native residents. In Nerman, when you become a man, you either become a mercenary or voluntarily enlist. Otherwise, itd be hard for them to feed their families.”

“Are Viscount Lukences men like that too?”

“Most likely, yes. Most of the mercenaries who came here are Nerman residents as well. Foreign mercenaries wouldnt want to butt heads with Viscount Lukence.”

“So why come to me?”

“Its an explosion of rage. They can endure their disappointment towards the empire that made them this way, but their hearts are already filled with resentment towards Viscount Lukence, who has squeezed everyones necks to suffocation. For them, you are their hope, Kyre-nim.”

‘Ara? There was a blaze lit in Rykers eyes.Hes actually got a pretty fiery sense of justice.

Inwardly, I admired the hot rage burning within Rykers eyes. I could tell that unlike his “I am a gigolo face”, there were pretty decent thoughts swimming around in his head.

“Argh! Lukence, that dirty and shameless bastard, is absolutely guilty of high treason that cannot be forgiven even with death!”

“High treason?”

As if he had been enduring his anger for a long time, Ryker clenched his fists with a resentful voice. I picked up on the wordshigh treason.

“That bastard, who I wanna hit two thousand times and then some! Hes selling off MY divinely blessed ladies to other places, an act that deserves divine punishment! Human trafficking!! Those blossoming ladies I couldnt even hold yet… I CANNOT forgive him! I will put my very soul on the line until the day that that bastard, Lukence, is chased out!”

“…..”

Once Ryker finished, Derval and I could only gape slack-jawed.

The reason he hated Lukence so much was actually only because Lukence trafficked the women who were supposed to receive Rykers love.

‘Argh! Im definitely selling him off later! Its dangerous to leave him by my side!

I made a decision.

One day, I would chase Lukence off.

And Ryker? I would either sell this guy off as a slave or send him on a raft to a land far, far away.

* * *

‘To think its this much…

“Oi, over there! Stand in line, darn it!”

“All the hangars are full, so set up tents outside!”

After a long night of thinking about various things, I fell asleep for a while and woke up to a new morning. Because of the refugees rushing in, the covert began a bustling day even before sunrise.

“There are over a thousand mercenaries and refugees gathered. We are in immediate need of food for breakfast.”

Derval was just as overwhelmed as I was. Rumors must have spread, because people with barely any clothes on their backs or food in their bellies came rushing into the coverts doors holding their families hands. The mercenaries moved around noisily organizing the refugees.

“Send someone to the Rubis Merchants and go get the necessary goods. Then distribute things for accommodation and food.”

“Understood.”

How much had they suffered for most of them to be as thin as a stick? After struggling to live in the shadows of Denfors, to which they had grown accustomed to poverty, these people came to me. I couldnt just heartlessly chase them out.

‘Rotten bastard…

The main culprit for everything was Viscount Lukence. My heart grew cold with surging rage.

“Sir Knight! Please find our daughter for us!”

“Sob sob… oh merciful sir knight, please, please find my poor daughter…”

Among the refugees was a middle-aged couple who had been asking the mercenaries something before running towards me and kneeling, tears beginning to fall from their eyes.

“What is the matter?” I asked.

“Sh-she is our only daughter, just barely twelve years old… Argh. The soldiers of Viscount Lukence took her, saying we should pay the protection fee! Sir Knight! I will serve you for the rest of my life, so please just find my daughter. For her to be sold as a slave is… too unfair!”

A fully-grown man resisted his tears as he burst out in sobs.

“Please find my little sister as well!”

“Sir Knight! Please find my mom!”