EP.237 Uninvited Guest (5)
“Letting outsiders into the treasure chamber is…”
“So?”
“…It’s nothing. I seem to have meddled unnecessarily. There shouldn’t be any problem when you’re accompanied by the next Master of the Tower. Yes, indeed.”
Resti, who had brushed off the guardian of the treasure chamber with a chilling glance, placed her emblem against the chamber’s door.
[Access confirmation.]
The barrier reacted to Resti’s emblem. As the bluish barrier dissipated, walking through the revealed passage revealed a massive library.
The central library of the Ashen Tower.
That is another name for the treasure chamber. This place, where only the Elder and the Master of the Tower, the true rulers of the Tower, can step foot, contains the entire history of the Ashen Tower.
The first Master of the Tower, Armiel. The current next Master, Resti Elenoa.
The long gap between those two names was thoroughly recorded in the library. Among them, there were plenty of confidential documents that shouldn’t leak outside.
“This way.”
And, in a corner of the library.
“I have separately gathered the research records of the next Master of the Tower, Raniel van Trias here.”
It seemed to be a newly placed bookshelf, shining more than the others. The name written there came into Rania’s view.
“Raniel van Trias”
Utterly flabbergasted, Rania blinked at the fact that her research record occupied a corner of the treasure chamber.
‘…It must be unfinished, right?’
If it was completed, that would be another story. Why were the incomplete works that had been abandoned taking up space here?
“I’ll retrieve it. You said it’s about augmented magic engineering experiments, right? It should be in volume seventeen…”
Climbing up the ladder, Resti came down holding a small cube the size of a box.
“Here it is. Do you want to check it up there?”
“Just a quick look is fine. Just a moment.”
A cube where the research materials are compressed. As Rania unlocked the locking mechanism engraved on it, the documents she had written floated into the air.
‘As expected, it was just a single step short.’
Just as she had predicted. Most of the ‘ancient magic engineering research’ that she had conducted in the past at the tower had been halted due to unresolved core issues.
‘Just one piece was missing.’
The driving force that constitutes the center of magic engineering. It existed in ancient times but was lost in the modern era.
During her time as the next Master of the Tower, she could never find it. Therefore, all that was written in this research material was only the form of the magic engineering core she had speculated in her mind.
“……”
Remembering the core of ancient magic engineering she had dismantled, Rania looked at the form she had hypothesized in the past.
‘Really, I was almost there.’
The form was quite similar. Similar yet slightly different.
Not wrong, but different.
In that moment, Rania realized the possibility of heading in another direction. She felt a new direction was beginning to take shape. Inspiration always came suddenly, and Rania felt the need to translate it into reality immediately.
“Resti.”
Rania clenched the cube tightly. The spread-out documents gathered into one point.
“Can I borrow your lab for a moment?”
“…Huh?”
“I think I need to touch up just one last place.”
Resti blinked a couple of times before nodding her head.
2.
The top floor of the Ashen Tower, the research room of the next Master of the Tower.
Upon arriving there, Rania took off her robe and emptied everything from her pockets. Resti’s eyes widened as she looked at the magical tools spilling out.
“…Uh?”
They were magical tools that were completely different in form from current ones. They were said to have been created in antiquity. The most astonishing part was their state of preservation.
‘Undamaged ancient magical tools.’
Items that couldn’t be valued in money. And there were not just one or two, but dozens pouring out. Resti’s pupils trembled.
“P-Prosecutor Rania?”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“W-Where on earth did you acquire these…?”
“A friend gave them to me.”
A friend gave them?
While it was literally just that, Resti had to sweat bullets to grasp the true meaning of that statement. As Resti’s gaze wavered, Rania picked up one of the spilled magical tools.
Crack!
Then, she yanked it out.
“Oh!”
Alarmed, Resti let out a shrill sound, but Rania tilted her head as if wondering what was strange about it.
“You can just pull it. I realized while reassembling that ancient tools have great durability. They were made to be assembled and used from the start.”
“I-Is that even allowed?”
“Sure. I’ve disassembled everything here once.”
With deft hands, Rania disassembled the magical tool and placed the core of it on the table.
“This is the core of an ancient magical tool.”
Rania then took out another magical tool from her embrace. It was made from modern components, not ancient magical tools.
“Starting now, I will engrave the circuit used in that core onto this. A bit different from that one.”
“Y-You mean you’re going to engrave it, not transplant it?”
“It would work if I transplanted it, but then it would be meaningless. The Ashen Tower doesn’t pursue that route.”
Placing the magical tool down, Rania said, “The Ashen Tower’s main value lies in restoring the technology of the Ancient Kingdom. Not copying, but restoring it. Restoring it to integrate into our technology.”
Rania pointed at the core of the ancient magical tool.
