The AI Archmage - Chapter 34

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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 34

 

“We have arrived, Miss.”

 

“Good work.”

 

Cornelia arrived near the Blue Tower earlier than scheduled.

 

Naturally, no one at the Blue Tower would know that she had arrived for the inspection.

 

“…So this is the Blue Tower.”

 

She got off the carriage and looked around.

 

The area around the Blue Tower was utterly desolate.

 

The roads weren’t properly maintained, and there were hardly any people coming and going.

 

“Really, how unsightly.”

 

The Blue Tower was truly shabby compared to the White Tower where she belonged.

 

The former prestige of the Four Great Magic Towers was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Then Miss, we shall…”

 

“Wait in the nearby village. There shouldn’t be any problems anyway.”

 

“Yes, Miss.”

 

Cornelia didn’t like having anyone attached to her side.

 

This time was no different.

 

Those who followed her also knew her temperament, so they obediently withdrew.

 

After all, she would just inspect the Blue Tower and ultimately pronounce the Tower Master’s fate.

 

She headed toward the Blue Tower along the unmaintained road.

 

‘No matter what, this is too severe.’

 

Even so, this was the only road from the Blue Tower to the city, yet it was in this condition.

 

That meant the Blue Tower wasn’t even operating properly as a basic Magic Tower.

 

Honestly, she hadn’t expected anything at all, but it was even more disappointing than she thought.

 

As she walked for quite a while.

 

Rumble!

 

Suddenly, a powerful vibration felt from below.

 

She reflexively drew up her mana.

 

‘What, what is this?! This vibration… could it be a large monster?’

 

But the vibration didn’t grow any stronger.

 

So she maintained her vigilance and carefully headed toward the source of the vibration, and soon couldn’t help but widen her eyes.

 

“…Golems?”

 

The identity of that vibration was golems.

 

Bodies that seemed more than twice the size of an average person.

 

Those golems were diligently moving materials and leveling the ground.

 

‘Golems doing such work?’

 

The golems’ movements were very smooth and fast.

 

“…Such golems existed at the Blue Tower?”

 

This was naturally information she hadn’t heard.

 

Cornelia’s eyes briefly flashed with a sharp light.

 

‘Is the Blue Tower plotting something behind the Main House’s back?’

 

But she soon dismissed that thought.

 

The Rostery Family periodically checks on the Blue Tower’s condition.

 

Moreover, it was certain that Tower Master Lumia Kabala didn’t possess such abilities.

 

Then the most likely hypothesis would be intervention from external forces.

 

But she couldn’t be certain.

 

The high-performance golems weren’t just one or two, but appeared to number around ten.

 

This was absolutely impossible with the Blue Tower’s capabilities as she knew them.

 

‘Well, they’re not monsters at least, so I should go further.’

 

She quickened her steps toward the Blue Tower while observing the golems.

 

She could just ask the Tower Master directly about the golems.

 

But on her way there, many things complicated her thoughts.

 

There were quite a few people who didn’t look like mages.

 

They moved around in groups with hollow eyes as if they’d stayed up all night, muttering strange words.

 

“The gear specifications for model AP-23 are 3.5 millimeters…”

 

“First place… is mine…”

 

A festival of incomprehensible words.

 

At the very least, they didn’t look like members of a Magic Tower.

 

‘What on earth are these people doing?’

 

Of course, the White Tower she belonged to didn’t only have mages either.

 

Personnel were needed to maintain and repair the tower, and people were needed to help with the mages’ miscellaneous tasks.

 

But they didn’t look like such people.

 

When she arrived at the Blue Tower like that.

 

[Hmm?]

 

Something quietly emerged from behind and encountered her.

 

Cornelia tilted her head.

 

“A golem?”

 

[Oh, well now.]

 

Suddenly a ‘voice’ flowed out from the golem.

 

Cornelia unconsciously flinched and trembled.

 

A golem that reacted nonchalantly and spoke even when encountering a stranger for the first time?

 

At least she had never seen one.

 

Even more so, it became impossible to know what this Blue Tower was doing.

 

Beep beep.

 

Suddenly looking at her, the golem froze and didn’t move, just making beeping sounds silently.

 

And then after a moment.

 

[Welcome, Miss Cornelia Rostery.]

 

“…?!”

 

The golem spoke her name so naturally.

 

At that reaction, her gaze couldn’t help but sharpen.

 

“You, how do you know my name?”

 

[White-haired women of that age with powerful mana are not common. And it just so happens that the day when Rostery periodically visits the Blue Tower is not far off.]

 

It wasn’t just speaking words, but knew the circumstances of both the Blue Tower and Rostery in detail.

 

Cornelia’s tone became even stronger.

 

“Reveal your identity.”

 

That thing is not a golem.

 

In the first place, among artificial golems, there exists no type that can think and act on its own.

 

Then that golem isn’t moving autonomously, but some mage must be speaking to her through the golem.

 

[Well.]

 

However, the golem brushed off her words as if it had no intention of revealing its identity, and only said what it wanted to say.

 

[He’s waiting up there, so let’s have a conversation first. It’s necessary business, isn’t it.]

 

“You mean the Tower Master is waiting? Don’t tell me, she already knows that I would come…”

 

[No, that’s not it.]

 

There was a strange hint of laughter in the golem’s voice.

 

[Sion Rostery.]

 

“…!”

 

As if it had anticipated even Cornelia’s reaction, the golem continued speaking.

