The AI Archmage - Chapter 60

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

AI Archmage Episode 60

 

Ten years ago, the Blue Tower came under concentrated fire from mages and nobles.

 

It was the result of Tower Master Belusian’s disappearance, who had been blocking external interference and pressure.

 

And the Blue Tower’s talents who were taken by various forces during that process still cannot return for various reasons.

 

“There are those like you, senior, who destroyed their Mana Hearts, and there are also those who were dragged to other noble families or Magic Towers and are keeping their contracts.”

 

It was diverse.

 

The majority were somehow forcibly prevented from belonging to the Blue Tower.

 

Of course, not everyone was like that.

 

There were also those who voluntarily abandoned the Blue Tower and went to other Magic Towers.

 

“…Contracts are absolute. As you know, junior, contracts made with mana don’t disappear unless you give up your Mana Heart.”

 

“I know.”

 

“If you give up your Mana Heart, you become useless as a mage. If you don’t give it up, you have to accept unfair contracts and live a life no different from slavery.”

 

Barean continued with a dark expression.

 

“The contract period they demanded was 20 years. About 10 years still remain. Originally, it would have been time left over even after the Main Tower collapsed.”

 

“A 20-year contract…”

 

“Of course, if the Blue Tower collapses in the meantime, their place will naturally disappear. The 20 years specified in the contract was originally set with the premise of the Blue Tower’s destruction.”

 

“Only 20 years?”

 

“Yes, only that.”

 

Barean chuckled.

 

“But to us at that time, 20 years wasn’t ‘only.'”

 

“…”

 

“It meant having to watch the declining Blue Tower for a full 20 years. And that while being bound to forces that were no different from enemies.”

 

Even so, those who couldn’t give up magic were dragged away helplessly.

 

Those who hated it and gave up magic became powerless ordinary people, struggling to sustain their lives.

 

“There must be quite a lot of people to get back. Then, let me ask just one thing first.”

 

Sion looked straight at Barean and asked.

 

“Are there some at the Red Tower too?”

 

“…There are.”

 

“How many? I don’t think they would have been satisfied with just one.”

 

“There were two. One was a 6th Circle mage like me. He belonged to the Blue Tower, but had the rare talent of specializing in flame attribute magic. He was a talent the Red Tower had been coveting for a long time.”

 

“But he didn’t choose the Red Tower?”

 

“Regardless of his talent, he was fascinated by the Previous Tower Master’s direction.”

 

“Oh.”

 

There was only one direction that Belusian pursued.

 

Magic Engineering.

 

“What is his name?”

 

“Maxwell. He was a commoner. At the time, he wanted to care for his ailing parents through Magic Engineering.”

 

“Did it work out well?”

 

“It worked out well.”

 

Past tense.

 

And that means…

 

“Ah, of course I don’t know what happened after that. What happened after being dragged to the Red Tower… wasn’t something I could know after losing my Mana Heart.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Representing the will of the Council, Hayden Kaul is coming to this place.

 

And this time he’s made up his mind firmly.

 

If that’s the case…

 

“Senior, what kind of person is Hayden Kaul?”

 

“Well. When I saw him once before, he was truly arrogant. He had quite a superiority complex, and regarding Lumia… well, you know?”

 

“I understand perfectly.”

 

“Of course, I don’t intend to deny his talent. Cases where character and talent are inversely proportional are common in this field.”

 

“Then to get his hands on the Tower Master, he’d do anything he could.”

 

“That’s…”

 

Barean frowned at Sion’s words.

 

As if recalling something, he didn’t hide his displeasure.

 

“…He would. What a shameless bastard.”

 

“I see.”

 

Through his conversation with Barean, Sion solidified his image of this person called Hayden Kaul.

 

Similar to Rotel Kaul in his youth.

 

It seems he chose a disciple exactly like himself.

 

“Ha.”

 

Sion snorted with a cold smile.

 

“I roughly understand how I should respond.”

 

“That’s fortunate then.”

 

Barean felt his mind becoming at ease.

 

It was strange. He hadn’t expected to rely this much on someone so much younger than himself.

 

But oddly enough, he had the feeling that if it was Sion, there would be no problem at all even against the Red Tower.

 

“I’m counting on you, junior.”

 

“Yes, absolutely.”

 

Sion nodded.

 

Barean was reassured by his junior’s promise.

 

The conversation was over.

 

But Barean cleared his throat and didn’t get up from his seat.

 

“Ahem, ahem!”

 

“What’s wrong, senior?”

 

“No, well, you see.”

 

Barean seemed to deliberate for a while before speaking as if he’d made a decision.

 

“About the grimoire. Is there a newer model than the one I’m using now…”

 

“You just got that one not too long ago, senior.”

 

“…Right?”

 

Barean nodded with a dejected expression.

 

Well, the mere existence of a magic tool capable of handling up to the 4th Circle was already incredible.

 

The possibility of creating something new in just 1-2 weeks was…

 

“I need one more week. Don’t be so impatient.”

 

“One week…?!”

 

Barean looked at Sion in shock.

 

“W-wait, you mean if I wait just one week, I can get the new model grimoire?!”

 

“Well, yes. You’ve already reached the 6th Circle anyway. I just need to improve the performance of the artificial mana heart, so adjusting it accordingly isn’t difficult.”

 

Of course, it was actually difficult.

 

It was just not difficult from Sion’s perspective.

 

Barean spoke with a face full of joy, stammering.

 

“Th-then could it be…?”

 

“Yes, this grimoire will be capable of up to the 5th Circle.”

 

And though he didn’t mention it right away, this grimoire was planned to have new functions installed.

 

“Uhahahaha!”

 

Barean burst into ecstatic laughter.

