The AI Archmage - Chapter 49
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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 49
What is bullshit?
Eira thought she had recently arrived at an answer to that age-old question.
‘It’s Teacher Sion.’
That’s right, Sion.
Walking bullshit was none other than Sion Rostery.
Eira had been desperately realizing lately that this fact was an undeniable truth.
And it was the same now.
“Senior brother, you’re forcing my disciple down the path of craftsmanship because of her ‘talent,’ aren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“You must be thinking that if she maximizes that talent, she could realize Master’s will and become a deterrent against the Magic Council.”
“That’s correct.”
“That’s the problem.”
“…Uh, what?”
Casen looked at Sion with an expression of bewilderment.
That’s the problem?
What on earth could be wrong with a father’s words about making use of one’s natural talent?
“Eira’s talent isn’t that great. It’s not that high.”
“…I understand what my disciple wants to say. But I must say that’s a misjudgment on your part. My daughter’s talent is real.”
Casen continued speaking calmly.
“This child understood the design of a magic tool I made when she was only 7 years old. A mere 7-year-old understood a 4-Star Workshop Master’s invention.”
“Hmm.”
“That’s something neither I nor the other disciples succeeded in doing. My daughter’s talent is above mine and the other disciples’.”
Casen methodically explained to Sion why he thought of Eira as special and why he was forcing her down the path of craftsmanship.
His new disciple was very intelligent.
Naturally, with this much explanation, he should be able to understand Eira’s talent.
But then.
“Eira, magic.”
“…Yes?”
“Try using magic. Magic.”
At those words, Eira showed a momentarily flustered expression, then opened her eyes wide.
“Ah!”
And then she suddenly extended her hand.
Casen watched his daughter’s behavior and unconsciously frowned.
Was she planning to show off her magical achievements here and now?
If that was her thinking, she was gravely mistaken.
Even if his daughter skillfully cast magic here, that talent couldn’t compare to the magic tool crafting talent that Casen had confirmed.
The moment he thought that.
“【Magic Missile】.”
…Something completely unexpected had emerged.
“Huh?”
Casen briefly examined the mana mass floating above his daughter’s palm.
It was definitely magic.
However, what mattered wasn’t what kind of magic this was.
The process.
“…Chantless Magic?”
Casen’s mouth fell open.
But that couldn’t be possible.
Then the most likely possibility was.
“Did you use a scroll?”
Casen also had knowledge about magic.
And he knew that to perform 1st Circle chantless magic, one needed to reach at least the 6th Circle level.
But his daughter didn’t have that level of magical talent.
At most, 3rd to 4th Circle would be her limit.
And by now, she should be at about 2nd Circle level.
Therefore, he concluded that Eira hadn’t cast magic directly herself, but had used magic with the help of some other ‘something’.
And that thought was somewhat correct.
Though not perfectly correct.
“I couldn’t immediately confirm how you used the magic scroll, but you put in good effort.”
With those words, he quickly scanned his daughter’s body.
He thought that for such natural scroll usage, she must have hidden a specific device somewhere.
However.
‘What?’
No matter how much he searched, he couldn’t see it.
The device that should naturally exist wasn’t found anywhere on his daughter’s body.
Could there be a trick so clever that even he couldn’t discover it?
It would be absurd if he couldn’t find it, but that would also be a very satisfying result.
That would also serve as proof of his daughter’s talent as a craftsman.
Wouldn’t it mean she had created a device so sophisticated that even he couldn’t detect it?
That idea was also worthy of a craftsman….
“That’s not it though?”
“It’s not?”
Casen tilted his head at his daughter’s answer, given without a moment’s hesitation.
“Then how do you explain the magic manifesting immediately? If it’s not a scroll, there’s no way to manifest magic without an incantation….”
“Ah, it’s this.”
With a somewhat boastful attitude, Eira tapped the magic tool on her wrist in front of her father.
“This is a magic tool, and it calculates magic incantations for me.”
“…Huh?”
At those words, Casen froze for a moment.
The daughter’s words themselves weren’t difficult.
However, rather because his knowledge and experience as a craftsman were too solid, he couldn’t understand.
“You mean that bracelet on your wrist is a magic tool, and inside it contains circuits advanced enough to handle magical calculations?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t deceive me, daughter.”
Casen warned his daughter with irritation.
“I know you don’t like my decision. But that doesn’t mean you should tell such obvious lies…”
“Why don’t you check for yourself.”
With those words, Eira removed the bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Casen.
Casen immediately took the bracelet and examined it thoroughly.
‘This is ridiculous. It’s impossible for circuits capable of that level of calculation to be built into something this small…’
But Casen soon had no choice but to widen his eyes.
He was one of the greatest craftsmen of his time.
He could tell immediately without even having to disassemble the bracelet.
This… is a magic tool.
Moreover, through the observation device he had briefly placed on the table, he confirmed that there were ‘special circuits’ inside.
And the moment he confirmed that, Casen felt an involuntary thrill.
“Th-this is…”
“I think you’d know better than anyone, father. The value this magic tool possesses.”
At his daughter’s words, Casen found himself nodding repeatedly without realizing it.
How could he not know!
“This is… a revolution! If something like this became known to the world, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a revolution!”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Wh-who is it? Who on earth made this magic tool! This is…”
“The greatest talent of all time…”
Before he could finish speaking, a voice was heard, and Casen’s gaze turned in that direction.
“That would be me, senior brother.”
“The disciple… made this?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“With natural talent.”
An answer that couldn’t be more concise.
But Casen understood what Sion was trying to say.
