21st Century Archmage

“Nngh!”

Lulled by the comfort of being on Imperial territory, the Bajran Skyknights did not even run patrol flights and were fast asleep. Only the soldiers dispatched from the surrounding territories burned the midnight oil as they stood watch over the long night. Unable to resist their yawns, they struggled to keep their drowsy eyes open with no mind to appreciate the scenery of dawnbreak.

“Huh?”

One of the soldiers looking into the sky while stretching stiffened in place.

“Whats wrong?” asked the soldier keeping watch next to him, following his comrades gaze. “Ah!”

“T-Those arent birds, right?”

Appearing far away in the dark red, brightening sky was what appeared to be a flock of birds. But there were simply too many of them to think they were birds. Or rather, the soldiers were all too familiar with the creatures approaching at an incredible speed.

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaahhh!”

Their first instinct was to scream. They might be clueless soldiers, but even they were capable of realizing that the wyverns flying from the brightening Rual Mountains werent Bajran wyverns.

“E-Enemy appearance! Enemy wyverns have appeared!”

“Its an air raid! Air raid!!!!!!”

The soldiers screamed at the top of their throats.

“Uwah!”

“Wyverns are coming!”

Everyone awake whipped around at the screams of the soldiers standing watch, raising an uproar of panicked shouts with rapidly blanching faces.

“W-What?!”

Roused by the ear-piercing shrieks of the soldiers, Skyknights jumped out of their tents. Most of them had disregarded the on-duty regulations and came out in their pajamas, their airplates cast aside.

“Ahh!”

“T-Those are—!”

The Skyknights simply stared in shock, unable to even think of running to their wyverns and getting on. At the head of the unidentified wyverns flying their way was a unique hybrid wyvern, its golden stripes on black clearly visible in the crimson wash of the rising sun.

“K-Kyre has appeared!”

“The Lord of Nerman, Kyre, is attacking!”

Having figured out their enemys identity, the Skyknights rushed to their wyverns. Many of the wyverns were resting with their saddles entirely off to prepare for the big attack tomorrow. Fewer than half of the wyverns were properly fitted for battle.

Flash!

Just then, the mana-imbued Blessed Spears in the hands of the Nerman Skyknights coming right into effective range blazed forward at the Bajran wyverns dazedly waiting for their masters.

Schwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip. Schwip schwip schwip schwip schwip.

A great procession of spears whizzed through the air like murderous hail falling on a clear sky.

* * *

Kweeeeeeeeeeeeehhh! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!

The horrible death cries of the wyverns that were hit filled the camp.

Because of the Empires power, the wyverns had never fought a real battle before, much less experienced the pain of a wound inflicted in battle. To allow for a comfortable rest, over half of them werent wearing wyvern armor. Deadly spears full of mana rained down on their utterly defenseless bodies, plunging in so deeply that only the hilts could be seen.

“W-Whats going on!”

Last night, Poltviran held a drinking party using the meeting with the nobles as a pretext and went to sleep with a lovely woman in his arms. Although the broken flag had injured his face, the best quality holy water and an imperial cleric was always prepared around him, so the wound was healed to perfection. In this early morning, far earlier than his usual wakeup time, his eyes opened to the ear-piercing shrieks of wyverns.

“Your Majesty!”

The exclusive tent of the Emperor maintained a balmy temperature within, as it was fitted with temperature control and silencing magic to ensure a comfortable rest. However, that comfortable warmth was dashed away when Silveron opened the tent door without permission, his face pale.

“Whats going on! Whats all this ruckus so early in the morning?!”

Poltviran relished sleeping in. Having been denied that, he snapped at Silveron with a surge of irritation.

“T-That person has appeared. Your Majesty must run away at once!”

“That person? And what would I run from?”

This was Bajran territory. Poltviran couldnt understand Silverons sudden words.