The AI Archmage - Chapter 25
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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 25
Tult spoke with an ecstatic expression.
“The medicine… is good stuff.”
“No, don’t say it like that, you idiot. People who don’t know will get the wrong idea.”
Briella retorted in disbelief, but it didn’t seem to reach Tult’s ears at all.
“The medicine is good, really…”
“I told you not to say that.”
Briella growled, but this time an ecstatic voice came from the opposite side.
“I want to take the medicine again tomorrow…”
It was Eira.
“Ugh, seriously.”
Briella covered her face with her hands and sighed with an expression that showed she didn’t know what to say.
They’d been making these expressions ever since taking the medicine Sion had distributed to the students.
The problem was that it wasn’t just these two – all the other guys were making similar expressions and saying similar things.
Of course, Briella was a bit different.
Being from a mercenary family, she had experienced various situations.
Unlike the children of noble houses, mercenary children were bound to have all sorts of experiences.
‘Of course, it’s not that I don’t understand…’
Briella too couldn’t help but be amazed as she felt the energy overflowing from her body.
She had to acknowledge it.
Sion’s words about creating a 3rd Circle within a week weren’t excessive.
A stable mana cultivation method.
Plus an elixir that aided the growth of such mana cultivation methods. The ingredient was even bones from that ‘dragon.’
This was at a level where it would be wrong if it didn’t have effects.
Anyway, the students were currently absorbed in using Sion’s mana cultivation method and absorbing the elixir’s energy.
“Hmm.”
Sion quietly observed the situation with his arms crossed.
It was because of the possibility that some student might not properly accept the mana cultivation method and go berserk.
[There are no students going berserk.]
‘That’s right.’
It was a good thing.
It meant he didn’t need to put in any unnecessary effort.
Still, just in case, he decided to examine the students’ condition more closely.
‘Akasha.’
[Yes, understood.]
As soon as those words ended, Akasha, having naturally received Sion’s permission, moved her mana.
At that moment, the scenery visible in his field of vision changed.
[Insight Eye, activated.]
Akasha’s functions were truly diverse.
Starting from the information gathering that Sion had been using effectively all this time, to magic calculation assistance… and this ‘Insight Eye’ was also one of Akasha’s functions.
The mana held by the students and its flow could be seen clearly.
One student’s flow was slow.
Another student’s flow was fast, but mana was leaking unnecessarily.
[There’s severe mana loss for truly various reasons. Either they can’t control the flow, or they can’t properly regulate it so mana leaks unnecessarily.]
‘Usually those things combined are called talent.’
In the world, there exists a group that instinctively minimizes such mana loss.
And such people are called geniuses.
Magic in particular was a field greatly influenced by such talent.
If you have talent, you can build circles without effort, but if you lack talent, there are limits no matter how hard you try.
This is common sense in the current Magic Academia.
Whether it’s truth or not, it’s common sense accepted among mages.
And Sion didn’t completely deny that common sense either.
However.
‘I hate that.’
He didn’t like the reality where talent is determined from birth, and social status is determined by it.
Altair in the past had dreamed of becoming a mage, but wasn’t born with magical talent.
For that reason, he became a craftsman.
He didn’t regret becoming a craftsman, but it still pissed him off on one hand.
Well, why.
Where’s the law that says you can’t be a mage just because you lack talent?
That’s reality?
Screw that.
[Yes, Human was that kind of person. I acknowledge it. If he didn’t like common sense or whatever, he would deny it.]
‘Right, you know me well.’
Sion snorted and turned his head toward the students again.
His fondness for those young ones was probably due to that innate rebellious nature too.
The Blue Tower’s growth was important, but he also hated seeing them despair after being blocked by something called talent.
With such feelings, Sion took in the mana flow of each student in the lecture hall.
Memorizing wasn’t difficult.
It was something he always did.
And he quickly classified the information he memorized in his mind.
Like bookshelves categorized by subject in a library.
‘Classification isn’t difficult.’
Each had various reasons for not being able to display their talent for magic.
But when divided into major categories and characteristics were organized, surprisingly the types were predetermined.
Classify and educate accordingly.
Sion decided on his future educational policy like that.
‘Let’s see you try some effort.’
At the very least, he would make it so they could receive rewards befitting that effort.
Sion thought this as he took in each of the students with his eyes.
The next week.
Many things would change.
“Because I’ll make it happen.”
* * *
After finishing his lecture as usual, Sion opened the door to Lumia’s room wide as he always did.
“Tower Master.”
“Kyaaaah?!”
“I have something to say.”
“What about my privacy?! Why do I feel like you don’t care about it at all?!”
Lumia, who had been in the middle of repairing a golem, protested vigorously.
But Sion boldly ignored her.
“What nonsense. I told you beforehand that I’d be checking homework at this time.”
“Ah.”
“For reference, you were the one who didn’t reply, Tower Master.”
“D-did I? More than that, is it already time…?”
“It’s 4 PM.”
“Al-already…?!”
Lumia was shocked.
It seemed she had been so focused on repairing the golem that she hadn’t noticed time passing.
‘Not bad.’
Sion considered this kind of concentration a form of talent.
Being able to immerse oneself passionately in something and work hard at it wasn’t something that could be done easily.
Without passion, it’s useless, but with passion, it can be put to good use.
Sion quickly examined the golem Lumia had been looking at and immediately pointed out an issue.
“This – you connected Wire Number 3 incorrectly.”
“Ah, d-did I?! I thought I connected it properly…!”
