The AI Archmage - Chapter 84

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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AI Grand Mage, Episode 84

A middle-aged man stood at the edge of a cliff, gazing down at the vast landscape spread below.
And at the far end of his gaze rose a tower of blue stone, standing solitary and tall.
After watching it for some time, the man’s attention shifted only when he heard his name called.
“Family Head, no danger signatures detected. You may proceed whenever you’re ready.”
“Understood.”
The man nodded and began to walk.
“Levin, my second son should be down there.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The man called Levin nodded quietly.
“Do you think that boy will truly be of help in this matter?”
“That is…….”
Levin paused, considering the question.
He was the type to follow orders, not to offer counsel to his lord.
But when asked, an answer was due.
Levin spoke.
“As long as Rostery blood flows through him, there is always possibility.”
“Possibility, then…….”
The man nodded at this, then pressed his fingers to his temples as though plagued by a headache.
“I’ll have to place my hopes there for now. I can only pray the rumors hold truth.”
The man fell silent for a moment after speaking, then opened his mouth again.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Family Head.”
Levin, noticing his lord seemed unusually fatigued today, readied a Spatial Transfer spell.
Soon a brilliant light enfolded them both.
Whoosh!
And as the light faded, no one remained in that place.

* * *

Sion’s daily routine was straightforward.
As always, he devoted himself to devising ways—by any means necessary—to advance the Blue Tower’s development.
Today was no exception.
“How exactly can I exploit the labor force more… naturally, I wonder. It really troubles me.”
[Would you please refrain from phrasing operational efficiency improvements that way, Human?]
“I feel no shame about my choice of words whatsoever.”
[You ought to.]
Akasha found it exasperating, yet Sion remained untroubled.
In any case, there was much on his mind.
The Tower was in a period of vigorous growth, so it was unavoidable.
“What I need, really, is a business partner on equal footing.”
[A business partner? Haven’t you an abundance of resources to convert into funds—from Dragon Bone alone, the Blue Tower overflows with valuable assets?]
“If I weren’t planning to expand the Blue Tower further, that would be true.”
[I see.]
Akasha accepted this reasoning.
She understood what he meant to convey.
[True enough—if one intends to develop in earnest, current resources would fall far short.]
“Exactly.”
What Sion aimed for was far more than a mere plausible Magic Tower on the surface.
“Is there anyone with real capital nearby… or rather, any suitable business partner?”
[Is there not one close at hand?]
“Hmm?”
[Your family, Human.]
Akasha spoke as though it were obvious.
[Is not the Marquis Rostery Family counted among the greatest of the great families on this Continent?]
Indeed, as Akasha said, the Marquis Rostery Family was counted among the wealthiest of the great families across the Continent.
“Now that you mention it, it’s about time I received word from them.”
Rostery had been making steady investments in the Blue Tower thus far.
Even if the investment couldn’t be considered large from their perspective, the fact that they’d invested at all meant they had something definite in mind.
And Rostery wouldn’t want to render that investment meaningless, no matter what.
So in the end, they’d come again.
He was organizing his plans with such thoughts in mind when it happened.
Bang!
“S-Sion!”
The door flew open and Lumia and Serentia rushed in with urgency.
“What is it?”
Sion tilted his head in confusion, and Serentia cried out.
“Did you—did you already know?!”
“Know what?”
“That someone from Rostery is coming!”
“Ah.”
Speak of the devil—it seemed Rostery had finally decided to make a move.
But their reaction was unusually intense for a visit from the Rostery Family.
So he asked carefully.
“Why are you both so worked up? Surely you’re not telling me my biological father is coming?”
“H-how did you know?”
“He’s coming?”
At Lumia’s words, Sion scratched his head for a moment.
“When?”
“Now!”
“Where did you hear this news?”
“Your sister Cornelia told us. She mentioned he’d be visiting without prior notice…….”
“I see.”
His sister, Cornelia Rostery—the one who’d come on the Marquis’s orders to be dispatched to the Tower before.
It seemed she’d given them a heads-up.
“Did she not explain the reason for his visit?”
“She said to ask him directly.”
A wry smile.
So she didn’t want to reveal even that.
It seemed he’d need a sincere conversation with his sister later.
“Very well. I’ll handle it appropriately.”
Sion answered casually and rose to his feet.

