21st Century Archmage

Chapter 70: Under the Falling Rain

“Pour!”

Guuuuurgle.

“Raise the stones and stack them!”

‘Whew… It’s been a seriously crazy month.’

After the start of the monster subjugation, a tight schedule of hard, grueling combat continued without end.

Haiton Village was evacuated after the attack of the Temir. Too many parts of the castle wall were broken, and if something like this happened again, the soldiers and residents could get hurt, so I sent the command to have everyone withdraw to Orakk Castle.

Then, the monster subjugation continued.

One month passed of riding Bebeto to scout from the sky, sending the cavalry to blitz the enemies down, and advancing forward. Blue monster blood had colored the soldiers’ armor so deeply that it couldn’t be washed away, and their swords were also nearly worn down to nubs.

‘We must have killed millions,’ I thought to myself.

We hunted up to 200,000 monsters every day. Most orcs and monsters lived in villages of several hundred to a thousand, and we completely wiped out multiple villages in around an hour.

‘It must have been a good time for the soldiers as well.’

Now, I was standing at Fort Ciaris, the former last large-scale fort in southern Nerman.

The enormously large fort, which could house at least 100,000 soldiers, was now undergoing repairs.

This was the outcome we had achieved after pushing back the monsters all the way to the Rual Mountains. A safe zone was secured starting from the route to the Havis Kingdom.

“My liege, will that stone powder mush really make the castle wall sturdy?”

Looking skeptically at the mortar paste of cement and shells being poured onto the crumbled or exposed parts of Fort Ciarias, Ryker expressed his doubt.

“Wanna make a bet?”

“Huhu. Sure! If I win, give me as much bonus this month as my wage. Also, an extraordinary rest for one week.”

“What kind of confidence are you riding on to make such a bet?”

“I have never lost a bet in my life. To be honest, I ended up leaving home because of a bet as well. My father promised to give me something incredible if I am able to safely spend 5 years outside.”

I didn’t know the exact details of what Ryker was saying, but I could tell it was no ordinary situation. He was pretending to be a mercenary and playing around, but he couldn’t hide his aristocrat aura. His fancy curly blue hair sparkled in the sun.

“If that stone powder mush is unable to perfectly reconstruct the castle wall in a fortnight’s time, I will give you what you want.”

“Hahaha! Great. If I lose, I will serve you a month for free.”

Idiot Ryker snickered with happiness without knowing a single thing.

Normally, cement would harden and set after a day. And as long as the daily average temperature was 59 degrees celsius or above, the curing would be completed in about a week. Of course, that wasn’t coming from experience, but the knowledge planted in my brain by Master.

‘They’ll come running in full-force soon.’

Hundreds of thousands of monsters had been chased off into the Rual Mountains. In the past, the Bajran Empire had faltered at the stupidly powerful counteroffensive of the monsters and were forced to give up Nerman.

But I was different.

I would protect Nerman no matter what and transform it into a place of peace.

“Repairing the official road is also an urgent matter,” said Janice, whose face was black from all the toil under the sun these last few months. “This fort is too close to the Rual Mountains and far from Denfors. I heard that in the past, an ambush from the monsters made the delivery of supplies difficult, forcing a retreat from this fort. We will need to take countermeasures for that as well.”

Even though she held a formal baroness peerage, Janice silently shouldered the dirty work under my command. She ran patrols over the trade route day after day, and after the start of the monster subjugation plan, she spent all her time glued to her wyvern’s back.

“We’ll keep going like this for now. Once the rainy season ends, the official road construction will begin in full force.”

The standard for road construction here was basically just placing signs saying it was a road throughout the plains. Roads paved with stones were basically only found in cities or forts, and outside, any path traveled by carriages and horses quickly became an official road. At Fort Ciaris, where even that kind of ‘official road’ was lacking, soldiers and the carpenters and blacksmiths we had brought over were hard at work repairing the castle walls.

‘Better to drip sweat now than to lose blood later.’

The midsummer heat was sweltering down, and the sultry wind blowing from the sea increased Nerman’s humidity.

However, the soldiers did not stop.

Because they knew very well that this place was a base necessary for the survival of them and their children.

* * *

“What do you wish to do? The line of parties who wish to see him punished is growing endlessly. Not just the Imperial Family and the Corvain Merchants, who have contributed a considerable amount to your financial affairs, Your Excellency, but also Gauss, Ildorian, and every other magic tower want something to be done about him. I believe it is time for a decision, Your Excellency.”

“Haah, I didn’t even imagine that he would be so strong. How is it possible that he is a magic swordsman at that age…”

“I deeply apologize, Your Excellency. I should have taken care of him for certain back then…”

“No. It isn’t your fault. It is my fault for not properly assessing his skills,” said Duke Ormere de Fasain, one of the most influential people of the Bajran Empire.

