The AI Archmage - Chapter 23

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

AI Archmage Episode 23

 

“A dragon.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

Lumia creaked as she stared blankly at Sion, then asked again.

 

“A wyvern?”

 

“I said a dragon.”

 

At those words, Lumia turned her gaze toward the bone once more.

 

A dragon?

 

“…Why is that there?”

 

“That’s what I’d like to know.”

 

Even Sion, who had brought out the dragon bone, scratched his head and said.

 

“But it was there.”

 

Surprisingly enough.

 

Dragons.

 

According to legend, they were the beings who taught humans the concept of magic.

 

Of course, this hasn’t been proven.

 

While records have been passed down, the authenticity of those records hasn’t been properly verified.

 

However, it is a fact that creatures called dragons once existed.

 

Their remains are found very rarely throughout the world, and naturally possess extremely high value.

 

Not simply because they’re rare, but because of the power their remains contain.

 

Dragon bones accept mana better than any existing material and boast incredible durability.

 

The staffs used by archmages are all made using dragon bones as material.

 

Naturally, their price is also high.

 

Even obtaining just the tip of a tail bone would be worth a month’s taxes from a decent territory.

 

And now.

 

“Th-that dragon bone was… buried there? Not anywhere else, but in that Cross Stone Mine?!”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“W-with this size, paying off all the Main Tower’s debts wouldn’t be a problem!”

 

Lumia’s eyes sparkled as she expressed her joy.

 

“Finally, I too can be freed from this debtor’s life…!”

 

“We’re not selling it.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Lumia’s face, which had been dreaming of a rosy future, froze in place.

 

“Why, why not?”

 

“Tower Master, what is the ultimate form of tower we’re currently aiming for?”

 

“That… was a Magic Craft Tower, right? A Magic Tower created based on magic engineering.”

 

“That’s right. And what is this dragon bone here? It’s the most expensive and near-perfect Magic Tool material in existence.”

 

“Th-that’s also… true?”

 

“Then why would we sell it? We should use it ourselves.”

 

“…Ah.”

 

I had briefly dreamed the sweet dream of escaping my debtor’s life, but it was just an illusion.

 

“I see. So I’m someone who can never escape from the swamp of debt…”

 

“Don’t be so pessimistic. You can just mine more and pay it back, right?”

 

“I think that mindset is unhealthy…”

 

Lumia tried to resist timidly, but it had no particular effect.

 

After all, Sion’s position in the Blue Tower was now practically absolute.

 

It was absurd, but that was reality.

 

The status of Lumia, the magical genius who was Belusian’s disciple and the youngest 6th Circle mage, had disappeared at some point.

 

No, perhaps it had never existed from the beginning.

 

Anyway, it was decided that the dragon bone would be kept in storage.

 

“Well then, let’s wrap up the matter of the dragon bone, and now it’s time to inspect your homework.”

 

“In-inspect?!”

 

“Of course I have to inspect it, don’t I?”

 

Sion dragged Lumia by the scruff of her neck as he went inside.

 

At that moment, Akasha casually spoke up.

 

[But Human, aren’t you going to reveal that for now?]

 

‘That?’

 

[I mean the mine where the dragon bone was discovered. The fact that the bone was specifically found in a ‘cave’ formation, and considering everything, that cave might actually be…]

 

Akasha continued cautiously.

 

[…the legendary ‘Lair’, don’t you think?]

 

‘It’s not certain though.’

 

Sion dismissed Akasha’s speculation.

 

Dragon Lair.

 

Simply put, it was the nest where a dragon had lived.

 

While dragon bones themselves were rare, lairs were even rarer and more valuable.

 

As the nest of such a magnificent creature, lairs typically contained various precious items and countless treasures.

 

However, nothing that could be presumed to be dragon treasure had been discovered in the Cross Stone Mine.

 

Therefore, it was too early to consider that mine a dragon’s lair right now.

 

But.

 

[The possibility isn’t zero though.]

 

‘That’s true.’

 

Even if no treasure had been found immediately, there was definitely a possibility that place was a lair.

 

According to records, dragons made massive caves their nests and transformed them into hidden cities.

