The AI Archmage - Chapter 47

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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 47

 

“Please follow me.”

 

Sion and Eira, who had arrived at the center of the Workshop Alliance, followed the staff member’s guidance.

 

‘Really now.’

 

It looked exactly as he remembered.

 

Sion closed his eyes and briefly recalled old memories.

 

Of course, he didn’t indulge in sentimentality more than necessary.

 

Sion wasn’t the type of person to be caught up in such ‘inefficient matters.’

 

That’s when it happened.

 

Tug.

 

Eira quietly grabbed the end of Sion’s sleeve.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I just wanted to tell you in advance.”

 

Eira carefully continued speaking to Sion.

 

“…Father won’t change. So there might be a result where you leave me here.”

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

“Why are you so confident about that?”

 

“Because that’s what I think.”

 

Sion was filled with confidence as if his words were the truth.

 

As if such a thing really wouldn’t be a problem at all.

 

“You’re not worrying about something pointless. I told you. That’s my role.”

 

“B-but…”

 

“Have I ever told you a lie?”

 

“At least not to me.”

 

“Then trust me a little.”

 

While they were having this conversation, the staff member stopped.

 

“This is the place.”

 

The location was exactly the same too.

 

However.

 

“…Is this the right place?”

 

The place where they had stopped wasn’t the room where Altair, the former Alliance Leader, had stayed.

 

“The room where the Alliance Leader originally stayed wasn’t this place, was it?”

 

“Yes, the current Alliance Leader chose this place as his office.”

 

“Then the original room is…”

 

“No one is using it.”

 

The staff member gave a bitter smile and lowered his voice as he spoke.

 

“And no one is allowed to use it either.”

 

“…”

 

Sion, who understood the meaning of those words, let out a hollow laugh.

 

In fact, he had been feeling it all along.

 

However, if there was something that became certain this time, it was…

 

‘I wasn’t a good master.’

 

At the same time, he couldn’t be a good father either.

 

Discovering his own flaws in this way was certainly not a pleasant thing.

 

He hadn’t taken care of his disciples.

 

No, even if he had taken care of them, he hadn’t paid attention at the most important moment.

 

He had never thought about what choices those disciples would make after his death.

 

That was definitely wrong.

 

So now was the time to correct that mistake.

 

Just as he was thinking that.

 

“However, miss.”

 

The staff member who had guided them this far spoke to Eira with an apologetic expression.

 

“I’m sorry, but the Alliance Leader wishes to have a private meeting with Mr. Sion. So miss, I’ll guide you to a room for now…”

 

“Uh…”

 

At those words, Eira’s eyes wavered and turned toward Sion.

 

Sion quietly nodded, saying it was fine.

 

“Don’t worry. It’s not about your problem. There’s probably something you shouldn’t hear, so that’s why they’re doing this.”

 

“If it’s something I shouldn’t hear…”

 

Sion chuckled softly and said.

 

“Think of it as my personal business.”

 

“…Ah. Yes!”

 

Only then did Eira relax her expression a bit and nod.

 

From experience, Sion didn’t do things that would cause problems for her.

 

This time would be the same.

 

“Yes, then I’ll wait.”

 

“Alright.”

 

The staff member immediately guided Eira to the room.

 

Now only Sion remained in front of that door.

 

“Phew.”

 

Sion took a small deep breath and turned the handle to open the door.

 

At that moment.

 

“…Huh.”

 

For a moment, he thought he might have actually come to the past from decades ago.

 

The room was that unchanged.

 

Exactly as his disciple Casen Kobella had used it decades ago.

 

And the moment Sion stepped into the room, thud, the door closed.

 

And someone rose from the chair located at the very back.

 

On the table in front of it, countless tools were scattered messily.

 

“Master was truly a remarkable person.”

 

The first thing that caught his eye was none other than wrinkles.

 

His disciple had somehow become clothed in the passage of time.

 

He slowly turned his head toward where Sion was.