* * *

“……Family Head.”
Before setting foot on the Blue Tower’s ground, Levin spoke, his sharp eyes fixed on the Tower.
“I believe a cautious approach would be advisable.”
“Why is that?”
“A magical barrier is active beyond this point that even I cannot completely dispel.”
“……Even you?”
At Levin’s words, the Marquis’s eyes widened considerably.
Levin was a High Mage who had reached the 7th Circle.
Not the strongest mage in the Rostery Family, but still among the most formidable.
If a magical barrier gave pause to someone of Levin’s caliber…….
“You’re saying it’s 9th Circle work, then.”
“Yes, sir.”
“……!”
As Levin nodded, the Marquis’s pupils flickered briefly.
Truly?
The Marquis knew Levin’s strength better than anyone, so shock was unavoidable.
“You mean there’s a mage in the Blue Tower worthy of your wariness?”
“No, sir. In this case…… it appears to be magic left behind by Belusian, the previous Tower Master.”
“……Don’t tell me you mean ‘Belusian’s Iron Wall’? That magic should have ceased functioning about ten years ago?”
“That’s my understanding as well.”
Levin nodded, observing the magic flowing precisely along the Blue Tower’s perimeter.
Magic that wasn’t there before couldn’t simply appear. The answer could only be one.
The broken magic had been repaired.
Contemplating that possibility, the Marquis lifted his head with interest and gazed at the Blue Tower beyond.
“It has certainly changed.”
“That’s not all. Unlike when I saw it before, the mana flow throughout the area has stabilized considerably. This is… not merely a matter of things changing.”
At those words, the Marquis’s eyes grew grave. He had never been born with talent for magic.
Yet he possessed considerable talent for understanding magical knowledge.
Because of this, he could grasp what Levin was trying to convey.
“Someone has properly restored the damaged flow. They’ve even sealed the gaps where mana was leaking.”
“Yes, it appears so.”
“In any case, let’s go in.”
Despite hearing that 9th Circle Magic was in effect, the Marquis walked forward without hesitation.
“Family Head…!”
“It’s fine. Belusian’s Iron Wall only rejects those the Tower’s master perceives as enemies.”
The Marquis could hardly be called an enemy of the Blue Tower.
Not an ally, perhaps, but he had consistently provided support to the Blue Tower over the years.
And true to the Marquis’s words, nothing happened.
He shrugged his shoulders and spoke to Levin.
“You see? The Grand Mage’s magic is no accident. It designates threats with such precision that the magic simply doesn’t manifest if there’s no intention of hostility.”
“Ah…”
Levin could not help but marvel.
Though his own magical realm surpassed the Marquis’s, the latter possessed insight and judgment that transcended such matters.
Soon after, Levin quietly followed the Marquis’s lead and crossed the boundary.
Predictably, nothing occurred.
The direct magical unit, as always, immediately concealed their presence once more.
“Fascinating.”
As the Marquis continued toward the Blue Tower, his thoughts did not cease.
He could have arrived in a carriage as befitted a great nobleman, but he did not. Instead, he simply strolled along the path as one might on a leisurely walk.
How long had he been walking thus?
Before even reaching the Blue Tower, he reflexively stopped in his tracks.
A village had come into view, its atmosphere remarkably lively.
“Has a village been established here?”
The Marquis, his curiosity now piqued, decided to take a brief look around.
‘Alhaio, then…’
Even from a distance, it was clear this was a village that had not existed long.
“Levin, apply Illusion Magic.”
“Yes, Family Head.”
Levin immediately used magic to disguise the Marquis’s appearance in shabby clothing.
With that done, he appeared to be nothing more than a traveler who had happened upon the village.
Upon entering the village, the Marquis was quite taken aback. For a frontier settlement, it was remarkably clean.
The streets were neatly paved, and the buildings were arranged in orderly fashion, each conforming to a proper standard.
But that was not all.
Though not yet complete, magic tools were naturally interspersed throughout the village.
In particular, the Village Residents moving about seemed quite accustomed to using magic tools.
“Come to think of it, that person said we’d soon be assigned to production work.”
“Oh, finally? Is the Universal Crafting Table that was mentioned last time finally complete?”
‘…Production work? Crafting Table?’
This was not casual conversation between ordinary frontier villagers.
Brief though the exchange was, the Marquis understood this much.
“What are your thoughts, Levin?”
“To be frank, it’s confusing. Just one or two years ago, this place did not feel like this at all…”
Levin trailed off, his thoughts complicated.
Just a year prior, no such village existed.
And in such a brief span, such a village had suddenly emerged?
It defied conventional explanation.
Honestly, the closer they drew to the Blue Tower, the more shocking the discoveries became.
And it did not end there.
The moment they walked a bit through the village.
Thud!
The ground trembled with each step, and a massive iron golem moved into view, its heavy form unmistakable.
And atop that golem’s torso, someone who appeared to be a resident was operating it.
“Not there—over here! A bit more to the right! If you’re going to connect the Mana Conduit, you need to be more precise with the controls!”
“This way?”
“That’s right, you stubborn fool!”
The village residents were grumbling as they worked with a Golem on some kind of task.
What was remarkable was how delicately they were carrying out the work through this massive Golem.
“This isn’t a Golem created through Alchemy. It’s far more sophisticated and versatile than that.”
“I understand it moves using Mana Crystals, but I can’t immediately grasp the structure beyond that either.”
The Marquis stared intently at the Golem, murmuring to himself.
“……Is it a Workshop creation? No, I haven’t heard any recent news of the Ate faction producing Golems like this. The fact that word of it hasn’t reached my ears doesn’t make sense.”
The Marquis continued muttering, then turned toward the resident who was busy at work.
“Might I ask a question?”
“Hmm?”
The resident tilted his head at the sight of the Marquis, who was naturally playing the part of a traveler and asking politely.
“I don’t recognize your face. Are you traveling through?”
“Yes, I’m a visitor to the Tower, but there’s something I’m curious about…… this Golem, specifically.”
“Ah, this one?”
“Yes, I wondered if you might know where it was made.”
At those words, the corners of the resident’s mouth turned upward. He tapped the Golem proudly, speaking with unmistakable pride.
“Haha! Well, it makes sense you’d be curious if you’re from outside! As for this Golem, it’s our savior! A Golem reborn through the designs of Sion!”
“……!”
In that instant, the Marquis’s pupils contracted slightly.
The resident grinned widely as he spoke.
“Ah, it’s all thanks to him that we live like this, that a village like this exists.”
“……I see.”
At those words, the Marquis let out a hollow laugh. There was no way there could be another person bearing the name ‘Sion’ in this place.
It was then.
The resident, whose gaze had shifted past the Marquis’s shoulder, suddenly gasped and cried out.
“S-Sion!”
“……!”
At those words, both the Marquis and Levin turned their eyes wide, their gazes shifting toward where Sion was.
Levin in particular was shocked.
‘I didn’t even notice him approaching…!’
The Marquis, showing no sign of confusion, turned to face Sion and asked.
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Who can say.”
Sion smiled faintly and spoke.
“In any case, welcome, ‘Marquis.’ I’ll handle the guidance from here.”
Toward his son, who looked at him as one would regard a stranger, the Marquis quietly nodded.

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