The AI Archmage - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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AI Archmage Episode 16

“The owner of Black Fox Workshop, Bash. Is that right? If not, speak up.”

“Y-Yes, that’s correct!”

Bash desperately nodded his head at Sion’s interrogation.

‘H-How does he know?’

He could understand that Sion had figured out he was deceiving the Blue Tower Master.

But how did he know that he had once operated a workshop called ‘Black Fox’?

‘I heard that all records were completely erased after I was expelled?’

It had been well over 20 years since then.

Naturally, there were hardly any people who knew of Black Fox Workshop’s existence.

It was from the time when that Altair was still alive.

So how on earth did he know his true identity?

And at Sion’s next words, he couldn’t help but be shocked.

“You were caught trying to steal confidential information from the Workshop Alliance and got expelled. Originally, you were planning to sell those stolen secrets to the Magic Council.”

“H-How do you even know that…”

Bash muttered with a trembling voice.

Those from the workshops could know about it.

At the time, that incident was certainly big within the Alliance.

But the Magic Council didn’t want the incident to spread as an ‘unseemly affair,’ and completely covered up what happened that day.

So a frontier Magic Tower like this should normally not have known about what happened that day…

“I was curious though. How exactly did that rat bastard who betrayed the Alliance live his life afterward? But… it was obvious. Did you move exactly as expected?”

Sion looked at Bash with contempt-filled eyes and let out a hollow laugh.

Looking at it this way, it was somewhat regrettable.

‘Should I have killed him back then?’

But it couldn’t be helped.

At the time, he wasn’t leisurely enough to pay attention to such matters.

“Tower Master, I roughly explained what these guys were up to when I came, right?”

“Yes, I definitely heard that they were stealing the high-quality mana produced in our Magic Tower.”

“Yes, precisely, they used that mana to create ‘Crystal Stones.’ They’re essential power sources for manufacturing Magic Tools.”

Bash broke out in cold sweat.

The more Sion spoke, the more he couldn’t help but be shocked.

“This bastard was making huge money selling Crystal Stones and was planning to leave this place. If nothing had happened, it would have been soon.”

“…Ah.”

“That’s not the only problem. If you abandon your moral conscience, there are many ways to make money.”

With those words, Sion grabbed Bash by the hair and dragged him somewhere.

Only after arriving at a certain location did Sion release Bash and speak.

“Start digging the ground from now on.”

“Wh-What…?”

“I said dig the ground. Don’t pretend you don’t know. I can feel it annoyingly clearly from underneath here.”

Sion quietly charged his magic along with those words. It was a sign that he would kill him right there if things went wrong.

Bash trembled as he began digging into the ground with his bare hands.

“Sion, what exactly… is down there?”

“You’ll know when you see it.”

Sion watched quietly with cold eyes as Bash dug into the ground.

Bash desperately dug with his bloodied hands.

Because he knew he would surely die if he didn’t.

And before long.

“Ah…”

“What the…!”

Lumia and Serentia couldn’t help but frown.

What was revealed inside was a pile of bones.

Among them were corpses that hadn’t completely rotted yet, still with flesh attached.

It was utterly devastating.

“The materials needed for magical research are diverse. Among them are blood and life itself.”

“…Don’t tell me.”

“Yes, there are many mages who don’t want to dirty their own hands but still want the materials, aren’t there? He supplied the ‘materials’ that such mages needed.”

At those words, Lumia and Serentia’s expressions became grave.

The fact that such things had been happening near their own Tower was utterly shocking.

“But, but if he committed crimes of this magnitude, how could I have been completely unaware? No matter what, news of this level should have…”

“That’s right.”

Sion approached Bash, grabbed him by the collar, and slowly lifted him up.

“How exactly were you able to deceive even the Blue Tower? Even if our Tower Master is a pushover, still.”

“A, a pushover?”

Lumia tried to timidly protest upon hearing those words, but Sion didn’t even acknowledge her.

Instead, he brought his face close to Bash’s and asked.

“The mastermind, who is it?”

“Ugh, mmph!”

Bash trembled violently and shook his head frantically.

Sion stared at Bash quietly, then frowned.

‘This is…’

[It’s Suggestion Magic.]

Akasha immediately recognized it and spoke.

[It’s not simple Suggestion Magic either, but Suggestion Magic thoroughly imprinted on the soul.]

‘…’

[It seems a high-ranking mage cast the spell, so it won’t be easy even with my abilities right now.]

‘What if we don’t worry about his survival?’

At those words, Akasha paused as if calculating for a moment, then answered.

[Then it would be possible to hear a few words. You know, that magic you theoretically created before, Human.]

‘Ah, that one? Hmm, certainly…’

Sion nodded his head in satisfaction at the satisfactory answer.

Things like the dignity of life only applied to those who were worthy of such consideration.

Was there any reason to respect the life of trash who had thrown away their craftsmanship and used hundreds of innocent people as sacrifices to make Magic Materials?

‘There isn’t.’

Having made his decision, Sion grabbed Bash’s head.

“If you don’t intend to talk, then there’s no choice. Since there’s no choice, don’t feel too sorry about it.”

“Wh, what…?”

Before Bash could even finish speaking, powerful mana began to envelop his head.

