21st Century Archmage Chapter 61 - Don’t Like It? You Try Being the Lord Then

Chapter 61: Don’t Like It? You Try Being the Lord Then

‘Ohh! Mana is boiling up everywhere!’

Hot smoke was drifting up, as if there were furnaces everywhere in the dwarf city. And surprisingly enough, all of the smoke was getting sucked up towards the ceiling as if there was a good ventilation system installation.

Among all the furnaces, there was one huge chimney occupying the highest position. I could feel mana pitching and rolling in there.

‘Why don’t you guys all just relax.’

All the dwarves, who were bearded like Master Roshi, were bristling with tension as they guarded .

‘So lady dwarves don’t have any beards, huh.’

I was t with a chilly reception, but I was looking around the dwarven city without a hint of fear.

‘Besides the veggies they’re growing, they’re not doing nearly enough farming. So that’s why they need wheat…’

The Dwarven Village was as big as most cities. It would definitely be impossible to feed a city this big through hunting alone. Of course, if orc at could be eaten like pork belly, then it would be a different story.

Clang clang! Clang clang! Clang clang!

‘Sure sounds nice.’

The clanging of the hamr matched my leisurely steps.

“Prepare yourself!” barked the dwarven warrior walking at the front. He stopped in front of the two-story building standing in the deepest part of the city, then called politely towards the closed door, “Patriarch, a human has co looking for you from the outside.”

“A human?”

The voice of Cassiars, which I had heard once before, ca from inside.

Creaaak.

The door opened, revealing Cassiars with his white beard and short legs.

“It is nice to et you, esteed Patriarch. The Lord of Nerman, Kyre, pays his respects.”

I folded into a crisp 90°, as if greeting a neighborhood grandpa.

“…Lord?”

“Haha, that is the case. I have recently co to govern Nerman. That is why I ca to pay my respects—”

“Chase him out!”

‘Just look at this old gentleman.’

Patriarch Cassiars ordered the dwarves to chase out like there was nothing more to hear.

Cl-clang.

As if waiting for that order, the dwarven warriors imdiately raised their axes, which looked scary enough to end a cow in one swipe, and surrounded threateningly.

“I heard a rumor that the magic furnace that could be called the lifeblood of the dwarves is broken…”

I ntioned the magic furnace with a leisurely expression.

“What would you do about that?” asked the Patriarch in surprise.

“I am a mage.”

With a grin, I drew on my mana. The mana locked in my mana circle whirred to life, oppressing the surroundings with its intensity.

“Ah!”

The dwarven warriors that could use mana were startled by the fierce mana vibration.

“Mm…” humd the Patriarch. He looked at with eyes that revealed the length of his years. “Fix the magic furnace. If you do so, then we will recognize you as a friend. However, if you cannot fix it…”

The Patriarch did not continue, fixing with cold eyes instead.

No words were necessary. It was left unsaid that he would bury deep in the earth or tie up and throw to the orcs.

‘Alright then, let’s give it a try. Magic furnace, how hard can it be?’

This was the boldness of a person whose master was considered the best human mage around.

“Please lead to it,” I said with an easy air and a relaxed expression.

If you just sat around being afraid, you wouldn’t be able to earn a thing.

I was soone with courage.

And the heavens would definitely reward .

Or well… If they didn’t, then this was it for , lol.

* * *

‘Wow!’

I followed the Patriarch, the dwarven warriors, and the hundred or so dwarves who must have heard the news and co to see.

Before long, we arrived at the magic furnace. It was situated at the place where I had seen the huge chimney when I entered the cavern.

Fwoooooooosh.

The magic furnace shone not with bright red fire, but only pale light.

A magic circle of around 5 ters in diater was deployed around the furnace made of ochre-red steel.

‘Hm? This skill, haven’t I seen it sowhere before?’

Magic circles had set formulas, but there were also modified formulas that relied on one’s ability. In the case of magic furnaces in particular, the performance of the furnace could be worlds apart depending on the skill of the mage.

And this furnace’s magic circle… was very familiar to my eyes. It reminded of handiwork I had seen a few tis on Earth.

“Can you fix it?”