All the Bajran Empire nobles shared the belief that Duke Ormere, the little brother of the Queen and uncle of the Crown Prince, was a person with power greater than that of the Emperor.

Not long ago, the Emperor had caught an illness that lingered and refused to go away. Most people knew that Crown Prince Poltviran would soon rise to the throne.

And the most influential person of the empire, Ormere, received petitions from several of his backers, petitions asking him to take care of a certain rat in Nerman.

“According to the information, he has somehow managed to acquire over twenty wyverns. Along with the 20,000 men Count Yaix passed over to him, as well as the knight-order level mercenaries that scampered over to him, he has secured a military force that cannot be ignored, in no time at all.”

“If he was someone who could be finished with a frontal fight, the others wouldn’t have stayed still. What a pain…”

Duke Ormere didn’t want to bother with things like this, but all the people wanting punishment were supporters of Duke Ormere and Crown Prince Poltviran.

Small lines appeared on Duke Ormere’s forehead.

“What do you think about summoning him?” said Viscount Parkess, the Duke’s right-hand man, his eyes flashing.

“Summoning him? That would be good, but would he come? As long as he isn’t a fool, he should be well aware of the current situation…”

“He should come if we throw bait he cannot refuse.”

“Bait he cannot refuse?”

Ormere’s eyes also lit up with a gleam after hearing Viscount Parkess, who was rumored to be a crafty schemer.

“It will soon be His Imperial Majesty’s birthday. We should use that occasion.”

“….?”

Ormere looked questioningly at Parkess.

“Say he will be appointed as the formal lord of Nerman and conferred a peerage. It seems Count Yaix said good things about the bastard to His Imperial Majesty anyway, so it is a good opportunity.”

“Oho! So there was that way. So we call him, find fault with him, and deal with him…”

“Exactly. The moment he enters empire territory, he will merely be a rat stuck in a vase. As long as we are able to drag him out of Nerman, everything will go smoothly. And the result will be even more certain if you use that person, Your Excellency.”

“That person? Ah!!”

After a moment of thought, the Duke seemed to realize something, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips.

“You handle the preparations. I will provide full support if there’s anything you need.”

“Just believe in me, Your Excellency.”

And then, the two men quietly discussed a few other important things.

In that manner, a new scheme was hatched in the Bajran Empire, showing that a person flying high would always invite unwanted attention one day.

“Hohoho. Alright, now Lamis is it. Everyone, hide well!”

“Yes!”

Da da da da.

The kids scattered into all directions at the words of kindergarten teacher Aramis.

‘There sure are a lot of them now.’

Because I was busy going all over the territory on Bebeto’s back every day, I hadn’t been at the covert for a few days.

After all that toil, I finally had a chance to return, and found that the covert had completely become a children’s playground.

With a little exaggeration, it felt like there were a hundred kids.

“My liege, welcome back.”

Derval had become stick-thin from handling the task of continuous battles and providing rear support. He looked tired, but his eyes were gleaming with light.

“Where did those children come from?”

“They are orphans.”

“Orphans?”

“Yes, Aramis-nim went out of the city not long ago and brought over all of the children who lost their homes. I will take measures if it displeases you.”

“Is that so? Then take measures right away.”

“Pardon?”

Derval showed visible shock at my command, which I gave without a single thought.

“Isn’t that what you said you would do?”

“B-But…”

“Don’t drag it out and make a building on one side of the covert. You can have temporary workers build it as long as they do a good job. And make sure to prepare plenty of food for them too.”

“…..”

Derval looked at me once again with emotional eyes.

This was something I should do as a matter of course. I was busy so I had briefly forgotten, but the fathers and mothers of these kids had most certainly died for Nerman’s sake. Also, kids were the territory’s future. Throwing away kids like that was even worse than selling your conscience to the devil.

“As you command!” shouted Derval belatedly.

‘Seriously, there’s so much to do.’

Aramis’ arrival had returned the life to Denfors. She was just a single priestess, but she had incredible holy power, so she could cover Denfors on her own.

Plop plop, plop plop plop.

‘Hm?’

I was going to the office after giving Derval my command when I suddenly felt raindrops.

Then, the sky filled with clouds began to pour down rain, as if it had been waiting for the right moment.

The much-heard-of rainy season of Nerman was here.

“Haa…”

Dust flew from the parched earth as it cooled, drinking in the water greedily.

And I stood there, letting myself get hit by the rain.

This unpolluted, natural mineral water could be drunk as it was.

I closed my eyes.

The rain that cooled my hot body and soul…

…was definitely a gift prepared for me by the gods.

* * *

“W-What did you say? Priestess Aramis is at Nerman?”

“Yes. According to the information we requested from the Information Guild, she is in the city of Denfors in Nerman, an annexed territory of the Bajran Empire.”