“Aaaaaaahhh!”

Sion’s mana instantly began to cover Bash’s brain.

Bash screamed desperately and struggled, but it was meaningless.

‘Ah, so this is how it works. I understand now that I’m using it directly.’

Sion watched Bash’s convulsing reaction and gradually got a feel for how to use it properly.

The Magic Theory he had conceived personally when he was Altair, though it hadn’t been recognized by the Council.

Among them existed magic that could forcibly break things like suggestions or curses.

Of course, it had the disadvantage of not being able to guarantee survival, but Bash was someone who didn’t need to worry about that disadvantage.

In any case, the important point of the technique Sion was using now was to use ‘mana’ to punch holes in the suggestions carved into the soul.

Of course, he couldn’t completely dispel the suggestions, but it was possible to extract some necessary information through the holes he created.

And after a moment.

“Kuh, ugh…”

Bright red tears of blood flowed from Bash’s eyes.

It was a miserable and horrific sight, but Sion didn’t care.

“Who’s behind this?”

“I, I don’t know… A, a high-ranking mage wearing a mask gave the orders.”

“…”

“Even, even if the opponent is the Blue Tower… they can, can back us up completely…”

Sion nodded at those words.

Well, the mastermind wouldn’t have openly revealed their identity when meeting with these people.

But if their confidence that they could back them up even against the Blue Tower wasn’t just bluffing…

‘Could it be someone from the Council?’

Perhaps one of the Four Great Magic Towers excluding the Blue Tower that was aligned with the Council.

Sion frowned and asked again.

“Tell me about the characteristics of that high-ranking mage. Things like the type of magic they used, or the kinds of Magic Materials they requested from you.”

“Th, that’s… Kuhek!”

Urgh!

Bash couldn’t continue speaking and coughed up blood.

As if he wasn’t permitted to say more than that.

And soon after, he dropped his head and died.

“…Tsk.”

It seemed he couldn’t get the detailed information after all.

Sion burned Bash’s corpse on the spot and stood up.

“There wasn’t as much nutritious information as I thought. At most, just that the mastermind is a high-ranking mage.”

“….”

“…Hm?”

When there was no response, Sion turned his head toward Lumia and Serentia.

The two were looking at him with complex expressions that were hard to describe.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Ah, no, it’s just….”

Lumia glanced at the spot where Bash had been for a moment, then spoke carefully.

“You’re incredibly… merciless. Really, to a surprising degree.”

“Ah.”

Sion finally understood Lumia’s reaction.

“If I didn’t dispose of these guys here, it would obviously have escalated into a bigger problem.”

“Th, that’s right.”

“We could have handed them over to the nearby territory’s Guard Corps, but in my experience, they inevitably get released without consequence.”

Since they had plenty of money earned by any means necessary, they would have more than enough to bribe the Guard Corps and get released.

But that didn’t seem to be what Lumia wanted to say.

She looked at Sion and said.

“You have a clear distinction, don’t you? Between what’s right and what’s wrong.”

“Well, yes.”

“And for what’s wrong, you really show no mercy?”

“Ah, that’s not necessarily the case.”

Sion shrugged his shoulders and continued.

“If I wanted to play hero like that, I would have hanged myself and died long ago. Don’t you know I was a scoundrel when I was at the Tower?”

“Ah, th, that’s….”

“Just think of it as having my own unacceptable lines.”

For example, trash like these who tarnish the honor of workshops.

Altair had pride.

He loved the Workshop Alliance that had formed around him.

And while he admired mages as someone unable to use mana, that didn’t mean he lacked affection for workshops.

“You heard my lecture, didn’t you? I wish for the path of Magic Engineering.”

“R, right. You did.”

“And bastards like these defile that very path. They don’t just ruin themselves, but someday they scatter filth and create pools of blood on paths that someone else might walk.”

That was utterly disgusting to him.

Sion smiled slightly and said.

“Well, as long as it’s not to that extent, I won’t have reason to antagonize the Tower Master or Vice Tower Master.”

“…!”

“That’s what you wanted to know, wasn’t it?”

At those words, the two couldn’t immediately respond.

But it was true.

For a brief moment, both of them were overwhelmed by what Sion had shown them.

It was also true that they were terrified.

After a while, Lumia nodded her head with difficulty.

“O-Okay.”

While inwardly making a resolution.

‘…Let’s not mess around.’

The thought that she might need to shorten her 3-month probation period to 1 month filled her mind completely.

Sion briefly looked around the surroundings and spoke in a peaceful voice.

“Well then, the problem is solved. Though there is one most important thing left to do.”

“…The most important thing?”

“Yes.”

Sion said with a grin.

“We need to collect the spoils of war, don’t we?”

“Spoils of war…?”

Seeing Lumia who didn’t immediately understand what he meant, Sion explained.

“Those guys must have collected and accumulated large quantities of Mana Crystals. And though not everything, they would naturally have stored some of their accumulated treasures here as well.”

“Ah.”

At those words, Lumia’s gaze turned toward the Workshop.

‘Come to think of it, since they’re a Bandit Group, they must have a lot of stuff stored up, right?’

That meant…

“Let’s sweep it all up!”

Lumia’s eyes lit up as she expressed her intense determination.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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