“This, which constitutes the core of ancient magical tools, is an ore now only mined in the Phantom Territory. It’s not easy to obtain, and even if you did, it would be contaminated.”
In other words, it wouldn’t mean anything to copy it.
Since it couldn’t be mass-produced.
“So, we need to use something else.”
Muttering that, Rania began to separate the magical tool she had assembled. The core that constituted it was a bluish magic stone that could be obtained anywhere.
“We reconstruct ancient technology with materials that are commonly available in the modern era and can be commercially used. That’s the direction the Ashen Tower seeks.”
A smile spread across her face.
“Isn’t that right?”
“…Indeed.”
Resti nodded her head.
“So, are you going to make that magic stone play the role of the core of the ancient magic tool?”
“That’s right. Have you studied magic engineering before?”
She had, a lot.
Since Resti mainly researched the restoration of ancient summoning circuits and the creation of magic stone golems… she had a close connection to magic engineering.
Resti nodded, and Rania pointed at the magical tool as if it was a good idea.
“Then could you assist me?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Your eyes are good. I will do the engraving, but if there’s anything odd about the flow or if it’s going in the wrong direction… it would be great if you could point it out.”
With a snap, Rania flicked her fingers. The spreading flow of mana infused energy into the devices in the lab. Kiying, the devices began to operate one by one, making sounds.
Click.
Fixing the bluish magic stone onto the device.
Next to it was fixed the core of ancient magic engineering.
“Let’s begin.”
Rania rolled up her sleeves and grasped the engraving awl.
Magic engineering requires extremely meticulous work. Even the tiniest mistake can lead to disastrous malfunctions, so meticulous concentration is needed…
Tick, tiddlytick.
Rania’s movements were smooth.
Without hesitation, she draws points and lines. It wasn’t her first time doing this. Resti swallowed dryly and squinted her eyes.
A platinum-colored light ring appeared in her vision.
The perspective of the Watcher precisely read the engravings being inscribed on the bluish magic stone. And Resti realized.
‘It’s a bit different.’
It wasn’t simply copying over.
There was a clear difference between the engravings inscribed on the core of the ancient magical tool and those being inscribed on the bluish magic stone by Rania. However, it was not wrong.
It wasn’t in the wrong direction.
It was being modified to fit the current magic engineering system, which had changed from ancient times.
That fact astonished Resti.
‘…This must be outrageously difficult work.’
While a normal magic circuit would be worked on a flat plane, the magic engineering circuit required “three-dimensional” work.
Even the simplest magic tool in a cubic form would be like that.
The circuit has three-dimensional connection points where the surfaces meet. Just engraving on the surfaces would be like that, let alone the core that forms the center… the difficulty of the engraving is not even worth mentioning.
‘Yet.’
While she was modifying and engraving the circuit.
On the spot no less.
It was a near miraculous act.
Resti’s depth of knowledge in magic engineering might not compare to Rania, but the abilities of the Watcher allowed her to see a perspective similar to Rania’s.
“…Ah.”
The view that came into sight was astonishing.
Under the continuous surprise, Resti didn’t forget what Rania had asked her.
“Line 7, Point 5.”
The coordinates marked by the experimental device on the magic tool.
As the coordinate of the error fell from Resti’s mouth,
“The circuit you’ve drawn there doesn’t seem to connect properly with this line.”
Resti pointed at the surface of the magic tool Rania had disassembled. It was a small error, but it would manifest significantly when assembled and operated.
“Hmm, indeed.”
Rania separated the fixed magic stone.
After fixing a new bluish magic stone to the device, Rania began her work again.
*
Magic engineering work requires considerable time, as it’s hard to uncover errors until assembly, and the engraving work itself is difficult to speed up.
It’s unclear where exactly the problem arose or which part needs to be re-engraved. Starting the engraving process again also requires an enormous amount of time.
Thus, magic engineering research is cumbersome.
It consumes long periods.
“Line 8, Point 6.”
“Confirmed.”
“Line 4, Point 3.”
“Fixed it. That should connect, right?”
“Yes, and Line 3, Point 5 as well…”
However, in the case of Rania and Resti, it was different.
Rania drew the circuit without hesitation. In no time, she caught up with the progress she had made in the previous engravings. Immediate feedback on errors occurred during the engraving process came from Resti.
Time was reduced.
Their work proceeded smoothly.
When they had arrived at the lab it was still daytime, but Rania’s hands finally stopped when deep night had settled in. She took a short breath and put down the engraving awl.
“I think it’s complete, right?”
“Yes, it seems there are no errors.”
Resti blinked her dry eyes several times.
Rania placed the bluish light-emitting magic stone at the center of the magic tool, reassembling the disassembled magic tool.
Kiying.
The magic tool activated.
