AI Archmage – Episode 03
For the mages of the Azure Tower, the tower master, Lumia Cabala, was nothing short of an idol.
Because of this, Lumia never lost her smile in front of the Azure Tower mages.
Whether sad or happy.
No matter how dire the situation, Lumia always tried to smile.
To the mages of the Azure Tower, Lumia’s smile was a given.
So everyone thought the same thing:
The tower master’s expression would never lose its smile.
But then…
“Tower Master, please! Calm yourself!”
“Let go, let go! C-Calm down?! H-How am I supposed to calm down when this lunatic says such things right to my face…!”
The idol herself was glaring, eyes wide, as if about to pounce on the student like a mad person.
“This theory, which I’ve staked my entire career as Azure Tower Master on, and you dare say something like that—!”
“You can’t deny what’s obviously flawed. You must acknowledge what needs acknowledgment.”
“Aaaahhhh!”
Lumia roared.
Even the other mages present couldn’t understand the scene.
‘Why is he so confident?’
They all knew Sion Rostery.
He was one of the legitimate heirs of the Rostery Marquisate.
The financial support from the Rostery family had been the backbone keeping the Azure Tower running all this time.
That’s why Sion could act recklessly in the tower and remain unharmed.
But this time was different.
Insulting the tower master directly?
That crossed a line far beyond tolerance.
“Apologize, Sion Rostery.”
Serentia, the deputy tower master, who had been trying to calm Lumia, spoke firmly.
“Even if you’re a direct heir of the Rostery family, you have no right to insult the tower master like this!”
“Insult?”
Sion tilted his head, looking confused.
“How is stating a fact an insult?”
“You—this bastard…!”
“Tower Master, please calm down!”
Serentia was the only one suffering in the middle of this.
Of course, she could somewhat understand Lumia’s anger.
The Rosterys didn’t support the Azure Tower purely out of goodwill.
Ultimately, their goal was to dominate the Azure Tower through their capital.
Sion, being a direct heir of the Rostery family, was living proof of that.
And now, he was attacking the tower master’s magical pride?
No matter how important Rostery’s support was, it was impossible not to lose one’s temper.
Then Sion spoke:
“If you don’t believe me, then isn’t this just a problem I can prove?”
“Prove it? Hah!”
Lumia was dumbfounded.
Her theory might not be perfect, but it wasn’t something to be called flawed.
Especially not by the reckless Sion.
Lumia tried to calm her anger and asked Sion:
“Student, do you even know what theory I am currently researching?”
“The establishment of a system for the efficient management of mana.”
“…You know, huh.”
Lumia’s eyes flickered, but only briefly.
The content of her research had already been made public to some extent, so it was understandable.
“That much is already public knowledge. Even a beginner in magic could understand it.”
“Yes, that’s true. But if we go deeper, there’s the issue of minor mana leakage during the process of reducing the mana used in spells, and even potential corruption of the magic itself?”
“…!”
She couldn’t help but be surprised.
She hadn’t revealed the side effects of her theory.
To know that, one had to fully understand her research.
‘Sion Rostery understands my research?’
At that moment, Lumia felt her whole body shiver.
Her current theory wasn’t simply about mana management.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t even a proper theory for “magic” itself.
If Sion understood even the deeper implications of her research…
A cold sweat ran down her forehead.
Even those watching quietly, whispering about the standoff between the tower master and Sion, held their breath.
They realized Lumia’s reaction was unusual.
“Let me give you some advice: you’re missing the most important part. Considering the ultimate ‘result’ the tower master wants to achieve, it’s not surprising…”
“Wait, wait a minute!”
Lumia hurriedly cut him off.
Her face no longer showed anger, only anxiety and concern.
“Don’t… go any further.”
“Alright, as you wish.”
Sion shrugged and fell silent.
Lumia pressed her forehead, looking tired, before speaking again:
“…Sion, follow me to my study. Deputy Tower Master, please guide the students.”
“Yes, Tower Master.”
Serentia quickly understood Lumia’s intent and led the students away.
Then Lumia quietly walked with Sion toward her study, her expression now filled with worry and unease.
“Please, sit, Sion.”
As soon as they entered the room, Lumia offered Sion a chair.
Sion had no reason to refuse, so he sat down willingly.
This, too, was part of his plan.
‘He’s quite perceptive.’
Sion silently upgraded his assessment of Lumia.
Lumia sat opposite him, her expression stern:
“I’ll ask you bluntly. How much do you know?”