“Argh… No wonder we were unable to find her when she was hiding somewhere so far away!”

After Aramis left, Pontiff Hedor had spent every day on a bed of hot nails.

At the news that she was found, he ground his teeth.

Hedor hadn’t done her any favors, but he also hadn’t abused her. He had given her the highest regard so that she could live a comfortable life as long as she quietly produced holy water. But Priestess Aramis had run away without a single word.

“Kidnap her,” ordered Pontiff Hedor to the temple’s paladin.

“That is impossible. Priestess Aramis is under the protection of the lord there, a man named Kyre. And she is even in the covert in the middle of the city.”

“You stupid fool! No one said YOU should be doing it! It’ll be easy if you use a contract guild, won’t it?”

“…..”

The paladin was a sacred servant of god, but Hedor shook his finger at the man with extreme rudeness. However, the paladin was unable to retort. Having tasted the black money given by Hedor, he was no longer a true paladin, just one of the devil’s many pawns.

“I will do as you say.”

“It doesn’t matter how much money it takes, tell them to bring her without a single scratch. They must not even let a strand of her hair fall!”

The last few months, Pontiff Hedor had been plagued by nightmares. He was able to overcome the crisis by using the stockpiled holy water in the temple, but there wasn’t much left. But finally, the woman they had searched for all this time was found.

‘When she comes back this time, I’ll lock her up in the underground chapel. So that she can never step foot outside ever again. Huhuhu.’

Hedor chuckled darkly to himself.

He didn’t know.

He was completely unaware of the calamity he would bring upon himself the moment he laid his hands on Aramis.

* * *

Pitter patter, pitter patter.

The rain had fallen for a few days already, soaking the castle walls of Denfors. It wasn’t a downpour, but even a drizzle would wet clothes; the rain that fell like spring showers drenched the earth.

‘It finally looks like a place made for people…’

During the rainy season, the monsters and every enemy did not act, so there was a short period of peace. I removed the airplate that I always wore, wearing a water wicking adventuring robe as I walked around the castle.

My steps led me to the castle wall. I was only wearing a nondescript adventuring robe, but because of my black hair, everyone recognized me, and I hustled to the castle wall to flee from the residents kneeling on the wet ground.

‘The corn will ripen soon. As well as the potatoes, and the wheat…’

The wide plains in front of Denfors were much safer than other places. Instead of wildflowers or grass, the crops responsible for Nerman’s life were busy showing off who was greener. Perhaps because Aramis had disinfected the seeds with a blessing, the crops had overwhelmed the weeds and were blanketing the wide fields.

Looking at them warmed my heart.

Soon, next year or a few years later, all of Nerman would overflow with this kind of plentitude.

No, I would make sure that happened.

My paradise did not involve the starving and sick, after all.

‘Hm?’

After I appeared, the soldiers raised a salute before quietly vacating the premises. I was standing alone on the highest part of the castle wall when I heard soft footsteps coming towards me.

“So you were here.”

‘Aramis….’

Aramis had been busy recently taking care of the orphans. She made the holy water I requested every morning and spent the whole day protecting the covert with love, our guardian angel behind the scenes.

Aramis approached me with a bright smile.

“Why are you out here, what if your clothes get wet?

“Pft, so now you are worrying about me?”

“…..”

Aramis was acting sulky in front of me.

My heart trembled.

She was so cute as she stood there pouting her lips through the hood of the wet robe.

Anyone whose heart didn’t race seeing that was a weirdo.

“How nice…”

Walking up to my side, she looked at the blessings of the earth visible over the castle walls. I followed her gaze and filled my eyes with the joyful sight of the fields again.

“I’m happy…”

They were just two words, but Aramis put her heart into them.

“Even more so because Kyre-nim is here…”

Those brilliant words rang out quietly amongst a symphony of raindrops.

I unconsciously reached for Aramis’ hand.

As I took her robed hand, I felt a tremble go through her.

At that moment, the thought that she was a priestess who had to live her entire life serving God did not occur to me.

I simply wanted to hold her warm hand.

Pitter patter, pitter patter.

‘It was like this that time, too.’

On Earth, on that one rainy day, Seo Ye-rin had skipped over to me, saying she wanted one shoulder to get wet.

But I couldn’t keep thinking of her while holding Aramis’ hand.

Clench.

I tried to pull out my hand, but Aramis grabbed it softly, but firmly.

Craaaaaack!

“Oh my!”

Suddenly, lightning crashed near the castle walls.

“…..!!”

A certain little bird jumped into my embrace.

Pitter patter, pitter patter.

Blue raindrops the color of the sky fell unceasingly on her and me.

And just like that, the two of us found ourselves in a place where time had stopped.

As the rain fell….

Just like that….