The circuit inscribed on the magic stone reacted simultaneously with all surface circuits, smoothly cycling mana. There was no margin for error; it was perfect.
“It seems there are no issues.”
Without using the core of the ancient magical tool.
She had successfully restored ancient technology using only materials that were easily obtainable even now. It was an achievement that could be called great.
Resti felt an inexplicable sense of pride, her round eyes fixed on the magic tool.
Although she hadn’t engraved it herself, she had contributed as well. The realization filled Resti with joy.
What she didn’t know was that this was a common research effort with Rania, whom she’d sometimes been jealous of and sometimes admired. The tool created by the next Master of the Tower with the previous generation radiated a soft blue light.
“Good job, Resti.”
Rania lifted the magic tool.
“We should present this under joint names at the Magic Academy Conference.”
“Huh? I just caught errors…”
“You provided corrections and advice too. Without you, I don’t know if I would have finished in under a month.”
With a smile, she gently tapped Resti’s head with her knuckles.
“Thank you. You were a big help.”
Having said that, Rania began to tidy up the magic tools scattered on the table. Resti brushed her bangs where Rania had touched it and smiled faintly.
“I’ll help with the cleanup too, Professor.”
3.
As daily life repeated, the Night of the Mages was approaching in just a few days. To coincide with the festival period, Apuria decided on a short vacation of about a week.
It was also due to some professors having to participate in the Magic Academy Conference, and it was the decision of Grand Chancellor Aaron, believing the Mage Night should be a beneficial experience for the students.
“That will be all for today’s class.”
Perhaps that’s why.
The students appeared to be a bit excited.
“Professor Rania! Will you be attending anywhere during the Night of the Mages?”
After class ended, a few students climbed up to the platform to ask me questions. As for where I would go during the Night of the Mages, I pondered for a moment before speaking.
“I don’t think I will be attending anywhere else. I will likely be busy for various reasons at that time.”
“Huh? Busy? Oh, are you perhaps attending the exhibition held by the Ashen Tower…?”
“I’m not part of the Ashen Tower, so I won’t be attending. Although I’d like to go see it, I have other places I need to be.”
There were other places I had to attend.
At that statement, not only the students who had gotten on the platform but also those sitting down turned to look at me. With their curious gazes, I reluctantly spoke up.
“I have been invited to the Magic Academy Conference.”
“…Huh? The Magic Academy Conference?”
As questions poured out, I casually answered while calling out to two students sitting in their seats.
“Ayla, Chloe.”
I spoke to the two of them.
“Please come to the Mana Trading Studies Professor’s Office right after this class.”
Ayla had become independent from Star. Chloe had laid some groundwork, bringing her up to the level where she could attend the same class as the other students.
‘This is the right time.’
It was necessary to get the two on track officially. Although it would be after the Night of the Mages had ended… it was essential to inform them in advance.
“Then…”
Just as I was about to leave the lecture room having delivered my message.
Creak, bang!
The door of the lecture room swung open violently.
It wasn’t me who opened it, nor anyone else from the students. Standing on the other side of the open door was a man I had never seen in Apuria.
Blueish hair.
And golden vertical slit pupils.
My eyes widened in shock.
While he seemed disguised, I couldn’t mistake those eyes. Just as I tried to take in the name of the man standing before me.
“Oh. We finally meet.”
The man, who exclaimed with a short admiration, bent down.
Then, taking my hand, he lifted it and kissed the back of my hand.
For a moment, my mind went blank.
As chills ran through my body, the man raised his head slightly and whispered to me in a voice so nauseating it made my skin crawl.
“To the beautiful lady…”
Wow.
“What the hell….”
The thought that came to my mind was a very sanitized expression: ‘Are you out of your mind?’ but… in the midst of my shock, the thought slipped out without passing through the purification.
“Are you crazy?”
I stomped down on the man’s joint.
Regretting that I wasn’t wearing boots for combat.
“Ough!”
Whack!
The man fell to his knees with a scream.
I knew it was all just a show, and while he was down, I glanced at Aaron, who was anxiously standing behind him, and opened my mouth.
“What’s this guy doing, Chancellor?”
I knew who it was.
However, I needed to purposely act like I didn’t.
“Huh, huhhhh!”
The Chancellor’s face went pale as I glared at the man groveling on the floor.
The being who was regarded as a god by the mages.
The first to contract with Star, having lived wholly for thousands of years, the Primordial Mage.
‘Yormun van Dragonik.’
Known as the Mage of Ancient Dragons.
“Certainly, just as the rumors suggest, a spicy lady indeed…”
Even while he was down, he muttered dazedly. As my mind grew hazy, I felt the respect I had for the mage before me evaporate in an instant.
“Old dragon bastard.”
Indeed.
The Grand Magus was right.
