The AI Archmage - Chapter 18

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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 18

The Rostery Marquis Family.

A prestigious house with a long history, and one of the great noble houses counted among the Empire’s finest.

Being such a place, the mansion of the Rostery Main Estate was very grand.

It could even be called a small castle.

“Father.”

A white-haired woman came to visit Marquis Rostery.

“My daughter, you’ve come.”

The Marquis set down the documents he had been examining and turned his gaze to Cornelia.

Cornelia Rostery.

The eldest daughter of the Rostery Family, and a genius mage who could be called Rostery’s pride.

She was also a mage belonging to the White Tower, which stood at the pinnacle of countless Magic Towers of the era and possessed the most solid legitimacy.

“I trust you remember my request.”

“You’re referring to this dispatch.”

“That’s correct.”

Cornelia continued with a firm tone.

“We can no longer stand by and watch that child’s incompetence. We cannot allow him to live so carelessly at the Blue Tower forever.”

“I agree with your words.”

The Marquis nodded at her words with a calm expression.

“Do you remember the family motto that has been passed down from long ago?”

“The blood of Rostery must be noble, was it not.”

“Yes, being born is not enough. If one is born noble, one must prove that nobility. Just like you.”

“….”

“A member of the White Tower, one of the Four Great Magic Towers, and a promising genius mage even there.”

Cornelia was truly born with talent befitting Rostery’s ‘dignity.’

And she didn’t become intoxicated by such talent, but worked fiercely.

Naturally, the Marquis had no choice but to favor her.

He readily delegated authority to Cornelia.

“Your request is justified. So, do as you wish.”

“Thank you.”

“However….”

The Marquis looked at her bowing politely and asked after a moment of contemplation.

“I’m curious. Why do you pay so much attention to the third child? According to your words, he’s a worthless failure.”

“Because he is incompetent.”

She answered resolutely.

“The third child’s very existence is tarnishing the family’s prestige. Just because he lacks talent doesn’t mean he should make no effort at all.”

“You’re right about that. So you intend to step in personally?”

“Yes. Either way, I want to end this with my own hands.”

Not a trace of emotion could be found in her voice.

“I see.”

The Marquis seemed lost in thought for a moment, tapping the table with his index finger before opening his mouth.

“Then depart for the Blue Tower in a month. That’s the promised date.”

“Yes.”

“And recently, I heard there have been some changes at the Blue Tower.”

“Changes… you say?”

“Yes.”

The Marquis nodded and recalled the information he had received.

Honestly, he wondered if his informant had gone mad or was playing a prank on him.

“They say the third son has become a teacher at the Blue Tower.”

“…Excuse me?”

Cornelia’s eyes widened in shock.

Since this information had only been reported to the Marquis, it was the first time she was hearing this news.

“That child who can’t even properly form a circle became a ‘teacher’?”

“Yes. It seems he did actually receive the official position of teacher. But we’ll need to investigate the truth behind it.”

It could be the Blue Tower playing some petty trick against Rostery.

Or it could be the third son, driven to desperation, making unreasonable demands.

Either way, the Marquis was convinced that Sion had become a teacher without proper qualifications.

The conclusion that the third son lacked talent had already been confirmed countless times.

“I trust you understand what I’m saying.”

“Yes, Father.”

A cold light flashed in Cornelia’s eyes as she bowed her head respectfully.

* * *

Sion’s second lecture.

Sion stood calmly at the podium and looked around at the students.

“The numbers have increased.”

The number of students had grown.

It wasn’t that few had come to the first lecture, but now there were even more.

[It’s probably not unrelated to the restoration of the Magic Tower’s functions.]

‘Well, that makes sense.’

As various equipment that had been dormant in the Blue Tower began operating, the students’ interest in ‘Magic Engineering’ had greatly increased.

What constitutes buildings like the Magic Tower is ultimately Magic Engineering that inscribes magic, rather than magic itself.

For example, the cleaning golems that had recently awakened and were diligently moving about, organizing the tower.

Those were golems created through Magic Engineering introduced under the leadership of the previous Tower Master, Belusian.

They were on a different level from golems made purely with magic.

They had excellent durability and high intelligence, making them versatile in their applications.

Naturally, as people enjoyed their convenience, curiosity about Magic Engineering began to rise.

As a result, the number of students had increased.

That was what Sion had intended.

It was possible to force students to learn magic engineering, but that would be meaningless.

He needed to make the students understand the value of magic engineering on their own and encourage them to explore it.

One-sided cramming education had its limits.

‘Of course, the image of Sion Rostery is still probably not good…’

There was no need to be impatient about solving it immediately.

Time would solve it.

“Today’s topic is simple.”

Sion looked at each student one by one as he continued speaking.

“Using magic tools.”

“Magic tools… usage? Isn’t that something we can do without having to attend a lecture?”

One of the students tilted their head and asked.

Basically, using magic tools was simple.

There were magic tools that required complex operations, but such magic tools were never common.

Sion nodded.

“Right, anyone who can use mana can use magic tools. That’s a fact.”

