AIA 14

Chapter 14

Of course, Shion took great pride in being the pinnacle of magical engineering and the master of the workshop. Naturally, he could not forgive anyone who wounded that pride.

Thus:

[Human, are you angry?]
“Yeah… really damn angry.”

Shion was in a state of considerable rage.

“That bastard Bashi… what nerve does he have, running a business near the Magic Tower after pulling a scam?”

[In most cases, it’s because they have something they rely on, isn’t it?]
“Sure, that makes sense.”

Shion agreed with Akasha. There had to be confidence that even if caught, there would be no major problem. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense.

“Uh… um, Shion?”

At that moment, Deputy Tower Master Serentia cautiously called out to him.

“Has… something happened?”
“Whether you call it a problem or a grudge…”

Shion decided to briefly explain the situation.

“You could say there’s someone who needs to be beaten up badly.”
“That person… you don’t mean…”
“The craftsman who previously handled the maintenance for the Blue Tower. No, calling him a craftsman is too generous. Let’s just call him a scammer.”

At that, Lumia, who had been quietly guiding them, flinched.

“A… a scammer…?”
“Yes. A scammer.”

“Wait. Then, could it be… the reason the Blue Tower’s equipment isn’t working properly is because of him…?”
“That’s right. Upon inspection, the Blue Tower’s equipment was fine. If it had operated normally, it would have distributed mana stably throughout the tower.”

But it hadn’t. The cause was simple.

“He’s siphoning the leyline mana that should spread through the tower. Not all of it, but a significant amount.”
“…!”

“The fire systems might still work. Heating too, probably. But the communications equipment went dead, right?”
“Y-yes.”
“All because of him. The equipment isn’t broken—there’s just a thief in the middle.”

Lumia stopped in her tracks, trembling, and averted her gaze.

“Y-You mean… the tower’s mana was being stolen while I didn’t even notice?”
“Well…”

Calling it a ‘simple thing’ seemed inadequate; there were plenty of suspicious details. But for now, she remained silent. Nothing was confirmed yet. And there was something more important.

“Let’s just deal with him first.”
“Yes.”

“And while we’re at it, we’ll make him spill everything he’s taken so far. That should help the tower’s finances a bit.”

Not long after, the three arrived at the workshop in question. It wasn’t located in a nearby town or village.

In the past, there had been a slash-and-burn village here, but now it was abandoned—definitely not a place a workshop would normally be.

“This is blatantly suspicious.”
“Yes, it really is.”

Serentia broke into a cold sweat and avoided Shion’s gaze.

“You saw all the signs but never suspected anything? What should we even do…”
“I… I’m reflecting on that,” Serentia stammered, offering an excuse.

“But at the time, you said the workshop’s situation wasn’t good, so we had no choice but to build it here…”
“And you believed that?”
“…Yes.”

Not only Serentia but Lumia also looked down.

“We were young… both of us…”
“Hmm.”

Shion didn’t press further. He sighed, understanding why. They hadn’t had experience managing the Blue Tower and were suddenly entrusted with it at a young age. Considering that, missing something like this was understandable. Even geniuses need experience; a young mage replacing one of the continent’s top archmages was nearly impossible.

“Well, it couldn’t be helped.”
“…I’m sorry,” Serentia said, bowing her head gloomily.

Shion didn’t question further. It was meaningless.

“Uh, Shion…?”
“Yes?”
“If those scammer craftsmen are working systematically, what then? Could the three of us even handle them…?”
“Tower Master, do you know the power of a 6th Circle mage?”
“I… I do, but…”
“Even if there’s a problem, I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”

With Shion able to use Non-Verbal Magic, the usual weakness of speed for mages no longer applied.

“…I’m sorry for the trouble, but please, Shion.”
“Why make such a fuss?”

Recently, Shion had started to understand the absurd power of Non-Verbal Magic. During the Altair era, it had been theoretical, but using it directly was another level.

‘Still… better safe than sorry.’

Shion flicked his fingers lightly, using mana to scan the area.

‘Nothing significant detected for now.’

