Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Babel
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Babel is the term for the kingdom's largest magical exposition.
It's where the mainstream schools leading the magical world showcase their works alongside those from fringe schools, presenting all the achievements they've produced so far to the public.
Magic is ultimately a byproduct created by people, so it requires funding.
Of course, mages are elite talent, and magic is used across all sorts of fields, generating profits naturally. But depending on the field, the earnings can vary wildly.
Even with state subsidies for mainstream schools, they still need plenty of investors to smoothly handle magitech development, mage training, spell research, and more.
That's why the Magic Towers created this exposition called Babel—to promote their works to more people and gain recognition for their needs.
Anyway, I've gone on too long.
As the head of the Metal School and lord of the Golden Magic Tower, I plan to attend this Babel.
To properly invent magitech and commercialize it for safe distribution throughout the kingdom, I desperately need a group's strength.
Even with Nob AI's support, I'm still just one person.
Even those who achieved great feats in my past life said they couldn't have reached this point without help from others.
I intend to use this Babel to recruit people to work with me.
All sorts of people flock there, including capable mages, no doubt.
Of course, with the Metal School having perished in the past with not a soul left, how many would even care.
Still, if I stir up some proper attention and post a help-wanted notice, a decent number should gather.
Securing investors on the side would be the icing on the cake.
But that'll require some preparation.
"Young master, we've moved everything from the mansion to the lobby for now."
"Yeah."
First, I need to finish this move.
Dalpi and I are transporting everything from the basement to the Golden Magic Tower.
From now on, all my inventions will be made there.
The Golden Magic Tower looks rundown on the outside, but it's a sturdy 66-story building.
Of course, it's not like Burj Khalifa or Lotte World Tower—your typical skyscraper.
The reason this tower, which appears as just a five-story building externally, is so vast and multi-layered is because it uses spatial expansion magitech.
Even though it's an old magitech item, its performance is so good it still works flawlessly.
Thanks to the old man's diligent maintenance, no doubt.
Like other Magic Towers, it has a high-performance mana collection and storage device at the top, giving the building itself a substantial mana reserve.
Thanks to that, we can zip between floors instantly using a spatial transfer device far superior to any elevator.
If we're talking pure tech, it's sci-fi movie level.
"But why the top floor of all places?"
"Hm?"
"If it's for the tower lord's quarters and personal workshop, wouldn't it be much better to claim the second or third floor like the other tower lords?"
Ah, that.
"It kills the romance."
"Just move to the second floor and get some exercise climbing the stairs like a normal person."
I shook my head vigorously.
"No way."
"Exercise a little."
"I pity you so much, Dalpi, for not understanding romance. How can you not grasp the allure of the top floor?"
I'll defend the top floor to the death.
"What nonsense is that? I didn't poison your food today—did you take some weird drug?"
Dalpi's eyes were ice cold.
"You're so mean..."
In movies or dramas, high-status people always tilt a wine glass on the top floor, right?
Any guy would want to try that once. Sure, it looks like a mere five-story building outside, but dreams must be realized.
It's not like I hate stairs and picked the top because floors two and three aren't connected to the spatial transfer device.
Probably.
"Even considering your health, it won't do. Move to the second floor before I drag everything to the third."
I shook my head again.
"No no no. Impossible."
"Speaking in weird alien tongue won't work. Do you know your activity level over the past year and a half is lower than Mr. Dunbarton from the grocery store I frequent? Keep this up, and you'll die before he does."
So mean.
Nob AI, give me some killer logic right now to shut down Dalpi's opinion.
『(⚆ _ ⚆)』
『…….』
『…….』
Nob AI.
Why are you silent.
『 (˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ ) ‧º』
『I think Dalpi's suggestion is a bit more attractive too...』
Nob AI.
You're betraying me too...
"Hey, even if it's like that, I move way more than Grandpa!"
"Quiet."
"I'm the employer, I'm the tower lord, this is my world that I created. This is insubordination!"
I reached to tickle her side to teach this disobedient maid a lesson, but.
Unlike usual, Dalpi dodged nimbly.
Eek.
"The young lady said to make you exercise too, so I'm innocent."
I don't train as harshly as I did as a kid anymore, but I do breathing exercises every day.
Even as I whined that it wasn't enough, Dalpi's expression was resolute.
She said it was for my health...