Seeing examining the magic circle closely, Patriarch Cassiars asked with a careful tone that differed from the frigidity he had shown at first.

“This is Aidal-nim’s work…”

“!! Y-you, how can you tell!?”

As soon as Aidal, Master Bumdalf’s real na, ca out, the Patriarch reeled in shock.

“I have learned under that person’s disciple before.”

I couldn’t go out and reveal that I was actually Master’s disciple. To put it simply, there was no knowing what Master Aidal, the Golden-Eyed Reaper, had done here. Honestly, if he was mortal enemies with the dwarves, any hope for cooperation with these prickly-tempered dwarves would go flying off to Mars.

“OHH! How can this be! After Aidal-nim disappeared, we searched for him so much, but to think we could et the disciple of his disciple here! Your na was Kyre? I thank you for appearing in our ti of true difficulty!”

‘Ara? His relationship with the dwarves was good?’

It was a completely unexpected variable. Instead of cursing the Golden-Eyed Reaper Aidal with words like ‘bastard,’ ‘rotten jerk,’ or ‘f*cking servant of the devil,’ the Patriarch referred to him with honorifics. Since he was a dwarf, a race that had no interest in lying, I knew he ant it.

“Haha, it is truly fortunate that we t. Even now, I can see that due to other mages ssing up several places over the years, the mana has been slowly building up. If things went wrong, it could have resulted in a massive explosion within a month,” I said.

“I-It was that severe??”

“My goodness… To think it was that dangerous.”

After the Patriarch expressed his shock, the other dwarves waiting for his reaction muttered with fearful expressions. If a massive explosion occurred here, underground, as long as you weren’t a goldfish whose head was just for decoration, you would know that this place would beco your grave.

‘They’re pretty cowardly despite all their big muscles.’

Of course, only I knew that it was all an exaggeration.

‘Huhu, massive explosion my ass, there’s a safety circuit, so it would never explode.’

I hadn’t made it myself, but my understanding of the magic circuitry grew by leaps and bounds just by looking at it. It was true that the flow of mana had turned strange because of other mages ssing with it, but the situation wasn’t so perilous that it would endanger people’s lives.

“But who touched the magic circle so carelessly? From the looks of it, it seems they tried to increase the performance, but… Tsk tsk. I don’t know who it was, but it’s like they were trying to get themselves killed by pouring oil on their body and throwing themselves towards a Fireball.”

I had to make sure to drive the point ho—I emphasized the fact that if any other mage aside from could die if they touched the magic circle.

“T-That is…”

Unable to speak, Patriarch Cassiars’ face flushed. It was definitely soone he was well-acquainted with.

“In order to increase the performance, a Grade 2 magic crystal will be necessary. From what I can see, the magic crystal slotted in isn’t even genuine, and it will take several days for to fix the damage to the magic circle, but is that alright with you?”

“So you can fix it?! OHH! As expected of the disciple of Aidal-nim’s disciple, how reliable! Those other human mages just frowned!”

“My throat is so dry for so reason… Maybe because we are underground, but I am parched. A refreshing glass of beer would be perfect at a ti like this…”

“What are you lot doing! Hurry and prepare so beer! No, gather all the dwarves! Today, a rare friend has co, so we will hold a festival!”

The ntion of a festival ca out of nowhere.

“F-festival!”

“WOOHOO! The Patriarch has ordered a festival!”

“Everyone, gather in the plaza! FESTIVAAAAL!!!”

‘Kek, do they like festivals that much?’

This was no ordinary level of excitent. It was like the principal announcing on speakerphone on a drowsy midsumr day during class that school was cancelled the next day. The dwarves were going that wild. The word ‘festival’ rang out all over the expansive cavern, and soon, dwarves ca rushing out from the woodwork like a flood.

And then, it began.

The festival of the Dwarven Village, an event I could have never predicted.

“Hiccup… Gurk.”

Swoooosh.

‘Urgh!’

Have you heard of it, sothing called a drunken flight?

‘It’s spinning, spinning~ Round and round and round~’

The terrifying festival that ensued in the great underground city of the dwarves…

It might technically be called a festival, but in reality, it was a horrifying drinking arena to test who could drink beer the fastest and die.

Even the beer snack was simple.