 

“5th Circle! You mean the 5th Circle!”

 

“Yes, the 5th Circle.”

 

“If there’s anything you need, just say the word anytime! I’ll come running like a dog to work on whatever it is!”

 

“Ah, don’t worry.”

 

Sion said with a sly smile.

 

“There will be plenty of such occasions soon enough.”

 

Naturally, Sion had no intention of letting a talent like a former 6th Circle mage sit idle.

 

…Perhaps if Barean could read Sion’s thoughts right now, he wouldn’t be laughing like this.

 

* * *

 

Whoosh!

 

The view brightened as light flashed once on the magic circle.

 

And slowly, someone walked out from that light.

 

“W-welcome!”

 

The one who greeted the person emerging from the light was the Mayor of Lefton.

 

“We of Lefton welcome the visit of Master Hayden, mage of the Red Tower!”

 

A city mayor wouldn’t normally bow and scrape like this.

 

Especially not in a city advanced enough to have a long-distance portal.

 

But even this mayor had to bow and scrape before this particular opponent.

 

The young mage in the bright red robe, Hayden, smiled and accepted the greeting.

 

“Nice to meet you, Mayor. If this sudden visit has caused any inconvenience…”

 

“Inconvenience? We all know how much help the Red Tower provides to current magical society.”

 

“Haha, then I’m relieved.”

 

Hayden received the mayor’s words with a good-natured smile.

 

Meanwhile, following behind Hayden, the Red Tower’s mages appeared in a crowd.

 

It was truly a formation that looked like they had come with serious intent.

 

The mayor of Lefton swallowed nervously, desperately trying to please Hayden in any way possible.

 

Ceremonial conversation was exchanged.

 

Hayden walked leisurely and asked the mayor.

 

“Is there still no sign of a Long-Distance Portal being established in the city near the Blue Tower?”

 

“Ah, yes, well… that area has such a small floating population…”

 

“…Tsk.”

 

Hayden clicked his tongue briefly and shook his head.

 

Really, a tower in such a frontier place. It didn’t suit the woman who would become his companion.

 

“Um, well, but Lord Hayden.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“The people following behind us right now… are they also mages from the Red Tower?”

 

“That’s correct.”

 

“But one person in the back… doesn’t seem to be wearing a Red Tower robe…”

 

Among the Red Tower mages following behind, there was a mage quietly following along wearing a shabby robe.

 

However, he was not wearing the red robe that symbolized the Red Tower.

 

Like a criminal, he was only wearing a shabby robe of no color.

 

And Hayden frowned when he turned his gaze in that direction.

 

“Ah, that one… well, you don’t need to worry about him. He’s a failure who can’t forget useless things.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“He is a mage belonging to the Main Tower, that’s true. But you don’t need to treat him particularly well.”

 

Hayden continued with a cold smile.

 

“That one is half-hearted, you see.”

 

A half-hearted person who couldn’t decide where he belonged.

 

The mayor couldn’t understand the meaning, but he nodded anyway.

 

There was no reason to earn the displeasure of the current Red Tower Master’s disciple.

 

While they were having such a conversation, the mage in the shabby robe quietly looked around.

 

Complex emotions were flowing in his eyes.

 

“…It’s been a long time.”

 

Muttering so in a small voice, he walked following Hayden according to their contract.

 

Up ahead, the City Mayor was so focused on pleasing Hayden that if he had a tail, it would surely be wagging quite diligently.

 

By the time they left this city, an entire mercenary company would be hired to escort Hayden.

 

It was always that way.

 

And bringing such an escort, he would head to the Blue Tower to show off his prestige.

 

This time, not satisfied with just that, he had even brought him along like this.

 

Probably a very… cruel day would continue for some time.

 

It couldn’t be helped.

 

If that was the fate of a loser who failed to protect his tower yet couldn’t give up magic…

 

‘It must be my own doing.’

 

With that bitter smile, he trudged along the path where the leash led.

 

The man’s name was Maxwell.

 

He was once a mage of the Blue Tower.

 

* * *

 

Whether Hayden was coming or not, the Blue Tower’s day passed much the same as usual.

 

The village near the Blue Tower was quickly being cleared and buildings were being erected one by one.

 

For now, it was designed to be not much different from the village where the villagers had previously lived.

 

And the villagers.

 

“Haha! I’m first place this time!”

 

“Graaah!”

 

They adapted very well.

 

They quickly became accustomed to Sion’s education and were put to work producing magic tool components.

 

Of course, it wasn’t systematized enough to be called a factory yet, but that was only a matter of time.

 

And as the Blue Tower’s system took shape, management of the surrounding areas also began.

 

All of this was thanks to the recently recruited talents and the ‘source of funding’ that was the mine.

 

And thanks to the existence of the Cross Stone Mine, most magic tool materials could now be self-sufficient.

 

And today, Sion.

 

“It’s about time for a performance evaluation.”

 

He casually announced a performance evaluation to the students.

 

Briella, who had been quietly listening, raised her hand.

 

“Um, teacher.”

 

“What is it.”

 

“We haven’t really learned enough to do a performance evaluation, have we?”

 

“That’s true.”

 

Sion simply acknowledged it.

 

Indeed, he had been neglecting classes lately due to frequent dispatches here and there.

 

Even Tult, who had gradually become Sion’s faithful student, couldn’t deny Briella’s words and remained quiet for now.

 

“But it’s fine. The performance I’m asking of you this time isn’t excessive at all.”

 

“Oh, then what…”

 

“Very simply.”

 

Sion said with a sly smile.

 

“Just defeat the Red Tower’s mages. Overwhelmingly.”

 

“…”

 

At Sion’s words, only silence lingered in the lecture hall.

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