AIA 10

AI Archmage Chapter 10

After gathering the necessary items from the workshop, the three of them stepped back outside.

“Really… it feels like we were possessed by a ghost,” Serentia said, her expression blank.

“To think we discovered Lord Bellusian’s secret workshop this way—one he had hidden even when the tower’s power was declining and no one could sense its presence…”

“Well, isn’t that always the case?”

Xion replied nonchalantly, then restored the workshop entrance to its original state. Instantly, the place looked like an ordinary scrap disposal area, just as it normally did.

At that moment, Lumia, who had been quietly lost in thought, spoke up.

“Xion…”

“Yes? What is it?”

“What… exactly are you?”

Lumia’s eyes wavered. She tried to rationalize Xion’s existence by imagining every possible scenario. Until now, she had somehow convinced herself: Xion Rosterly was a genius who could surpass her, a figure destined to make history. That explained his act as a rogue to escape the pressure of the Rosterly family and now revealing his true talent.

But this case was different. This was clearly related to the Azure Tower, specifically to secrets connected to her master, the great archmage.

“Xion, could it be… you know my master? That your master… entrusted something to you?”

“Well…”

Xion dodged the answer again. He had expected Lumia’s reaction. Even he thought this case crossed the line of what could be reasonably understood.

“Well, perhaps you just stumbled upon this place by chance?”

“There’s no way it’s a coincidence…!”

“Yes, I know. There isn’t.”

Xion chuckled lightly and continued.

“But am I obliged to explain? Everyone has secrets. What matters is that the tower’s owner discovered the workshop of a master they respected and gained much from it.”

“That….”

Lumia bit her lip, unable to continue speaking. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke in a calmer voice.

“…I’m sorry. I guess I got a bit… excited, since I didn’t expect this situation.”

“I understand.”

Xion nodded, accepting her apology.

[Even if I told the truth, she wouldn’t believe me.]

‘Exactly.’

Even if he claimed to be Altair, it would only complicate matters further.

“Then, let’s go back.”

“Yes.”

Though questions remained, Lumia nodded at Xion’s words. He was right. Who he truly was didn’t matter. What mattered was that a genius like Xion was helping her.

‘That’s right.’

Lumia steadied her resolve. She had received too much from him already, and would continue to do so, to push him away out of doubt. She shook off her worries and moved forward, her shoulders a little lighter.

A few days later, a new course was announced at the Azure Tower. It was none other than a lecture by Xion Rosterly, recently certified as a teacher by Lumia herself.

Naturally, a commotion erupted at the tower.

“Are you saying we’ll learn magic from that Xion Rosterly, classmates?!”
“Impossible!”
“After all the chaos he’s caused here, he’s now a teacher? Absurd!”
“…But didn’t the magic he showed back then look incredible?”
“That guy… just bury him already.”
“Arrgh!”

…In short, there was a fuss. It was inevitable. This was Xion Rosterly: a scoundrel who leveraged his noble background to commit countless misdeeds. His past reputation was too strong to change public opinion overnight.

Yet while some opposed him, others reacted differently.

“That was impressive, wasn’t it?”
“His past is annoying, but if he teaches well, it’s fine.”
“Listen! I’ve just thought of a wild theory: maybe Xion Rosterly’s connection with the tower master involves a forbidden love story…”
“Hang that guy.”
“Arrgh!”

Either way, confusion reigned.

Amidst this, Xion’s class finally appeared:

“Magical Engineering?”
“Engineering… at a magic tower?”

The course title was simple: Magical Engineering. The description was equally concise:

Attend if you care.

Had students not witnessed the extraordinary spectacle Xion displayed days ago, they would have laughed. But having seen his incantation-free magic, mocking him was impossible.

Among them, one female student approached the notice.

“…Magical Engineering, huh.”

She scoffed and shook her head, yet couldn’t look away from the notice.

Then a familiar voice spoke.

“Interested?”
“Huh?”

She turned, frowning, and saw a familiar face crossing his arms: Tult Lyon. A third-year student, like her, who had been utterly defeated by Xion Rosterly.

“Why are you standing there so confidently?”
“Why shouldn’t I be?”
“You… got your ass handed to you.”

The girl sneered at Tult. After all, Xion had recently been in the spotlight because of him.