A single piece of well-seasoned jerky… and a huge mug.

Interestingly enough, the mug possessed a cold attribute, like it was dredged from ice, and the dwarves ca out dragging containers of beer that looked to be at least a hundred liters.

Thump thump thump!

Then, it began.

With a strange drumming noise in the background, I had to down a nearly 1 liter mug in one go.

Everything was an unconditional one-shot.

Even though beer ran down their white beards, the dwarves didn’t stop. And even when they reached their limit while drinking and collapsed, those terrifying drunkards never let go of their mugs.

As if they had beco enemies with alcohol in their previous lives, the dwarves emptied the beer with wild indiscretion.

This beer culture was the only thing they had learned from humans.

And then, I found out…

…That the patriarch of the Dwarven Village was not chosen by age, but by drinking ability.

“Hiccup…”

In order to live, I desperately escaped the village. With a warning blaring in my mind that if I drank any more, I could die, I used the spell Fly to barrel through the stretch of booby traps before opening the stone door and returning to the outside world.

Even amidst all of that, I made a promise. A promise with the Patriarch and all of the dwarves that I would co back in a few days to repair the magic circle, and that they would trade exclusively with .

“Huhu…”

I shot into the sky before dizzily landing back onto the ground, and then using Fly again, all with a contented smile on my face.

‘Jackpot.’

I had earned an enormous harvest at the Dwarven Village, a harvest that could not be calculated with money.

Using the stars in the sky as a map, I flew towards Orakk Castle, where Bebeto was waiting.

‘This is where it begins. The beautiful dream of the human Kang Hyuk!’

Even as I used Fly magic without Bebeto and leisurely continued my drunken flight through the moonless sky late at night, I made an oath.

To fly, fly without rest until the day my dream beca a reality.

* * *

“Hurry and get out of the way! We are the Corvain rchants that can go through every territory and castle in the empire!”

“In the end, not a single person may enter! If you do not listen, then—!”

Cl-cl-clang!

In front of Denfors’ castle gate, around 10 knights were blocking the entrance, with hundreds of archers atop the walls with their arrows on the ready. In addition, there were easily 1,000 soldiers with dangerous gleams in their eyes on the other side of the gate in battle-ready positions.

The Corvain rchants stood in front of the gate, their path into the city barred. In the skies above Denfors, four wyverns with Skyknights holding Blessed Spears were blocking the approach of the rcenary wyverns.

“I am a Vice-master of the Gauss Magic Tower. Move aside!”

After Deputy Theske was unable to clear the path, the 6th Circle mage Harkline went forward as he revealed his position.

Cl-clang!

Harkline was confidently striding towards the open castle gate when a knight’s sword blocked him.

“Y-You impudent—!”

Harkline’s stick-thin fra trembled like a willow in the wind. Ever since he beca a mage, Harkline had never once been treated this way.

“Do you wish to die!”

A re knight asked Harkline, soone who could talk at the sa table with empire nobles, if he wanted to die.

“Argh…” Harkline’s body trembled in rage that was on the verge of exploding.

However, the situation wasn’t very good. He could deal with the knight in front of him, but even a 6th Circle mage feared a rain composed of hundreds of arrows. He would perish if he did anything.

“Please let us et the Lord. I an Kyre-nim!”

The situation was so urgent that the words “lord” and “Kyre-nim” automatically sprung from Theske’s mouth. In order to acquire new goods in Denfors, the caravan had gone on a forced march. They even tossed the wet wheat on the way here and ca as fast as they could, but they were unable to go into the city and made to sit outside the gates.

“Please wait a short mont! The Lord has been inford, so we will hear back soon!”

The knights blocking the gate with their swords drawn were also people who could use mana, so they knew that there were mostly knight-level rcenaries and a high circle mage in front of them.

However, in the end, they were not fearful and they did not retreat.

Because this was a command sent down from their almighty Lord.

Their Lord had sent down a strict command to not let anyone from the rchant group into the city.

The skills of the native Nerman knights had grown by great strides these days. Thanks to training on the magic circles made by the Lord, their mana quantity had greatly increased. And in proportion to that increase, their loyalty to the Lord also grew to the max.

“Everyone, make way! The Lord is here!”