 

[Still, a conversation with blood relatives would be necessary at least once. Isn’t that right?]

 

Cornelia quickly calmed her mind and nodded.

 

“…Guide me.”

 

If she said she wasn’t curious about that fool’s current situation… that would be a lie.

 

* * *

 

[Human, do you understand? Someone from Rostery has come.]

 

“I know.”

 

Sion leisurely nodded at Akasha’s voice.

 

It was an unexpected situation.

 

More precisely, it should be called an unexpected situation he had been preparing for.

 

He had thought from the start that Rostery probably wouldn’t keep to the scheduled date.

 

Akasha spoke as if nagging.

 

[You really understand, right, Human? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been able to respond so smoothly in this kind of situation.]

 

“So?”

 

[Think about it – if I had made my appearance more human-like and eliminated any sense of incongruity. Looking at it now, this human seems to be mistaking me for some puppet golem…]

 

The gist of Akasha’s words was simple.

 

If her specs were upgraded further, she could respond more naturally than now in various situations.

 

“I’ll think about it for now.”

 

He had always been thinking about upgrading Akasha’s specs anyway.

 

But seeing her so enthusiastically promoting herself was amusing, so he was just giving casual responses.

 

[I, Akasha, will never disappoint Human!]

 

It seems she quite likes being able to freely move around in her artificial body, even if it’s just within the Tower.

 

[I’m going up now!]

 

“Alright.”

 

Sion got up from his seat and arranged a table and chair for his guest.

 

Before long, the door opened.

 

Creak.

 

[This way, Miss Cornelia.]

 

Akasha skillfully opened the door and guided Cornelia inside, then left.

 

“…You.”

 

As soon as the door closed, Cornelia quietly glared at Sion.

 

‘Is that really my sister?’

 

Sion also calmly faced Cornelia.

 

Now that he had decided to live as Sion Rostery, Cornelia Rostery was his sister.

 

“It’s been a while, sister.”

 

Sion smiled and offered her a seat.

 

“Please sit down for now. It must be tiring to keep standing.”

 

“Hmph.”

 

Cornelia snorted and sat down.

 

Then she crossed her legs and spoke curtly.

 

“I saw quite a lot of strange things on the way here.”

 

“Ah, you mean the golems?”

 

“You know well.”

 

Cornelia continued with a serious expression.

 

“I hadn’t heard anything about it. I definitely should have heard about it.”

 

“Why would I have any reason to tell you?”

 

“What?”

 

Cornelia made an incredulous expression.

 

“You were sent to this fallen Magic Tower, and just because your situation improved a little, did you gain some pathetic confidence?”

 

“Confidence…”

 

Sion stroked his chin and muttered, then soon chuckled.

 

“That’s not it. But… do you think I would have any affection or trust for the family?”

 

“…”

 

“That’s impossible. Even you didn’t hesitate to despise me and belittle me in every way.”

 

At those words, Cornelia bit her lip.

 

Sion’s words were true.

 

The Rostery family stakes their lives on value.

 

In other words, if you have no value, even direct descendants are despised and ignored.

 

And among the direct descendants, Sion had received the most miserable treatment.

 

“When I was unilaterally despised like that… why exactly should I work for the family?”

 

“Have you forgotten that the only reason you can live so brazenly in this Blue Tower and still hold your head high is because of the Main House’s reputation?”

 

Cornelia glared straight at Sion as she spoke.

 

“Do you really think you’d be treated well in this Blue Tower if ‘Rostery’ were stripped away from you? If you think that, you’re gravely mistaken. You’re…”

 

“【Silence】.”

 

That was the moment.

 

Thud.

 

Cornelia’s words stopped.

 

No, rather than her words stopping, her mouth itself was blocked.

 

Though she opened and closed her mouth, no voice came out.

 

Her eyes widened greatly.

 

‘Ma, magic?!’

 

No, that couldn’t be possible.

 

Sion hadn’t spoken the ‘incantation’ necessary to manifest magic.

 

Silence is a 4th Circle magic.

 

Manifesting that level of magic without an incantation was nearly impossible.

 

No, he shouldn’t even have the capability to manifest 4th Circle magic in the first place.

 

But regardless of Cornelia’s confusion, Sion quietly brought his index finger to his lips.

 

“Shh. The one who decides what I am is not you, sister.”

 

“…!”

 

“The one who decides is myself.”

 

Sion said this and lightly snapped his fingers.

 

At that moment, the magic blocking Cornelia’s mouth was released.

 

She confirmed the magic was lifted and looked at Sion with trembling eyes.

 

“Di, did you use a scroll?”

 

“You should know better than anyone that it wasn’t something like that.”

 

“Then you’re saying you really succeeded in casting 4th Circle magic with chantless casting purely through your own skill?”

 

That was absurd.

 

There was no way that could be possible.

 

She could be certain because she had observed Sion Rostery closer than anyone else.

 

In the first place, her brother was someone who struggled even with 1st Circle magic.

 

She had fully grasped his talent as well.

 

That’s why she couldn’t believe it. That this dullard had succeeded in such magic with chantless casting.

 

And more than anything else.

 

“Your magic… worked on me?”

 

Especially magic like Silence has complex conditions and doesn’t work on mages of higher realm than oneself.

 

But the fact that it worked meant…

 

“You… have a higher magical realm than me?”

 

“Who knows.”

 

Sion wore a sly smile as he met his sister’s eyes.

 

“You would know that best yourself. Wouldn’t you agree?”

 

“…!”

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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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