Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Narmias
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"As expected, running away from home means nothing but hardship."
As soon as I left the elf village, I headed straight for my home, the Sky Platoon.
Deep into the night.
Judging by the moon's position, it was around 4 a.m. when I arrived at the Sky Platoon.
'What a talent.'
I couldn't help but be dumbfounded by Bebeto's antics.
Even with his master captured as a prisoner, the traitor Bebeto had slept soundly, and now he was showing off a new skill.
It was flying with his eyes closed.
On the way, he must have gotten hungry, because he snatched an orc sleeping on the ground and devoured it before flying toward the Sky Platoon.
At some point, I noticed his wings moving mechanically, and sure enough, his eyes were closed.
Amazingly, Bebeto had the ability to sleep-fly.
Since Bebeto couldn't use self-navigation autopilot, I had to guide him with the reins to reach the Sky Platoon.
His actions were outrageous, but I couldn't mistreat the poor guy just for having the wrong master.
"Bebeto, you handsome stud!"
Flash.
'Damn...'
The guy who'd been asleep the whole time snapped his eyes open at the word "stud."
Bonk!
"Take that, you perverted wyvern!"
I flicked Bebeto hard on the head.
Kuooh!
Whirrr.
With no female around and only pain in his skull, Bebeto irritably spun a loop in the air.
I felt the need to catch him sometime and ship him off to Marine Corps hell week training.
'Hm?'
Beyond the Sky Platoon guards dozing off without even spotting me, I saw a single shadow.
Someone was standing in Bebeto's hangar.
'Armis?'
Late at night.
Armis was gazing at the empty sky.
Flap, flutter.
Bebeto positioned himself and slowly landed in front of the hangar.
'Armis...'
Was she waiting for me?
Armis smiled brightly at me as I landed.
Flutter.
The white robe she wore and her blue hair danced in the wind.
Kuooh!
Bebeto expressed his joy before I could.
True to being raised on holy water from his egg days, he always buttered up the priests.
Swoosh.
At this late hour, it was clear Armis had been waiting for me, so I jumped down in front of her.
"You're late."
Armis greeted me with a warm smile, like a devoted wife awaiting her husband.
"No, why are you out here instead of sleeping?"
"I woke up and came out for some air."
The dark circles under her eyes betrayed her lie.
She must have been exhausted from healing sick and weary souls all day, yet unable to sleep, worrying about me.
'Armis...'
I softly called her name in my heart.
Even my mother had never shown me such care—this was the first time I'd felt this strange emotion.
"The night air is cold. Go inside and rest."
I desperately wanted to hold her hand, but my mouth said to go sleep.
"Yes, I suppose I should."
Relieved to see me safe, Armis nodded with eyes brimming with joy.
"May the rest granted by the gods be with you."
She drew the holy sign and bestowed a small blessing.
With her head bowed, she walked toward the temple that had been converted from the hangar.
"Thank you."
I expressed my feelings toward her turned back.
She stopped in her tracks.
"I... thank you too..."
She hesitated, then conveyed her gratitude in a voice thick with emotion.
"..."
She was about five meters away.
A surge of impulse made me want to rush over and embrace her.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
But she was a priestess who lived by the will of the gods.
I bowed toward Armis.
Rustle, rustle.
The sound of light footsteps, like a bird's, reached my ears.
'Hmm...'
An inexplicable groan flowed through my heart.
For some reason I couldn't identify...
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"Sir Jenis, Liker, Berkes, Atisian, along with 500 cavalry, 2,000 infantry, and 1,000 archers, will form the First Legion."
"Yes, sir!"
"Additionally, Sir Sedlian and his Sky Knights under command, 500 strong, plus 2,000 infantry and 1,000 archers, will form the Second Legion."
"Yes, sir!"
As morning broke, I summoned the key knights.
The knights stood at attention in what had become my office, the commander's room.
They responded to my orders with vigorous "Yes, sirs!"