 

Lairs came in various forms.

 

Some lairs showed their magnificent appearance openly upon entry, while others were cleverly concealed by magic.

 

That’s why I couldn’t be certain.

 

The Cross Stone Mine could very well be the latter case.

 

‘I have no intention of mentioning it until I’m certain.’

 

[I see. Then if it’s confirmed that the mine is a dragon lair, you’ll reveal everything and share information with the Tower Master…]

 

‘….’

 

[Human?]

 

‘….’

 

[You’re not thinking of hogging it all to yourself, are you? Come on, surely not.]

 

‘….’

 

[Human…!!]

 

Akasha cried out desperately, but Sion didn’t respond.

 

He simply dragged the Tower Master and Vice Tower Master along with a calm expression to check on the homework.

 

* * *

 

Several days passed like that.

 

The Blue Tower, which had been said to be on the verge of collapse just a few weeks ago, was now changing at a remarkably rapid pace.

 

First of all, it had become clean.

 

More than that, students these days often saw golems busily moving around inside the Tower.

 

It was a sight they couldn’t have even imagined in the past.

 

Whirr.

 

They swept up dust from the floor, then followed up by cleaning it neatly with a mop.

 

Moreover, they would spot cracks in the walls or broken parts scattered throughout the Tower like ghosts and repair them.

 

“…They had something like that but weren’t using it all this time?”

 

“There were charging issues, and there probably weren’t any technicians capable of maintenance.”

 

Eira answered Briella’s words while quietly directing her gaze toward the golem.

 

“…But who would have thought that the legacy of that Altair Workshop was sleeping in the Blue Tower.”

 

“Altair… You mean that great Magic Tool craftsman?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Eira nodded and frowned for a moment.

 

Altair himself had done nothing wrong to her.

 

Nevertheless, she couldn’t bring herself to like Altair.

 

What could she do? Though unwanted, she had become entangled with him through such ill fate.

 

“Altair’s Magic Tools are treasures of tremendous value even to this day.”

 

That said, she didn’t ignore Altair’s status or abilities.

 

Even her own talent, which her father had proclaimed so loudly, was nothing compared to Altair.

 

“…Tch.”

 

“Eira? What’s wrong?”

 

“No, it’s nothing.”

 

Eira shook off her stray thoughts and tightened her grip on the reference book.

 

Magic Reference Book.

 

She wasn’t particularly talented in magic, but she tried to make up for that lack of talent through persistent effort.

 

Her level was now only at the 2nd Circle.

 

But still, if she worked hard, somehow….

 

Crack.

 

Her grip tightened on the reference book.

 

‘…2nd Circle.’

 

Despite all that effort, still 2nd Circle.

 

Could her efforts truly live up to those expectations?

 

She didn’t know.

 

She had studied and trained in this Tower for three years, yet still couldn’t break through the wall of the 3rd Circle.

 

Yes, that’s how it had been until now.

 

“Briella.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“About Teacher Sion’s lectures. What do you think?”

 

“Well. Strictly speaking, he’s teaching Magic Engineering, right? I think it’s not bad for now.”

 

Briella crossed her arms as she continued speaking.

 

“To be honest, we’re just average when it comes to magical talent, right? Well, at least we’re average, I suppose.”

 

“R-right.”

 

“But that teacher says we can supplement that lacking talent through Magic Tools.”

 

“Right.”

 

“Then isn’t that the best option?”

 

Briella came to a clear conclusion.

 

Her feelings toward Sion weren’t very good either.

 

But that was one thing, and this was another.

 

“At least the lectures are substantial, right?”

 

“…”

 

“Well, you’ve never seemed to like Magic Tools much since before, so I’m not sure, but I think it’s not bad from what I can see.”

 

Eira didn’t answer immediately to those words.

 

No, she couldn’t answer.

 

Objectively speaking, Sion’s proposed fusion of Magic Tools and magic was certainly attractive.

 

And it had potential too.

 

“B-but you said you were attending the lectures to watch him fail…”

 

“What can I do? I’ve seen results.”