“It’s a wire that often gets mixed up, so it’s nothing strange. You just need to connect it to the opposite side.”
“…Ah.”
Lumia reconnected the wire as Sion had pointed out.
Whirr.
Then the golem, which hadn’t moved at all, raised its head.
Seeing this, Lumia’s face instantly brightened.
“Ah! It worked!”
“Hmm.”
Sion stroked his chin as he looked at Lumia.
‘Her talent for Magic Engineering isn’t good, not even as empty flattery.’
The complete opposite of her magic talent.
‘Altair’ solved the problem that Lumia is currently struggling with when he was just 12 years old.
Without learning from anyone, completely self-taught.
It must be a difference in talent.
Of course, that doesn’t mean he intends to make Lumia stop studying magic engineering.
Because it’s necessary work.
If she’s going to be the owner of the ‘Magic Craft Tower’ he’s designing, she naturally needs to master that knowledge.
However.
“Tower Master Lumia.”
“Y-yes…?”
Sion spoke to Lumia with a strict, solemn, serious expression.
“Tower Master’s efforts are certainly good. They have meaning. I’m the type who believes that being able to focus and concentrate on something is itself an effort.”
“I-I see!”
“That’s why I gave you homework. I wanted to know what level Tower Master was at.”
So Sion had intentionally continued giving Lumia difficult problems to solve.
This was to assess Lumia’s talent.
“As a result, Tower Master’s talent for magic engineering that I confirmed wasn’t particularly high.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, that’s fine. I know how to make up for lacking talent. If Tower Master has the effort, I can make Tower Master’s magic engineering skills flourish greatly.”
“Th-thank you!”
To think he was thinking of me like this!
Lumia desperately held back the tears that were about to well up.
‘Right, Sion may have lived quite recklessly until now, but there must have been circumstances!’
And once again she reflected on the life lesson that you have to watch people until the end.
This is what life is like.
…is what she thought.
“But even so, isn’t neglecting the Tower’s affairs too much?”
“…Huh?”
Lumia, who had been sparkling with emotion, froze in place.
Then she rolled her eyes and asked carefully.
“Th-the Tower’s affairs?”
“What is a Tower Master?”
“Th-the owner of the Tower…”
“In other words?”
“Bour-bourgeoisie…?”
“That doesn’t seem like a word that should come up at this point, but let’s skip over that for now.”
Sion let out a small sigh and said.
“The correct answer is manager.”
“…Ah.”
“Miss Lumia, you are currently in the position of managing this Blue Tower. But what have you been doing all this time?”
“M-magic engineering research…”
“That’s fine. But what about the Tower?”
“Si, Sion does… everything for me…”
“Tsk.”
“N-no, that… you do everything for me… a-and honestly…!”
Lumia squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.
“Everything I’ve touched so far has been ruined! It’s been a complete disaster!”
“…”
“I-I judged that it would be more efficient for Sion to handle things rather than me, who ruins everything I touch efficiently!”
“That’s a valid point.”
“R-right?”
“A damn valid point.”
With those words, Sion grabbed Lumia’s cheek and stretched it out.
“Uwaaaaah…”
“I understand that you’ve lost confidence from constantly ruining things, but does giving up make you a Tower Master?”
“Eaoeeeeeh…”
“You should make an effort to find other methods. No matter how important magic studies are, can you completely abandon your duties as Tower Master?”
At those words, Lumia shook her head with a tearful expression.
“Aioooo…”
“That’s right. No, you can’t.”
Sion nodded and let go of her cheek.
“Therefore, today you need to work with me as Tower Master.”
Lumia rubbed her swollen red cheek and said,
“W-work, you say…”
“I understand that the Blue Tower originally had quite a few excellent mages. I know that many of them left the Tower like migratory birds when the Blue Tower’s influence declined.”
“Y-yes, that’s right…”
“But I don’t think all of them left so heartlessly.”
“That’s…”
At those words, Lumia’s expression darkened.
“…Yes, not everyone did that. There were people who tried to stay.”
“What happened to those people?”
“Those people…”
Lumia began explaining in a gloomy voice.
“They were defeated in ‘fair duels’ against mages put forward by various noble houses at the time, and were bound by contracts to those families for decades, or had their Mana Hearts destroyed.”
“Ha.”
At those words, Sion couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.
Mage Duels are very ruthless.
Like noble duels, they stake something and the winner takes everything.
“Don’t tell me they all lost? Even if they were mages who belonged to the Four Great Magic Towers, they should have had sufficient skill?”
“They were all people with excellent abilities, but as you know, there’s no winning against numbers. Moreover, if the Magic Council was behind them…”
“I understand.”
Sion nodded and organized the situation in his mind.
‘They lost consecutive duels, and even the mages who remained in the Blue Tower were taken away.’
Generally, the winner of a duel offers a contract to the loser.
Basically, that contract involves serving the winner’s family for a certain period.
Sion wasn’t unaware of this either.
It was something nobles and mages used very effectively.
“Were the Mana Hearts destroyed because they refused the contracts?”
“…That’s right.”
If a Mana Heart was destroyed, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say their life as a mage was over.
It was common knowledge among mages that a destroyed Mana Heart could never be recreated.
“I see. Then let’s go.”
Watching Sion suddenly stand up, Lumia asked with a puzzled expression.
“G-go? Where to?”
“We need to retrieve them.”
Sion said with a slight smile.
“The seniors who were taken away.”
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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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