 

“You made the impossible possible, and created this City for Craftsmen in the world of mages.”

 

Casen said this while lifting his head and asked.

 

“How was it?”

 

“It was tedious.”

 

Sion spoke his true feelings without any hesitation.

 

At those words, Casen smiled with his wrinkled face and said.

 

“Welcome to such an Ate.”

 

* * *

 

“Aren’t you going to see your daughter?”

 

Sion asked Casen with a light reproachful tone.

 

Then he answered nonchalantly.

 

“Of course I’ll see her later. We need to talk too. But it would be awkward to do it in front of you, so I suggested we meet separately.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“First, sit down. It seems we have a lot to discuss.”

 

“Let’s do that.”

 

Sion sat down while looking at Casen.

 

His disciple had gained quite a few wrinkles over the past 20 years.

 

In Altair’s eyes, Casen had always been a good-natured young man.

 

But somehow, that disciple had now acquired wrinkles under the weight of time.

 

“Do you need something to drink?”

 

“If you have Snow Flower Tea, I’d appreciate that.”

 

“Snow Flower Tea…”

 

A strange light flickered in Casen’s eyes.

 

Sion knew why Casen was showing such a reaction.

 

Snow Flower Tea was the tea that Altair used to enjoy drinking.

 

There was no way Casen, his disciple, wouldn’t know that.

 

Casen quickly prepared the Snow Flower Tea and placed it in front of Sion.

 

“What a coincidence. Master used to love this too.”

 

“Indeed.”

 

Sion said this while taking a sip of the Snow Flower Tea.

 

‘It’s been a while.’

 

This fragrance and the sharp taste that wrapped around his tongue.

 

There was no doubt that this was the Snow Flower Tea he had often enjoyed.

 

It was even high quality.

 

“Do you understand a bit now?”

 

“Yes, well, to some extent….”

 

Sion nodded his head, recalling old memories.

 

In the past, Altair would often rest while drinking snow flower tea.

 

And his young disciples… would follow the scent of that snow flower tea to find him.

 

‘The first gift those children ever gave me was snow flower tea.’

 

That’s right.

 

The very first thing his disciples had pooled their money together to gift Sion was snow flower tea.

 

From the disciples’ perspective at the time, it was such a luxury item that it wasn’t easy to buy even after pooling all their money together.

 

As he recalled that time, Sion’s lips unconsciously relaxed.

 

– Master, p-please accept this!

 

– H-here… snow flower tea!

 

The sight of those little ones gathering together and presenting him with snow flower tea using both hands was still vivid in his memory.

 

Just then.

 

“You there.”

 

“…Ah.”

 

Casen’s voice brought Sion’s mind back to the present.

 

“You said it was clichéd.”

 

“Ah… Yes, I did say that.”

 

It was about the story regarding the city.

 

When Sion nodded, Casen asked again.

 

“Could you tell me what aspects made it so?”

 

Sion answered readily without difficulty.

 

“I don’t see any aspects that have moved beyond Altair’s era at all.”

 

“What if there was no need to move beyond it?”

 

“That would be a statement that directly contradicts Altair’s ideology. It’s sophistry.”

 

“….”

 

At those words, Casen briefly fidgeted with the tea cup placed before him, then spoke heavily.

 

“Twenty years ago, after Master disappeared, the Union was thrown into great chaos. There was no talent capable of replacing Master.”

 

“….”

 

“Do you know this? Master wished for progress, and hoped that his disciples would surpass him. But you see.”

 

Casen said with a bitter smile.

 

“Master’s talent isn’t something that can be surpassed.”

 

The fact he had felt while talking with Dute earlier.

 

“I see. But there must be theories and designs that he left behind. Progress would have been entirely possible through improving upon those.”

 

“…Haha.”

 

Casen let out a bitter laugh as he spoke.

 

“You speak remarkably… like Master.”

 

“You flatter me.”