"As you all know, we must soon engage the monsters in a major battle. But these monsters, with vitality so strong even the Empire gave up on them, won't be finished with just one push."
It went without saying.
"From the upper reaches of the Robent River starting at the border with the Habis Kingdom, to the plains extending to the upper reaches beginning at the Lual Mountains, we will subjugate them over the next month. Our primary goal is to clear this area before the rainy season and rebuild the ruined fortresses."
I pointed to the map depicting the Neruman Plains as I explained the strategy.
"My lord, if I may speak boldly, subjugation won't be an issue, but rebuilding the fortresses might be too much. As you know, most were half-destroyed when overrun by monsters. Repairing them would require vast amounts of stone and laborers. In Neruman's current state, that's no easy task. It could end up costing more than it gains."
Jenis, who knew Neruman well, precisely pointed out the problem.
"I know. I have a solution, so don't worry."
"Yes, sir!"
I wasn't the type to start something without a plan.
"Sir Derbal, how goes the procurement of supplies?"
"All military supplies, including rations, have been secured. No need for concern."
"Good work."
Small but strong.
That was exactly what I wanted, and that's what we had now.
"Sir Sedlian, how's the Sky Knight training progressing?"
"Yes, my lord! They're all former trainees from other kingdoms and the Empire. They can be thrown into battle right now and perform perfectly."
Sedlian answered energetically.
In terms of blade-wielding mercenaries alone, they possessed even greater force than I did.
But Sedlian had come under me, down the hard road.
I was grateful.
"Soldiers from Orak Castle will arrive in a few days. Combine them with the ones here to form the legions. Find the best training methods yourselves!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Today's meeting is adjourned. Everyone except Sir Derbal, dismissed."
"Yes, sir!"
It started small as a mouse tail, but my knights were growing in power.
Their resounding response warmed my heart.
"Derbal."
"Yes, my lord?"
"Aren't you overworked?"
"I'm fine, my lord. In my short life, I've never been happier than now."
Unlike other knights who could wield mana, Derbal had only one arm.
His zealous efforts sometimes made me feel pity.
But with me away, he was the only one who could handle the administrative side.
"I have one question."
"Please ask."
"Among the purchased items, I saw salt. Why? The sea is right there."
"It's due to the local conditions. The salt circulating on the continent comes from three main sources: white salt from Delphiran Kingdom's salt lake, pyre salt from Tobe Kingdom, and rock salt from Ofern Empire. Of course, coastal kingdoms like Dais or Indes produce salt too, but only enough for their own use."
'White salt? Pyre salt? Rock salt?'
A salt lake was probably an inland salt flat.
Even on Earth, there were places where ancient seabeds had risen to produce salt.
But pyre salt was new to me.
'Ah! Maybe boiling seawater in pottery?'
Before salt pans existed, there was a method of making salt by boiling seawater in large pots—a historical fact I'd learned.
"Salt lakes are inland salt mountains. Uniquely, though not the sea, these massive inland lakes are entirely salt. Rock salt is salt ore mined from the Osis Mountains. And pyre salt is made by boiling seawater in large pottery."
My guess was spot on.
"What's the price?"
"About 1 gold for 10 kilos on average."
'Hoo, that's quite a sum.'
"The problem is that continuous mining from salt lakes and rock salt is driving prices up. I'd need to check with the traders, but next year it might hit 2 gold."
Salt, essential for life.
No one could skip it just because prices rose.
"Understood. By the way, look into places nearby with abundant limestone, gypsum, and clay."
"Yes, sir."
I'd thought a lot about Neruman these past few days.
Minerals were mostly in hard-to-reach mountains, and fertile land was unusable due to monsters.
In my deliberations, two things suddenly came to mind.
Cement and salt.
We could plant crops anytime after monsters retreated, but walls, and roads for convenience, were essential.
Plus, Neruman needed specialty goods to build wealth.
'What the hell did Master do on Earth?'
The cement recipe: mixing main components like limestone, gypsum, clay, silica, alumina, iron oxide in proper ratios.