“If the disciple made this, then my words just now were a mistake.”
“Now that you understand, that’s enough.”
“Hah…”
Though he understood, Casen still couldn’t hide his shock as he examined the magic tool again.
“Did you give this magic tool a name?”
“I didn’t. It’s a test product. I haven’t even started proper mass production yet.”
“…You didn’t even assign it a number?”
“Yes.”
At Sion’s calm response, Casen fell silent for a moment before asking.
“Did the disciple design it directly?”
“I did the design myself, but the foundational knowledge was my Master’s.”
Sion was aware that his age was young to have accomplished all these things.
So he needed some justification that would convince others to some degree.
If he said the source of knowledge was Altair, this guy should be able to accept it to some extent.
And Casen nodded with a complex expression.
“Haha, a genius. How on earth does such talent…”
“Do you perhaps understand what I want to say?”
“…That the disciple’s talent is superior, so I shouldn’t obsess over my poor daughter’s talent?”
“That’s right.”
Casen didn’t want to become the father of a great artisan.
He simply hoped for the existence of a perfect superhuman who would be responsible for the future of the Workshop Alliance.
Like his master Altair.
Or an existence even greater than that.
And those words also meant that if there was a being with suitable talent, there was no need to force his daughter onto the path of an artisan.
Casen, seemingly not yet abandoning that intention, brought up another reason.
“But the disciple is a mage. You belong to the Blue Tower, which is a ‘Magic Tower’. The disciple cannot become a talent representing our main alliance…”
“Must I necessarily represent the alliance?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Magic, magical tool technology. They ultimately share the common point of ‘mana’.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“Is there really a need to distinguish between the two? As magic engineering, there could be a path of fusion.”
“So what you’re trying to say now is surely…”
“Yes.”
Sion spoke of the purpose he had been thinking about for a very long time, since when he was Altair.
“I will walk the path of ‘Magic Engineering’, a third path that is neither magic nor magical tools.”
“…!”
Casen’s eyes widened greatly.
‘Perfect.’
At that reaction, Sion smiled triumphantly.
Now he was almost there.
‘Come.’
Continental Workshop Alliance Leader.
A genius verified by that Alliance Leader.
He had no intention of letting go of either side.
* * *
Late at night, after finishing the conversation, Casen sat alone quietly in his chair.
Various thoughts came to mind.
Especially the declaration his disciple had made to him kept circling in his mind.
Knock knock.
– Elder, it’s Tyren. May I come in?
“Come in.”
At Casen’s words, Tyren carefully opened the door and entered his room.
Tyren glanced briefly at the tea cup still placed across from him, then asked.
“Elder, how was your conversation with the Young Lady?”
“It wasn’t much different from before. There’s an unchanging difference of opinion between that child and me.”
“Ah…”
At those words, Tyren let out a small sigh.
So it was the same this time as well?
He had prepared himself to some extent, but when it became reality, disappointment was inevitable.
“Then the Young Lady will…”
“That child will return to the Blue Tower.”
“I see. Yes, I’ll prepare a room for her to stay in going forward… What?”
Upon hearing the unexpected words, Tyren’s head shot up.
“You’re saying the Young Lady will… return to the Blue Tower?”
“That’s right.”
“Is that really alright? You wanted the Young Lady to become a new pillar supporting the Union.”
“I did. And that fact hasn’t changed much.”
“Then why…”
“I’ve come to reconsider the value of the Blue Tower. I can’t deny even that value.”
At those words, Tyren studied Casen’s expression.
He hadn’t noticed when he first came in, but now that he looked…
“You’re… smiling?”
“Ah, was I smiling?”
Casen chuckled as if even those words were amusing.
“It’s just, when I think about it, it’s rather absurd. Talent, haha! Talent indeed!”
Casen muttered such words and laughed for quite a while.
He had thought his daughter’s talent might be a great talent that could follow in the footsteps of that great Master.
That was never overconfidence.
But reality always has a way of exceeding people’s imagination.
There existed a talent far above his daughter, whom he thought was born with exceptional talent.
Truly, wasn’t it an amusing matter?
“Tyren.”
“Yes, Elder.”
“Do you think the Main Alliance and the Magic Council can continue to coexist in the future?”
At those words, Tyren spoke firmly.
“It’s impossible. Coexistence can only be achieved when both sides are on equal footing. Right now we’re barely managing that, but the Council will never just stand by and watch this situation.”
“You’re right.”
Casen nodded with a calm expression.
It was a fact everyone knew.
And that was why the craftsmen didn’t like mages.
“Then what about a third path? For example… someone blessed by heaven with both talent for magic and talent for magical tool crafting.”
“…Excuse me?”
Tyren thought this was unlike Casen to say.
The Elder he knew didn’t usually consider such absurd possibilities.
But since his expression was very serious, he answered anyway.
“If such a superhuman existed… it might be possible. Lord Altair founded this Union by reaching the pinnacle with magical tool technology alone, so if someone had magical talent to match that…”
If such a superhuman could exist, they might be able to present the ‘new path’ Casen had just mentioned.
But.
“But that… wouldn’t be possible, would it, Elder?”
“Right.”
Casen chuckled softly and continued.
“I used to think so too.”
“…Excuse me?”
“It looks like we’ll need to start moving quite busily from now on.”
Casen possessed the judgment befitting an Alliance Leader.
“Prepare to welcome a new partner for the Union, Tyren.”
“A new partner…”
“The Blue Tower.”
Casen said with gleaming eyes.
“From now on, we go with the Blue Tower.”
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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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