 

Briella grinned and lightly demonstrated a modified Magic Missile in front of Eira’s eyes.

 

Over the past few days, after wrestling with Magic Tools, she could now modify Magic Missiles with reasonable skill.

 

“I still don’t like ‘Sion Rostery’ much, but I quite like Teacher ‘Sion.'”

 

“…”

 

“If there’s something to learn, we should learn it. That’s why we came here, isn’t it?”

 

“…Right.”

 

Briella’s words were correct.

 

…What needed to be acknowledged had to be acknowledged.

 

Sion Rostery was an excellent teacher.

 

And if she followed him well, perhaps… she might obtain what Eira had wanted.

 

– Teaching assistant, any thoughts?

 

Sion’s proposal flashed through her mind.

 

“Teaching assistant…”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

 

Eira hurriedly shook her head and quickened her pace.

 

‘Teaching assistant.’

 

Right, that’s not it…

 

She shook her head vigorously, dismissing the stray thoughts.

 

* * *

 

“It’s become quite decent.”

 

Checking the cleaned-up Blue Tower, Sion nodded with a satisfied expression.

 

This Tower had originally been at this level.

 

Its location was decent, and the number of golems it possessed and the level of magic were respectable.

 

It had only ended up this way due to various unfortunate incidents, including the Tower Master’s sudden disappearance.

 

The materials for an easy recovery were already prepared if the situation improved.

 

Belusian’s workshop and the neglected golems were prime examples of such resources.

 

However.

 

‘Still, it’s been rather quiet.’

 

The ‘unpleasant incidents’ that occurred during Sion’s process of normalizing the Tower were fewer than expected.

 

For instance, unwelcome guests.

 

The Blue Tower was attractive prey, and no predator would miss wounded prey.

 

It was about time for those coveting this place to start picking fights.

 

“Akasha, based on the information you’ve gathered, what is currently the Blue Tower’s most threatening enemy?”

 

[The Red Tower.]

 

Akasha answered without a moment’s hesitation.

 

[The Rostery is still a rational family. Though cunning, they could become allies if we negotiate well with proper bargaining materials.]

 

“Right. After all, they’re the ones who sent me here.”

 

[But the Red Tower is different. They are the Magic Council’s faithful enforcers, and among them, Hayden Kaul, who is receiving attention as the Red Tower’s successor, is persistently targeting the Blue Tower Master position.]

 

“…Hmm.”

 

He had thought of how to settle things with the Rostery.

 

They would come looking on their own anyway, so a conclusion could be reached soon.

 

But in the case of the Red Tower…

 

“Unpleasant.”

 

[It would be. Aren’t they the force that tormented you since you were Altair?]

 

“…They did.”

 

Before long, the Blue Tower’s value would be revealed to the world.

 

When that happened, pressure incomparable to what they’d faced so far would descend upon the Blue Tower.

 

This must be thoroughly prepared for.

 

“…Hmm, now that I think about it.”

 

At that moment, Sion, who had been lost in thought, spoke as if finding something interesting.

 

“Since they seem to understand Magic Tool Utilization itself, I suppose it’s time to move on to the next stage.”

 

[What do you mean by the next stage?]

 

“Well, those guys are mages too, aren’t they? What I’m pursuing isn’t the path of a magic tool craftsman. It’s the path of a ‘mage’ who utilizes magic tools.”

 

[Ah, certainly… the lectures so far have been more focused on Magic Tool Utilization rather than magic itself.]

 

“Right, but magic tools aren’t omnipotent. A mage’s magical realm is ultimately the mage’s own responsibility.”

 

[What do you mean by that?]

 

Sion chuckled and answered.

 

“It means it’s time for the classes to move to the next stage too.”

 

He had already instilled the foundational knowledge about Magic Tool Utilization.

 

If that was the case, then now it was time to approach things as a ‘mage.’

 

Currently, the majority of the Blue Tower’s students remain at the level of 1st Circle or 2nd Circle.

 

Therefore.

 

“Within one week, I’ll raise the Tower’s average circle to 3rd Circle.”

 

Sion’s eyes gleamed as he voiced his new goal.

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