“You got beaten, yet here you are acting all high and mighty?”
“Ah, Briella.”

Tult shook his head.

“The only five Platinum-ranked mercenaries on the continent… and you are Briella Allcourt, the daughter of one of them.”
“What? Are you mocking me?”
“And you even ran away once.”
“Stop teasing me.”

Briella frowned, wondering why Tult was deliberately irritating her.

The mercenary elite—Platinum-ranked mercenaries—held power in an age where noble families monopolized high mage positions. Those who couldn’t join became mercenaries themselves, protecting mages, trade caravans, and more. Among them, Briella’s father had risen to the top.

Even though she came from such a prestigious lineage, Briella ended up at the declining Azure Tower—not for her bloodline, but because mercenary blood alone couldn’t secure better treatment at other large towers.

Tult was one of the few who understood her situation.

“It’s fine. Your father still thinks you’re out fulfilling contracts.”

Briella scratched her head and returned to the main point.

“So, why are you staring at me with such a pissed expression?”
“Giving advice.”
“What?”
“Now is the lowest point. Buy in.”

Tult grinned.

“My merchant-blood instincts say now’s the time to seize the opportunity.”

Briella squinted, irritated by Tult’s nonsense. She usually didn’t trust him, but she never ignored his instincts.

“The one who first confronted him and got beaten…”
“You learn from getting beaten.”

Tult continued, making a point she couldn’t argue against.

“And even if you don’t like Xion, if the teaching has value, you should take it. Isn’t that what a mage should do?”

Briella couldn’t refute that. She recalled the memory:

“The stench of a filthy dog…”

Despising, self-righteous eyes, as if looking at a sewer rat.

“…Tch.”

She clicked her tongue and nodded.

“Fine. I’ll give it a try.”

If she didn’t like it, she’d embarrass him in front of everyone later.

From afar, another girl quietly watched Tult and Briella’s conversation.

“….”

Her long black hair nearly covered her eyes. She glared at the lecture notice, frowning.

“…Magical Engineering.”

She shook her head in disgust.

“I didn’t want to see this here either.”

Yet, like the other students, she couldn’t look away from the notice.

A few days later, the first day of Xion Rosterly’s lecture arrived.

[First day of class, Human.]
“Yes.”

Xion stretched lazily at Akasha’s notification. For days, he had focused on stabilizing his Möbius Circle and preparing necessary magical tools at the workbench.

“It’s the first day of class.”

Lumia, waiting ahead, smiled at him.

“Are you ready?”
“I’ve been ready for a while.”

Lumia nodded.

“Shall we go, then?”
“No need for the tower master to follow me.”
“Why not?”
“I’ll be in the classroom. What could you do there?”
“Study, of course.”

A brief, awkward silence passed between them, broken by Lumia.

“You’re teaching Magical Engineering, right? Even if I don’t know magic, I need to learn engineering.”

“Hmm.”

So, the tower’s owner would attend the student’s lecture. Not something to refuse. Xion nodded and walked alongside Lumia.

“I’ll explain a few things on the way. You should know about the students of the Azure Tower.”
“Do I need to know?”
“The influential students at the main tower. You might know them from when you were a student, but you didn’t get along well with them.”

“Tell me.”

Some of it he knew from memory and Akasha, but hearing it directly couldn’t hurt.

“Currently, you’re the only high-noble student at the main tower.”
“Of course.”
“High nobles wouldn’t come here otherwise. But non-noble celebrities exist too.”

“Such as?”

“There’s a student, Briella Aigis. A commoner, but the only daughter of Allcourt, a Platinum-ranked mercenary.”

“Ho.”

Xion recalled Allcourt. He had been famous for genius-level skill among mercenaries during Altair’s era. Twenty years later, he had reached the Platinum rank. Impressive.

“Among non-mages, she’s definitely a famous bloodline.”

“There’s one more,” Lumia added cautiously.

“This isn’t widely known except to me and Serentia, but in some ways, this person is even more famous than Briella.”

“Who?”

“Aira Covella.”

“…Covella?”

Even Xion’s calm eyes flickered at the familiar name.

Lumia continued, revealing her identity:

“She succeeded Altair as the head of the Workshop Union…”

Xion interrupted, finishing the sentence:

“The daughter of Kassen Covella?”

“…You know her?”