21st Century Archmage

“Wyverns have a sensitive temperament, and the Skyknights who own wyverns are barons at the very least. Bear in mind that they will request a battle to the death to anyone who injures their wyvern, so watch your actions!”

The practical training quarters were as top quality as the dorms in the capital. Once we reached them, Viscount Atuan laid down some cautionary words.

“Then is it alright if we go look around without bothering the wyverns?”

“Of course. As long as you keep in mind that causing a scene will earn you a silent arrow to the throat, there shouldnt be any issues.”

“…..”

As expected of the simple Viscount Atuan, even his response was masterful in its bluntness.

“Dismissed! From tomorrow on, you will be personally trained by enlisted Skyknights!”

“As you command!” cried out the practical training cadets. Everyones faces were flushed, as if their excitement hadnt died down yet.

‘So in order to get a wyvern from a noble family, you have to get training here, huh?

There were around 300 wyverns operating in the empires capital. Roughly 150 were stationed here, and the rest were affiliated with individual lords. But whether you got one from a lord or from the empire, you could only acquire a wyvern if you graduated from Skyknight Academy first. No matter what kind of noble you were, it was empire law that you could not formally own a wyvern before becoming a Skyknight. This was probably the greatest measure the empire could take to prevent their valuable wyverns from going to unskilled individuals.

“Russell, arent you surprised?”

“Not really.”

‘What a special guy. A person who wanted to become a Skyknight for revenge showed no reaction to seeing over a hundred wyverns.

“Wanna go out?”

“No thanks. Ill see plenty tomorrow. I want to rest.”

‘Seriously, why is a guy like this?

Even though I felt the distance between us had shrunk a lot, at times like this, Russell really felt like a guy from a faraway land. Saying he was tired, he went off into his assigned quarters.

“Hyneth, do you wanna go look outside?”

“No. A place without gardens or flowers is…” Hyneth, a girl with only flowers and gardens in her head, shook her head with a powerless voice.

‘Uwaah! This is why a person has to choose their friends well!

Thanks to Hyneth, I was branded a loser and didnt have any other friends. The others were already going out in groups of three or four, but I was forced to wail about my deep loneliness.

‘Alright, since when have I had friends… Hah.

I wasnt one to get down by something like this. If you dont have teeth, then use your gums, and if you dont have gums, then use your dentures— that was the kind of mentality I, Kang Hyuk, possessed.

* * *

‘Its huuuge.

Seeing the scale of the covert from the wall vs. seeing it in the flesh was a world of difference. Running through the hangars for the wyverns exclusive use was a long, 4-lane-wide road.

Squeaal! Squeaaal! Baaaa! Baaaaaa!

‘Theyre eating all of that?

It wasnt just one or two. Over a hundred pigs, sheep, and cows were transported into the covert on dozens of carriages.

“Hows the quality of the sheep today?”