Detailed blueprints for the mixture ratios and production equipment floated in my mind.
Master must have run a cement business on Earth among others.
'Cement is a pure mineral byproduct. Without mixing polluted materials like on Earth, it's perfectly safe.'
I didn't want to introduce Earth's 21st-century polluted processes to this continent.
I'd come to this world unwillingly, but I had no desire to pollute its pure air and pristine soil for my ambitions.
The paradise I dreamed of was one in harmony with nature.
"You'll be busy today, so handle everything yourself. If short on anything, order from Rubis and the other traders."
"Understood, my lord."
No need for long talks.
Derbal knew exactly his place.
Just watching him inspired trust.
'Now it's time to head to the elf village.'
A rare disease even elves didn't know.
But I had a reliable ally.
'Armis...'
The noble soul God had granted me.
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"I'm sorry, Tower Lord."
"Tsk tsk... What a disgrace. For the sub-tower lords of the great Gauss Magic Tower to suffer defeat. How lightly do you think other towers will view us now?"
Andraik, sub-tower lord of Gauss Magic Tower, returned from Neruman.
Due to mental and physical aftereffects from magic attacks, he couldn't even ride a wyvern and had to return on horseback.
The tower lord clicked his tongue.
At just 65, a 7th Circle master and the top of the continent's seven great magic towers—the mythical figure of the magic world who ascended to lordship of Gauss Magic Tower.
He sat in a chair, clad in mana-processed white robes, holding a staff made of 1st-grade magic cores.
Even as a 7th Circle mage, called one who comprehends mana’s will, Tower Lord Orbayton showed irritation.
He was in serious discussion with his four—no, now three—sub-tower lords.
"Tower Lord, we can't let this stand. If word spreads that our Sky Knights, including two sub-tower lords, were defeated, our tower's standing on the continent will plummet."
Instead of Andraik, who couldn't lift his head under the tower lord's scrutiny, Innovest, master of attack magic and sub-tower lord, spoke up.
"Indeed, Tower Lord. Moreover, he's said to be a magic swordsman who reached 6th Circle at a young age. We need to capture him and verify."
"Sub-Tower Lord Urkain, you believe that too? You're asking me to believe a kid not even twenty reached 6th Circle?"
"Tower Lord, I'm not saying believe it—verify it. If he has some once-in-a-lifetime magic item..."
Urkain didn't finish his sentence.
"Hmm..."
The intent was clear without words.
Even Idal, the golden-eyed reaper called the continent's greatest mage in history, was only 4th Circle at that age.
The answer was singular.
Either he wasn't human, or he wielded a legendary item enabling 6th Circle magic.
"From our intel, his enemies aren't just us. Other magic towers, continental traders, and crucially, the Bazran Empire—he's marked there too. Confirmed by the intel guild: he's thoroughly blacklisted by the crown prince and high nobles. Killing him won't cause issues."
Urkain, the brains of Gauss Tower, revealed his gathered information.
"Be cautious. He commands tens of thousands of soldiers, plus the surrendered Hers Mercenaries. Over a dozen Sky Knights have defected too."
"Quiet! Isn't this all because of the dead Harkline and you, Sub-Tower Lord Andraik!"
Tower Lord Orbayton snapped at Andraik, who warned cautiously.
As the mage proverb went, "Circles are king"—in Gauss Tower, the 7th Circle master's authority rivaled an emperor's.
For a 7th Circle mage was the tower's symbol.
"As Sub-Tower Lord Andraik says, it's too risky alone. We need to ally with other towers or traders."
"Corvein Traders won't sit idle. Losing dwarf trade would halve their power—they won't stay quiet."
"So we wait?"
"Yes, Tower Lord. He's a rat in a trap anyway. In Neruman, abandoned even by Bazran Empire, he has little to do."
"Very well. Proceed that way."
Tower Lord Orbayton nodded.
Neruman was dust even if shaken.
Opportunities to restore pride were plentiful.