Though he sensed some busy movement, it seemed they had already noticed Shion’s presence.

“Tower Master, Deputy Tower Master, do not show emotions from here on. Act as usual.”
“Ac-as usual…?”
“So you don’t get fooled.”
“…Understood.”

Lumia nodded reluctantly. Soon, they stood before the workshop door. At that moment, as if on cue, it opened.

“Welcome, Tower Master!”

The workshop staff greeted them. Lumia awkwardly smiled and nodded.

“H-Hello…”

Shion leaned toward Serentia quietly.

“Was she always like this?”
“…She’s been isolated, studying magic all the time.”
“She wasn’t like that in the tower?”
“At home, she acts like a queen.”
“Hmm.”

Shion silently observed the easily fooled Lumia, thinking:
‘Teaching her magical engineering first might not be the priority…’

Shion followed behind Lumia, who was being led by the staff.

“Did you come because the Blue Tower’s equipment had issues?”
“Yes, basic equipment problems. We were wondering if repairs were possible…”
“Ah, perfect timing!”

The staff smiled professionally.

“We’ve recently recruited several skilled craftsmen, even from 4-star workshops in the capital! This time, we’ll complete your request perfectly!”
“Perfectly…?”
“Yes, though as the craftsmen’s skills improved, the fee will be slightly higher.”

At that, the staff subtly mentioned money.

“Still, because of your connection, we’ll handle it at this price…”

Lumia’s eyes shone—not an act.

‘Hah, ridiculous.’

Shion glanced at Serentia, who tried to make excuses.

“It’s just acting… acting.”
“Right?”
“….”

Shion listened quietly to the staff. Annoyance surged.

[The scammer says that 4-star craftsmen from the capital will be dispatched, so fees are higher, but still cheaper than normal.]
‘How much?’
[100 gold total.]

‘Classic scam. Popular back in my day, still in use.’

The price was absurd. Repairing a Magic Tower with only 100 gold was impossible. It had been one of the Four Great Towers, and its equipment, though aged, was top-quality. 100 gold wasn’t trivial, but the tower itself consumed wealth.

Why lure Lumia with a ridiculously low price?

‘So they can naturally get inside the Blue Tower and tamper with it.’

They likely planned to replace expensive parts with cheap ones under the guise of repairs and pocket the originals. They assumed the young mages wouldn’t understand the devices. Shion had roughly figured out their intentions.

‘These guys are planning this methodically.’

Scanning the area, Shion noticed strong mana traces, likely from the Blue Tower.

‘Planning to convert the tower’s mana into mana crystals to sell?’

Mana crystals power portable magical devices. High-purity crystals are expensive, and they likely profited heavily this way.

‘Ridiculous.’

Shion approached Lumia, still being fooled.

“Excuse me. You’re signing a contract for only 100 gold… right?”
“Cheap… 100 gold?”
“Yes!”

The staff stiffened, then continued smugly.

“At this price, you couldn’t find this anywhere on the continent…”
“Exactly. No one would give this price.”

Shion smirked.

“It’s a scam. The workshop lacks basic equipment, your outfit isn’t suitable for the craftsmen, the location is weird, and there’s no proper equipment for 4-star craftsmen to work with.”
“….”
“Let’s be blunt: you were trying to scam the naive tower master.”

The staff froze, frowning. Then:

“Ugh…”

Annoyed, he scratched his head.

“Sir, I’m not falling for it.”
“Good.”

At that moment, someone descended the stairs. Akasha confirmed:

[Identified. It’s Bashi, former master of the Black Fox Workshop.]

“…Hmm.”

He looked older, with an unkempt beard and unmistakable greed in his eyes. Bashi glanced at Lumia with a vile smile.

“You’ve grown well.”
“…You.”

Lumia glared coldly at Bashi. Even facing three mages, Bashi showed no fear, only slight disappointment.

“Ah, thought I could milk more out of you, but got caught here.”
“Are you confessing what you’ve done?”
“No, didn’t you already know?”

Bashi alternated glances between Lumia and Serentia.