AI Archmage Chapter 09
Honestly, it’s true. Altair is a relic stuck in the past, and I’m the one who survived—the greatest magical engineer of all time.
That bastard…!
Sion’s lips trembled as he glared at the hologram.
[Truly, a friend of the human, indeed.]
Akasha said in admiration.
[Leaving a teabag on a hologram… Maintaining friendship with the human clearly wasn’t for nothing.]
“Shut up.”
Still, getting angry here would look strange. After all, he was Sion Rostery, not Altair.
So he gritted his teeth and silently listened to the nonsense.
Bellucian’s hologram continued.
I do not know who will come here. It’s a workshop kept secret, but someone may come. This message is left for that time.
“…Ah.”
But secretly, I hope that if anyone notices this workshop and comes here, it will be my disciple, Lumia.
“…!”
Lumia’s eyes wavered at that statement.
Normally, I would have told her about this workshop, but if I did not, there must be a reason. Please do not be disappointed.
‘…A reason.’
Unlike Lumia, who was moved by those words, Sion listened intently with a stern expression.
‘Leaving such a hologram message implies he was preparing for a situation where he might suddenly disappear.’
Bellucian had secretly stored items that had already been decided for disposal by the academic community. What could that mean?
The equipment in this workshop is identical to the “workbench” used by my close friend, Altair.
‘As expected.’
Sion snickered internally.
Altair may have been ill-tempered, but his knowledge is precious. It’s not something that old men filled with greed and selfishness should bury at will.
Unlike before, Bellucian’s voice was now very serious.
I cannot know who discovered this, but if it was my disciple… if you discovered this workshop…
Bellucian’s message ended.
Please use it carefully and wisely.
Click.
Lumia stood in a daze, staring at the spot where her mentor’s hologram had been.
“Lumia…”
When Serenitia cautiously called her, she shook her head to regain focus.
“Ah, I see… Right. The workshop… and even the workbench is here.”
“Yes, that’s a significant gain.”
Sion nodded and continued.
“With this, we can consider one major problem solved. We can now handle the most critical issue: supply.”
“Can we… do it immediately?”
“Yes, it’s possible.”
Sion spoke with certainty. In fact, he already had in his mind the magical tools he could create using this workbench.
‘Creating a grimoire immediately would be pointless. Strengthening the Blue Tower comes first.’
Grimoires were meant for non-magicians. But now, what was needed was something for magicians.
For example, the “computational aid device” that allowed Sion to perform invisible-cast magic in front of everyone previously.
[With the materials and workbench stored in this workshop, it should be possible to supply the personnel of the Blue Tower, Human.]
‘Right. It seems he anticipated this and prepared accordingly.’
Lumia asked nervously.
“Then… what should we make? If this workbench is the same as Altair’s, we could technically make anything…”
“First, we need to approach this strategically.”
“Strategically…?”
“There’s no need to make anything that would immediately alarm the council. Instead, it’s better to make things they desire but cannot obtain. That way, they won’t suspect us.”
Sion approached the workbench with this in mind.
‘It’s been a while.’
He smiled unconsciously as he touched the workbench. Although he hadn’t used it personally, it was a new workbench built identically, and it felt strangely nostalgic.
In front of Lumia and Serenitia, he activated the workbench.
Whirrr.
Even after being abandoned for over ten years, it operated perfectly.
“Is it working?!”
Lumia’s eyes widened as she looked at Sion. She had no idea how to use it herself, yet he made it work effortlessly.
‘How… does he…’
Lumia’s eyes trembled, but Sion remained calm, focused solely on the workbench.
‘First, let’s make this.’
He briefly thought and decided on what was most appropriate and necessary for the current situation. Simple tasks like this didn’t require him to exert his own power; the workbench would handle the synthesis.
Snap!
A light spark, and something was created.
Lumia tilted her head.
“What… is this?”
It wasn’t large—just the size that fit over the ear.
“A basic communicator.”
“Communicator? Its only function is communication?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hmm…”
Lumia pondered, unsure how to make use of it. Communication could be done with magic.
“Magic communication itself isn’t difficult, but it requires continuous computation, right?”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“This device removes that computational burden. Though the range is short, it’s very efficient for use within the Blue Tower.”
“Ah.”
It had disadvantages as well, but its strengths were perfectly suited for the current Blue Tower.
“With this, we can educate students more efficiently.”
“Ah.”