She knew all too well that when she pushed this hard with her kind words, I'd fold like a pushover.
In the end, everything got moved to the second floor.
And so, the chaotic moving operation ended just as she wanted.
"Good work..."
It was regrettable for me, but she'd done most of the heavy lifting.
I should thank her for her efforts.
Dalpi wiped her brow dramatically and told me I'd worked hard too.
"Have you decided what to exhibit at this Babel?"
"I have, but I haven't made it yet."
"There's only three days left."
"Plenty of time."
I'd already decided what to make.
All that was left was the presentation and preparing the invention, so I could finish well before the deadline.
For now, it was time to hunt some caffeine.
"Coffee, please."
"Right away."
As she went to fetch hot water, I asked one last thing.
"What about just moving to the first floor..."
"No."
Eek.
***
This Babel is being hosted by the Red Magic Tower.
It's an annual event, but the host changes every year based on various circumstances.
The Blue Magic Tower developed antibiotics, and the Red Magic Tower created the helltank—both made such iconic contributions last year that there was fierce debate over which would host.
Hosting Babel means you can fine-tune the schedule, which ties directly into opportunities to shine from the planning stage onward.
The tower lords clashed sharply, each insisting their school should take the lead.
After endless debate, the magical world ultimately sided with the Flame School hosting this year's event.
Erphs beamed excitedly, in stark contrast to Noctias's sullen pout.
"Hahaha! All mages, assemble at the Magitech Hall!"
He announced to everyone that this Babel would be held at the Magitech Hall, near the capital Logness.
Babel Day 1.
Magitech Hall lobby.
Aria sighed as she sat in a chair, checking the attendee list.
'The reps from the Dark School and Celestial School are all confirmed, and pretty much all the other fringe schools are here too.'
The reason Aria was here instead of teaching students at the academy was that she'd quit her professorship and vassal position to return to the tower.
"Sigh... My fate... I thought it'd be a lifelong career, but who knew it'd turn out like this."
She let out another sigh.
With the polar anomaly, the plague, Porto's coma, and Uruelle's terrorism, enrollment at Tristy Academy had plummeted.
It was already close to the eastern front, and rumors of an heir who'd allied with terrorists were more than enough to tarnish Tristy's reputation—the whole territory's mood was sour.
On top of that, operating funds were cut for territory recovery, dragging professor salaries down with them. Quite a few like Aria had left last year.
No hard feelings, but people naturally crave stable lives.
Switching to a sound ship beats waiting for a wrecked one to fix itself.
'Research is tough, but rewarding—and if you produce results, they pay more.'
Zephyr was struggling as acting family head, but recovering the territory would take considerable time.
With his inexperience as family head, there was no guarantee he'd pull it off.
That was why she was now checking the participant list as a mage of the Flame School hosting this Babel.
'Hm?'
Aria blinked.
At first, she thought she'd seen wrong.
【Metal School – Ester Sephirond Tristy】
An odd name was on the list.
Why were the Metal School, which vanished from the magical world about twenty years ago, and the genius who shook the kingdom listed together?
It was a mismatched combo.
Esther, who'd created antibiotics and the helltank, then even cameras to birth the medium of "movies" and earned saintly praise—what would she lack to join the notoriously failed Metal School?
'Ah, suddenly wanna watch that movie again...'
The thrill she'd first felt watching the movie *Human* still lingered.
She'd reset her memory if she could.
'...What the heck?'
It couldn't be some immature mage pranking with Ester's name—the more she thought, the stranger it got.
As she spaced out.
A maid and a noble-looking young man entered the lobby.
It wasn't visitor entry time yet, so they must be mages submitting exhibits.
"Welcome. Could you please confirm your identities before entering...? Gah!!"
At first, she didn't recognize them.
But she quickly realized it was Ester and Dalpi.
They'd grown a lot since before, but the star mark under the eyes was unmistakably Tristy's symbol.
And Dalpi looked exactly the same as when they'd met at the academy.
"Young master—no, Marquis. Dalpi. It's been ages. How's everyone?"
"Long time no see, Professor."
"Haha, you don't have to call me professor anymore. I quit a while back."
She greeted them warmly.
She had a mountain of questions, but this one first.
"What in the world is in that backpack Dalpi's carrying to make it so... heavy?"
Aria pointed cautiously at the backpack as big as she was.