“Well… that your ‘true objective’ is the recreation of the Altair Grimoire?”
“…!”
Lumia’s eyes flickered again.
She had no choice.
Sion was a Rostery heir.
If her true objective leaked to the Rosterys, who knew what would happen.
Yet she still didn’t understand.
Finding a connection to the Grimoire in the publicly revealed magical theory was no easy feat.
Without high-level magical engineering knowledge, it was impossible to notice.
“How on earth…”
“For now, research on the Grimoire is paused. We can’t ignore the pressure from the Magical Council entirely, right?”
“T-That’s…!”
Seeing Lumia flustered and unable to respond properly, Sion let out a wry smile.
“Tower Master, sometimes it’s best to stick to your story to the end. If your expressions slip like this, someone would have figured it out eventually.”
“Who… are you?”
Finally snapping to attention, Lumia glared sharply at Sion.
“Sion Rostery couldn’t possibly… He has both knowledge of magical engineering and… talent in magic…”
“Tower Master.”
Sion interrupted calmly.
Who would ever think Altair could reincarnate in the body of a mere student of the Azure Tower?
It was reasonable for Lumia to doubt him, and it was within Sion’s expectations.
He then began speaking according to his plan:
“Let me make one thing clear. I have no intention of sharing the facts I know with my family.”
“…What?”
“My family has already abandoned me. The fact that they threw me into this useless tower as a bargaining chip proves it.”
“U-Useless?!”
“No need to react so strongly to clear facts.”
Sion looked calmly at Lumia.
A former student of his closest friend—someone who wasn’t even a friend—was trying to revive his neglected invention from the magical world.
It was fascinating to him that a mage, not even a craftsman who inherited his will, clung to what he left behind.
“I’m here simply to make a proposal.”
“Proposal? If I wanted, I could erase your memories right here, student.”
At those words, mana slowly began to gather around Lumia.
The mana rose like water from her feet, threatening to drown Sion if she did nothing.
“The title of Azure Tower Master isn’t worn lightly. I don’t know what you believe, but I could forcibly shut your mouth here…”
“Then go ahead.”
“…Excuse me?”
Lumia froze, eyes wide.
“Go ahead…?”
“I said, try to forcibly shut my mouth. Just try it and see.”
With her current power, Lumia couldn’t harm him.
Sion’s calm response made her frown.
She probably thought he was mocking her warning.
She sighed lightly and extended her hand:
“…Mana, bind this fool and restrain him.”
With a short incantation, the mana forming around Sion took shape and attempted to completely immobilize him…
Clang!
But it shattered.
“…Huh?”
Lumia stared in shock, muttering, then tried the spell again.
Clang!
Shattered again.
Lumia’s mind couldn’t accept the unexpected reality.
The spell she cast, a 4th-circle magic called Bind Chain, should have immobilized Sion, a 6th-circle mage.
Yet he remained unaffected.
“Are you done?”
Sion asked calmly.
If her eyes hadn’t deceived her, there was only one answer:
“D-Dispel?”
Her voice trembled.
A Dispel Magic, nullifying an opponent’s spell.
Dispel isn’t ordinary magic—it negates spells cast by those of lower rank.
And yet, a student nullified the spell cast by a 6th-circle mage.
Lumia stared at ‘Sion’ in disbelief.
…Or was it even Sion?
By now, she wasn’t sure.
“Well, I think you understand now.”
“W-Who… are you?”
“I am Sion Rostery.”
He smiled slightly and added ambiguously:
“Well, let’s just say that.”
“…!”
A reply loaded with multiple meanings.
‘That should suffice.’
Sion was confident that his point had been made.
After all, he had no intention of living as a reckless student of the Azure Tower and a discarded Rostery heir.
He remembered his belief:
“Magic for everyone.”
Magic should never be monopolized.
It should never become a tool for maintaining privilege.
And to achieve that…
‘I’ll deal with anyone who hindered me in my previous life.’
Sion smiled, keeping that thought in mind.
Lumia, unaware of his intentions, asked in a trembling voice:
“W-What… do you want?”
“Well, first…”
Talking about overturning the rotten magical academia wouldn’t work here.
It would be better to offer Lumia a choice she would eagerly pursue.
“Shall I tell you the location of the ‘Vitcher’ of the great mage Bellusian Cabala, hidden in the Azure Tower?”
Lumia looked incredulous.
“Your master’s Vitcher? How would I know that…”
“No, I do.”
“…?”
Her intelligence seemed to drop by twenty points in that instant.