 

“It’s not particularly meant as praise.”

 

Casen gently shook his head as he continued speaking.

 

“Master was a great artisan, but as a human being, he was far too clumsy.”

 

“…Tsk.”

 

“What did you say?”

 

“No, nothing. Please continue.”

 

At his disciple’s sudden criticism, Sion unconsciously clicked his tongue.

 

Honestly, it stung.

 

Most of all, it stung because he couldn’t deny what his disciple said.

 

“He thought of everything based on himself as the standard. He believed that his disciple would eventually reach his level, if not immediately.”

 

“…Are you saying that wasn’t the case?”

 

“Of course not.”

 

Casen nodded without a moment’s hesitation.

 

“Differences in talent exist. And the difference between Master’s talent and ours as his disciples was… far too vast and deep.”

 

“….”

 

“But Master refused to acknowledge that fact. It was almost in the realm of faith.”

 

That was true.

 

Sion found himself nodding unconsciously at Casen’s words.

 

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I respected Master for having such faith, and I still do now. However, even if Master’s words were true….”

 

Casen’s eyes grew heavy.

 

“In the end, we failed.”

 

“Failed….”

 

“And the result of that is exactly what you see in Ate now.”

 

Deep resignation was embedded in Casen’s voice as he spoke.

 

“We couldn’t live up to those expectations.”

 

Despite twenty years of desperate effort.

 

Sion closed his eyes for a moment after hearing those words.

 

Perhaps in the past.

 

If it had been ‘Altair’ here instead of ‘Sion Rostery’, he might not have understood his disciple’s words.

 

– I see. So you failed.

 

He might have simply evaluated it that way without any concern.

 

He might have dismissed even his disciple’s words as mere excuses.

 

But he was different now.

 

“It’s not a failure.”

 

He listened to his disciple’s words and understood his disciple’s feelings.

 

“…What?”

 

“It’s just growing pains.”

 

Casen’s eyes widened at Sion’s words. Then he spoke with a hollow laugh.

 

“Growing pains? For someone like me who’s already over sixty?”

 

“What does age matter? Humans continue to grow. And that’s not much different for the Alliance Leader either.”

 

This was no different for Altair either.

 

Sion believed he himself had grown as well.

 

He now acknowledges the existence of talent.

 

He knows that humans cannot be born equal.

 

Therefore, he decided to make an effort to bridge that gap, even if just a little.

 

That is who Sion is now.

 

And as if proving that fact, Sion listened to his disciple’s words and ‘understood’ his disciple’s circumstances.

 

“…Hehe.”

 

Casen laughed heartily as if he had heard something unexpected.

 

“That was… a bit unlike Master. I’ll correct myself. You’re at least better than Master when it comes to eloquence.”

 

“No, why do you keep trying to compare me with that person?”

 

“Well. Don’t you know the reason for that yourself?”

 

“…”

 

Sion quietly fidgeted with his tea cup at Casen’s question.

 

“I received the letter well. If it was a means to capture my interest, you could say it succeeded quite brilliantly.”

 

“That’s quite fortunate.”

 

“However, you must know what meaning that holds for me… no, for ‘us’.”

 

Thunk.

 

Casen took a sip of tea and set his tea cup down on the table.

 

His eyes were very sunken.

 

“From now on, you’ll need to answer my questions properly. Other crimes aside, for us, the crime of impersonating that person is heavier than anything else.”

 

“Please speak.”

 

Sion looked at Casen with calm eyes.

 

And Casen’s mouth slowly opened.

 

“…What exactly is your relationship with Master?”

 

‘Is it now?’

 

Sion slowly opened his eyes and thought.

 

‘The moment to utilize the setting I’ve been diligently building for a week!’

 

From now on, it was time for his silver tongue, filled with all his might, to play its role.

 

He immediately bowed his head and said.

 

“I greet my senior brother!”

 

“…!”

 

Casen’s eyes widened greatly upon hearing those words.

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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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