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'Tsk, too bad.'
Armis clung tightly to my back.
Her priestess robe infused with holy blessings let her withstand ordinary cold or heat.
Even so, Armis pressed her head to my back, lightly gripping my cloak with both hands.
We flew like that for hours.
Finally, we reached the skies above the elf village.
"We're here. Hold on tight."
"Yes..."
Swoooosh.
Leaving regret behind, I guided Bebeto into the illusionary magic array the elves had set up.
Whirr.
A brief mana shock, and the elf village came into view.
"Ah!"
A soft exclamation came from behind.
Armis was seeing the elf village for the first time, known only from stories.
Kuooh!
'Narmias...'
As we reached the elf village airspace, a familiar king eagle flew over.
The elder had called it Harpis.
Narmias rode it, without an air plate.
Narmias smiled joyfully at me.
"..."
But as she approached, her face suddenly hardened.
She'd clearly seen Armis.
'What’s this feeling like getting caught cheating?'
Neither Narmias nor Armis was my woman, yet worry crept into my heart.
Flap flap flutter.
Bebeto slowly landed in the elf village clearing.
Not like before, but dozens of elves watched with curious eyes.
"Please dismount, Lady Armis."
"So this is the elf village. It's as beautiful as I imagined."
True to a priestess who loved and was loved by the gods, she was moved by the pinnacle of natural beauty.
Just as truth and reason never contradict, Armis's pure heart naturally delighted in the nature-loving elf village.
Rustle.
The saddle was over two meters high.
As always, Armis blushed and wrapped her arms around my neck.
Hearing her pounding heart, I lightly landed on the ground.
Flutter.
Then Narmias's king eagle Harpis landed beside me.
Narmias smiled purely at me with sad eyes.
"May the verdant blessings be with you. Kaiyer, the Grand Elder awaits."
"See you again, Lady Narmias."
"Yes... But who is this?"
Narmias greeted and asked about Armis.
"Neran's faithful servant Armis greets the kin of the noble forest."
"A priestess of Neran. I sincerely thank the gods for allowing me to meet one filled with Their warm breath."
Unlike with other humans, she seemed to give special treatment to priestesses.
The two women exchanged greetings before me.
But my heart wasn't at ease.
It felt exactly like getting caught in a multi-legged romance.
"Where is the Grand Elder?"
The situation was awkward; I wanted to escape quickly.
"Follow me."
Despite the elf warriors, Narmias took the lead.
'Why?'
Her eyes briefly brushed past me.
That gaze, filled with moist sorrow.
It etched deeply into my chest.
Step step.
I followed the leading Narmias with Armis.
To the great tree that housed the elves' hospital.
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"No need to worry. This is treatable with Neran's mercy."
"We thank the grace-filled Neran."
After Armis examined the elves' illness and said it was curable, Grand Elder Parkiano bowed in gratitude.
A 400-year-old elf, older than a record-breaking tortoise, humbly bowed to a priestess of the gods.
"All lives created by the Lord God deserve Neran's love. I'll treat them now."
Angel-like Armis smiled mystically and prepared to heal.
"Narmias, assist Lady Armis."
"As the Grand Elder commands."
"You, come with me."
"Understood."
There were quite a few sick elves, so no need for me to stay.
At the Grand Elder's word, I left the two women and went outside.
"What incredible divine power. That level would make her a high priestess in the human world."
Parkiano, now outside, exclaimed in admiration.
'No, forget high priestess—she's barely an apprentice.'
I couldn't even tell the elves that.
"Come. I'll show you the mithril."
"Pardon?"
The Grand Elder strode ahead.
'He keeps promises like a blade.'
Humans might delay till after using the bathroom, but Parkiano honored it immediately.
I followed him down a forest path lined with great trees like an avenue.
'Whoa, perfect. Ideal vacation spot.'
The elf village was perfect for forest bathing.
I walked, intoxicated by the refreshing air.
Forgetting everything, if only briefly.