Just then, the person the Corvain rchants had fervently awaited for, Kyre, had made his entrance.

“Salute!”

At the sa ti, the knights and soldiers cried out a military salute, their gazes directed at Kyre burning with loyalty so strong that they would easily give up their lives for his sake.

* * *

‘You jerks, you must be burning on the inside.’

I had received a report ahead of ti that the Corvain rchants were coming. When the caravan was two days away, I sent the Rubis rchants, led personally by Jamir, in a roundabout way to the Dwarven Village.

‘The soldiers must have gathered all the wheat by now.’

After I arrived at Orakk Castle with my drunken Fly spells, I organized soldiers to sortie. I knew for sure that the Corvan rchants would throw away their wet wheat and race to Denfors, so I confird the route and sent the soldiers.

Nerman didn’t have enough to eat. We couldn’t just let top quality wheat beco orc food.

‘There are 1,000 soldiers guarding the Rubis rchants, and if the wyverns from Orakk Castle help, then they should be able to arrive there safely.’

Thanks to Corvain’s headlong charge, quite a few monsters had lost their lives in front of the Corvain rchants, which had various benefits for us.

“Y-Your Lordship! Lord Kyre!”

Theske, who had waited desperately for my arrival, yelled out at shrilly.

“Oh, if it isn’t Deputy Theske?”

Even though I was the one who told the knights to restrain Theske and Co, I feigned surprise.

‘You guys have t your maker today.’

These wicked rchants treated like so kind of beggar by trying to garner resources stemming from my territory with just a few pennies. I would help them realize today that there was always a bigger fish.

“What are you all doing? Allow Deputy Theske to co inside.”

“As you command!”

The knights blocking Theske retracted their swords to allow him in.

“Not you.”

“W-What!”

Just then, the knights restrained the dry stick of a mage who was about to take the opportunity to enter with Theske.

‘They’re doing well. It really was worth teaching them.’

Even knowing that he was a mage, the native Nerman knights didn’t flinch at all. The mage nad Harkline turned purple with rage as he glared at .

‘How dare you try to flaunt your privileges here! Bam!’

It was absurd. On my territory, if I didn’t like them, even the emperor had to do as I pleased.

“It seems you have sothing extensive to say, so let us go to my office. Prepare the horses!”

“Pardon? Y-yes…”

Theske, who followed while sneaking glances at Harkline, limply got onto the prepared horse without knowing that he was caught in a spiderweb.

* * *

“It is truly impressive. To be able to control Nerman so perfectly like this in such a short amount of ti… I have been to countless territories, but I have never seen a place where this kind of result was achieved in a short period!”

With tea in front of him in the covert headquarters, Theske started buttering up with flattery. Derval had cleaned up and repaired the city nicely, and the soldiers had been reorganized, so the system was flowing smoothly. Theske had co to Nerman a few tis before, so it seed he was being honest with his admiration.

“Alright, what matter is so important that the Deputy of the Great Corvain rchants himself cos to my door?” I asked with an apathetic expression.

Only the strong, not the weak, could enjoy this feeling of ease.

“I have co to request a small amount of help from you, Lord Kyre.”

“Help? How could I possibly assist a major rchant group… Let us hear what you have to say.”

Stroking my chin, I played dumb.

“I heard from our branch here that all of the provisions are being acquired by the territory and that there has been a ban on acquisition by outside parties. I would be thankful if you would release that ban a little.”

‘You crazy? That food was so expensive.’

I hadn’t formally beco the lord, but the empire had discarded this land and Count Yaix, the forr commander, had entrusted with full authority, so I wielded a lord’s rights however I pleased.

As one of those rights, I restricted the outside acquisition of imported provisions. The provisions ordered through the Rubis rchants and various other rchant groups continued flowing in, so Nerman didn’t have to fear starvation for the ti being, but I maintained the restriction on outside acquisition.

On his or her territory, a lord was as powerful as the emperor.

If an imperial mandate ca down, then the lord would have to follow it, but Nerman and I were already discarded, so we were free from Bajran Empire law.

Theske knew that and implored to release the outside acquisition ban. He must have realized the atmosphere here from the authoritarian attitudes of my knights and soldiers.