“Yes, so it’s not particularly necessary…”

“So let me correct that. What I’m going to teach from now on is ‘application methods.’ You could call it the fusion of magic and magic tools.”

Sion continued with emphasis.

“‘Using’ magic tools is easy. But applying magic tools in actual combat is a different matter.”

“Ah…”

“Let’s take the basic magic of 1st Circle, Magic Missile, as an example.”

Sion once again simply manifested Magic Missile in front of everyone.

A bright blue mass of mana floated above his palm.

“This is the most basic magic that you all know well. Even though it’s called magic, it’s a primitive magic that shoots a clumped mass of mana.”

“That’s right.”

“Then, is there any student here who can transform this Magic Missile purely with their own magical capabilities?”

At those words, the students began murmuring as they looked at each other.

Magic Transformation.

Naturally, it wasn’t an easy task.

To change the form while maintaining an already completed magic required excellent mana comprehension and calculation abilities.

“None.”

Sion nodded with a calm expression and began lightly transforming the Magic Missile in front of everyone.

Whirring.

So simply, the mana mass in Sion’s hand changed form and split into smaller shapes.

Each individual size became smaller, but the single mass had increased to eight.

“S-so simply…!”

“Crazy…”

The students were shocked watching Sion transform magic so effortlessly.

Sion looked at the students and said.

“Of course it’s not easy. I know this is only possible for a select few with chosen talent.”

‘Is he mocking us?’

The students thought simultaneously.

Most of the students had already acknowledged through recent events that Sion Rostery before them possessed absurd talent.

Yes, they acknowledged his talent.

His personality was a separate matter though.

“….”

Silence descended upon the lecture hall.

Power granted only to geniuses.

It was truly an unfair statement.

And those present here were the ones not granted that talent.

“Isn’t it frustrating? A realm that can’t be reached no matter how hard you try.”

“….”

“If it could be achieved through effort, I could accept it, but having even that possibility blocked off is truly regrettable.”

Sion said this while briefly stopping his gaze on a familiar face among the students.

Eira Kobella.

When she met eyes with Sion, she quickly looked away.

‘She said she wouldn’t come.’

Like father, like daughter, one could say.

Sion unconsciously smiled and continued speaking.

“Unfortunately, we cannot create talent that doesn’t exist. It’s something you’re born with.”

“…Then what should we do?”

Tult, who had been quietly listening from the front row, asked cautiously.

Sion took out a magic tool from his pocket and answered his question.

“Use magic tools.”

“…!”

Everyone’s eyes widened.

It was a magic tool of a form they’d never seen before.

It looked like a bracelet, but it was extremely thin and simple in form to be called a magic tool.

“Tult, come here.”

Sion pointed toward Tult and gestured.

He stood up from his seat with a nervous expression, approached Sion, and took hold of the magic tool.

“Put this on your wrist and try using Magic Missile.”

“Yes.”

Tult carefully put the magic tool on his wrist and manifested magic through incantation.

And at that moment.

“…Huh?”

Above Tult’s palm, eight mana masses identical to what Sion had just used appeared.

In other words, Magic Missile had manifested in its ‘modified’ form.

“…!”

The students who saw this were also shocked.

While Tult had fairly high-ranking talent within the Blue Tower, he didn’t have the skill to transform magic so instantly like that.

Tult stared at the Magic Missile he had manifested with wide eyes.

“H-how….”

“See? There are ways to compensate for lacking talent.”

At Sion’s words, the students’ eyes changed.

They couldn’t help but think that if Tult could do it, they could too.

“Th-then next is me…!”

“No, me first!”

The students eagerly raised their hands, competing to experience Sion’s Magic Tool.

Sion looked around at the students sending him earnest gazes and spoke leisurely.

“Experience opportunities can’t be given so easily.”

“…What?”

But Tult just did it?

The students looked at Sion with such eyes, but he was firm.

“This guy proved his qualifications in his own way. He’s been following me around and helping with various tasks for a while now.”

“Ah.”

“Then naturally, you all should help with at least one of my ‘minor tasks,’ shouldn’t you?”

At those words, a question arose in the students’ minds.

‘Isn’t this a lecture?’

Briella was the first to express this.

“Th-that’s unfair… ! Th-this is a lecture… !”

It was a fairly valid argument.

But Sion was firm.

“It’s three months unpaid, so what do you expect.”

“Ah.”

Then there’s no choice.

“Th-then what do you want… ?”

To Briella’s question, Sion answered simply.

“Labor.”

“…Labor?”

“That’s right.”

Sion casually got straight to the point.

“Starting today, I’m thinking of doing some major remodeling of the Main Tower. Carrying, breaking, attaching….”

“It’s just manual labor?”

“Manual labor it is.”

Sion said with a grin.

“If you don’t like it, leave. I won’t stop you.”

“….”

The students’ gazes turned to the Magic Tool that Tult wore on his wrist.

And a short while later.

“Let’s go, slaves.”

Sion had secured dozens of people perfectly suited for what could truly be called ‘manual labor’ right there on the spot.

“…Yes.”

And so dozens of slaves, enchanted by the Magic Tool, staggered as they followed Sion out of the Lecture Hall.

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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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