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Rumble rumble.
Boom boom boom.
'Gah! All that... mithril?'
The mid-level earth spirit Noim approached, cradling pure mithril in both hands, shaking the ground.
At a glance, over 100 kilos of pristine mithril.
"Thank you, friend."
The Grand Elder smiled at Noim.
Sink.
The earth settled, returning to normal.
'They use spirits like this.'
No wonder dwarves coveted it.
In a cave deep in the forest, following Grand Elder Parkiano.
Silver radiance hit upon entry, forcing me to squint.
Vast mithril ore veins lined the massive cave walls.
No need for dwarves to mine.
The earth spirit Noim carried chunks out, stacking them neatly at the entrance.
"Is this enough?"
"Should last a while."
"Take more anytime you need. But not to dwarves. The council ruled they could disrupt the forest's peace."
Elves lived confined to a few kilos radius.
They feared change.
They surely wouldn't have allowed even me without their illness.
"I'll take what I need."
"Alone?"
"No. I'm a spirit user too."
"You? Hoo, impressive. I sensed mage mana and knight aura, and now spirit user... Come to think of it, your circles are odd. Mana accumulated near your waist, not chest... Oho! You unify and use mana!"
An 8th Circle mage, he instantly discerned my hidden mana nature.
"Amazing. Astonishing. Such mana volume in one not even decades old... Nearly 7th Circle level."
I'd habitually dispersed it, so only now did Parkiano grasp my mana.
True to 8th Circle, he probed it thoroughly without mana scan.
"Who are you?"
"Just a human."
"Hmm, the purity confirms human. But how to explain this mana? I reached this at nearly 200. Imagine if it were you—would you accept it?"
The Grand Elder sought answers from me.
But I couldn't open my mouth.
That the human mage who'd stripped the elves' armor was my master.
"Haha, I'm a bit unique. Surely some elves achieve fast growth like me."
"None."
He denied it without thought.
"This mithril should suffice. Excellent quality too."
About 300 kilos piled at my feet.
I changed the subject, approaching the mithril.
'Give disease, then cure. Master, even on distant Earth, you're toying with me!'
Tingle tingle.
Warmth from behind.
I needed to leave before my identity slipped.
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"This is holy water. Drink it if symptoms appear."
"We convey heartfelt thanks to Neran."
The Grand Elder expressed genuine gratitude, age no barrier.
Elves behind him bowed in thanks.
Rustle.
Word spread that the priestess had cured their disease; elves gathered to see us—no, Armis—off.
Armis smiled equally at them all.
She could be called an angel.
"Lady Armis, it pains me to part like this."
"Lady Narmias, visit anytime you miss me."
"Really?"
"Hoho. Of course."
'What? When did they get so close?'
Not long together, yet the two women clasped hands, laughing.
"Kaiyer, is that alright?"
Armis asked with a bright smile.
"Haha, of course. Lady Narmias is always welcome."
Flutter.
At my words, Narmias's eyes trembled.
She seemed to have something to say but wouldn't voice it.
Her gaze, like Armis's name, formed another perfect pair of beauties.
"Then we'll visit again."
"So be it."
Grand Elder Parkiano nodded.
Things resolved easier than expected—fortunate.
'Straight to the dwarf village next.'
Mithril ore wrapped snugly by elves.
Taking mithril ore, worth ten times gold, would cause uproar; best to deliver to dwarves.
"Lady Armis, shall we go?"
"Yes."
Swoop.
Hundreds of elf eyes watched, but I had no choice—embraced Armis.
Flash.
Lightly flew to Bebeto's back.
'Narmias...'
Among countless elf gazes, one woman's eyes burned hot toward me.
I lightly bowed to Narmias.
Click.
Carefully seated Armis in the rear saddle, fastened the safety harness.
"Bebeto, let's go!"
Kuooh!
Bebeto, bored without a female wyvern, flapped his wings.
Thud.
Lightly kicking off the ground.
The blue sky grinned at me.