Finally, Lumia understood why Sion had created this magical tool.
“Then, indeed…”
“Of course, this is merely an educational tool, but we can quickly distribute it to students.”
Lumia agreed. With this, student education could be more efficient.
Meanwhile, Sion thought of something else.
‘If this works, creating and distributing tablets might not be too difficult.’
Tablets—magical devices Altair had developed but never released. Slate-like tools with multiple functions. He couldn’t mass-produce them before, but now, it might be possible.
For now…
“Let’s examine the workshop further.”
It seemed necessary to investigate the workshop more thoroughly.
“Let’s split up and search. The space is bigger than expected, so this will be more efficient.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Lumia and Serenitia agreed. Alone, Sion recalled past memories of the workshop.
‘Most of it matches my memory.’
The layout was clear in his mind. Even if Bellucian had changed parts, the overall structure remained. He focused on the area he had originally made “for fun”—a private room for Bellucian himself.
Even if someone entered the workshop, only Bellucian or the designer, Sion, would know about this private room.
He noticed a small scratch on the wall at the end of a long corridor and brushed it in a certain pattern. Numbers appeared before him.
[Private room confirmed. Shall we find the password?]
“Let’s see if it’s the same as I designed.”
He entered the password he had originally set.
Click!
The wall opened, revealing the hidden space.
“Exactly as I left it. Careless fool.”
[No need to fix it, right?]
“That’s true too.”
Knowing the password, only Bellucian or Sion could enter, so there was no need to change it.
Inside, the private room was largely as he had designed—structure and appearance alike. Signs of Bellucian’s personal use were evident.
As he smiled wryly at his friend’s traces, he checked for any left items.
Bang!
Suddenly, the door shut.
[Human, now…]
“I know. He redesigned it to close automatically if someone entered. That’s Bellucian’s intention.”
Sion crossed his arms and waited calmly. Soon, the same hologram of Bellucian appeared.
“Hmm.”
What was this mischievous friend planning now? To mock intruders? Or praise the discovery of his private room?
Visitor,
Finding my private room means your insight has surpassed my expectations.
“This sounds familiar.”
[Well, usually the words are predetermined in this case.]
“That’s true.”
Sion and Akasha watched Bellucian speak leisurely.
Those who solve difficult problems deserve a reward.
“Oh? A reward?”
…However, this could also be a trickster thief.
“….”
Annoying as it was, Sion listened quietly. He knew Bellucian well enough.
‘He seems to assume his disciple isn’t here.’
If, as the owner of this room, you complete my task, I shall give you a “treasure.”
“Oh, treasure.”
Sion decided.
‘Task or not, I’ll just smash it and dismantle it.’
Rules were for the weak. And that smirking face annoyed him—he wouldn’t follow orders any longer.
“Akasha.”
[Shall we destroy it?]
“Of course. You know my inventions well, but I won’t obey him blindly.”
Sion acted. As he reached out, Akasha moved immediately.
[Detected five devices. Shall we neutralize them all?]
“Yes.”
[Executing.]
Boom!
Akasha used mana to analyze the room and neutralize everything. Sion watched as Bellucian’s task was dismantled instantly. Before it could manifest, it ceased to exist.
Soon, the hologram disappeared without a trace.
[Devices stopped. The hologram remains but can no longer cause problems.]
A small wooden box remained where the hologram had been.
“Is this the reward?”
Opening it was easy—no one surpassed him in magical engineering, not even an archmage.
Inside the box was a key.
“Hmm… This is…”
At first glance, ordinary. But Sion recognized its true nature.
“A key to extra-dimensional space.”
[Truly a treasure. Not just a pocket, but a key that can open top-tier extra-dimensional spaces anywhere…]
As Akasha said, the key was a supreme magical device. Having it alone made management of magical materials far more efficient.
“This is it, take it.”
Sion pocketed the key, having understood its significance.
The private room held nothing else of value.
“Let’s go.”
[No nostalgia for a friend’s room?]
“No. My memories are enough.”
The door opened, and Sion exited without hesitation.
After Sion left, Bellucian’s private room fell into darkness again.
Then, a faint light appeared where the hologram had been.
Task dismantled.
Conditions met.
The light completed a sentence Sion hadn’t seen:
Welcome back.
The light vanished, and the room returned to darkness, as if it had been so all along.
This chapter emphasizes strategy, legacy, and Sion’s clever use of Altair’s workbench to strengthen the Blue Tower.