“It is a difficult request. As you probably know, Deputy Theske, the acquired provisions were purchased from my own pocket. Moreover, Nerman cannot currently farm, and when the rainy season cos soon, the movent of the rchant groups will be hindered, so we need a great amount of provisions. So for you to ask to release the ban is…”

I made a troubled expression while stating reasons that even Theske would be aware of.

“Just around 200 carriages is enough. Even if they are not top quality, upper quality will suffice. Since you say you used your personal funds, we will give you the appropriate compensation. Your Lordship, I am asking you with all my sincerity, so please listen to this humble one’s request.”

His confidence and pride from our first eting was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Theske was even saying sothing like ‘this humble one’ now.

Unless they were going to duke it out, a rchant would definitely choose to bow their heads like this.

“I also want to help, but it costs more than a few pennies… The market price here in Nerman is more expensive than in other places, you know…”

This electrifying feeling of reeling in a hooked fish as it struggled… Call vicious, but this guy was the fearless one who provoked first.

“We will compensate you with 1 Gold for each sack of wheat,” gritted Theske like he was yielding so great generosity.

It was a considerable amount. Including the costs of guarding it, the fee I paid the rchant group to acquire our wheat was around 1 Silver per sack. But Theske was calling out a price 10 tis as high. He must be desperate enough to give up on the gluttonous calculation of a rchant that sought profit in every corner.

“That is… There’s also the hazard pay, and storage fee to store it every day, and we had to buy cats for the mice… And the payroll of the soldiers guarding the warehouse has also been pushed back…”

I looked out the window while spouting nonsense.

“…..”

In the silence, I could hear Theske taking deep, ragged breaths.

He was probably grinding his teeth into powder at this point. He would be well aware that I was babbling nonsense right now.

But what could he do?

The one in the regrettable situation wasn’t , but Theske and the Corvain rchants.

To put it bluntly, if they didn’t like it, then they could try being the lord.

“We… We will compensate you with 3 Gold each.”

With a trembling voice, Theske presented 3 Gold per sack.

In the blink of an eye, a profit of 30 tis appeared.

If I kept doing business like this, I felt like I would beco the richest person on the continent in no ti.

“3 Gold? Hooh, well, I’m not completely pleased, but in consideration for the Deputy and the Corvain rchants, I will allow it. And I have one condition.”

“A condition?”

The guy must be thinking of as a daylight robber right now. His face stiffened slightly again.

“While you are at it, pass over the golden token endorsed by Corvain right away. And yesterday, a new traveling tax and territory usage tax were established. After doing the calculations, while the Corvain rchants were on their trade route here, the traveling tax for all the people going through the territory, the price of the orcs and monsters caught and eaten by the wyverns, the repair fees for the farmland your carriages damaged, and the price of the grass and water consud by your horses, the total adds up to 15,520 Gold. You will have to pay that along with the compensation for the wheat, I’m afraid.”

“Wh-what kind of…”

He probably wanted to say “nonsense” after that, but Theske endured and clamped down his lips.

“Why, don’t want to pay the tax?” I egged him on.

“N-no… We will settle the paynt right away!”

Biting his lips, Theske stamped down his fury.

‘You guys made evil.’

I still rembered his scornful and threatening appearance when we first t. This is why you needed power. It was so that you didn’t end up in a wretched and disgusting plight.

“Haha, as expected of a major rchant group. For you to pay the taxes for Nerman’s sake without reserve, I will give you a special 10% discount next ti.”

I fanned a burning house as I thoroughly harassed him to the point that he would sputter awake from a deep sleep at the re ntion of my na.

“Then, I am busy, so I will leave now,” said Theske, trying to leave in a hurry in case he lost more money to my clutches.

“What, going so soon? You should go after a al, at least!”

Of course, I couldn’t forget the warm manners(?) of a Korean person.

“N-No thank you. Please invite next ti. Then, good bye.”

Bending his waist low, Theske fled the office and disappeared like the wind.

“Huhu… I still haven’t stripped you down to the hairs of your ass. Just you wait.”

This was only the beginning.

In any case, both Theske and I knew very well that there wouldn’t be any reason for us to et a second ti in the future.