This time, it wasnât a boy, but a middle-aged man.
By his appearance, he looked to be the manager of the workshop.
âShould I just show my magic and meet the head of the workshop immediately?â
Ian had thought for a while, but decided not to do it.
He came to make a big deal.
His every action would be gossiped about through the workshop.
He didnât come to buy some cheap products.
In this case, heâd better greatly impress the engineers.
To do that, he should wait to reveal his title, Arch Mage, later at a proper time.
By doing that, it would be easier to silence engineers to spread rumors of him.
âI came here to buy some products.â
âWhat kind of products are you looking for?â
âFirstly, I want to see communication orbs.â
âAh, come this way.â
The manager brought Ian to the shelf where low-level communication orbs with various colors were displayed. It was one of the most common orbs in use, and it was usually used to help communication between floors.
âAre there any other products?â
âHigher ranks than this one costs quite a lotâŚ..â
âIâm looking for the orb thatâs used for communication posts.â
ââŚâŚ.?â
Suddenly, the manager doubted his ears.
Other engineers acted the same.
All of them leered at Ian.
âWhat the hell is that mad boy saying?â
Their eyes were saying that.
Not just through their eyes, but also through their mouths,
âPhhhff! What a funny jerk.â
âWhat the heck did he want to buy?â
âYo, Vans, what are you doing? Help our freaking rich customer, Ha ha!â
Their voices were full of ridicule. They reacted a little bit too much, but it was a natural reaction. There were no other reasons. The orb was extremely expensive.
âEnough! How rude!â
The manager kept his manners. He didnât believe the boy would be able to afford the high quality communication orb, though. But he wore clothes of nobles.
âI apologize, the orb you want is quite hard to purchase.â
âIs it forbidden?â
âNo itâs not. Firstly, you may not able to afford the product. Furthermore, you need to be granted approval from the Ivory TowerâŚ.â
âThen, I will buy it.â
With confidence, Ian put his bag on the floor.
It seemed like itâs full of money.
âCome on.â
Although the bag looked full, but it wonât be enough, still. Even if the bag was full of gold coins, it wasnât enough to buy a high quality communication orb. Unless he wanted to buy shards of broken communication orbs.
âHe doesnât listen.â
The manager started to get upset.
He already told Ian twice that he wouldnât able to afford it.
Furthermore, the boy didnât speak like nobles at all.
He decided to kick him out.
âSigh, sir? As I told youâŚ..â
The manager spoke with an upset voice.
Regardless, Ian started to open the bag.
âI donât know how many gold coins are in there, but if it wonât be enoughâŚ.â
âItâs not gold coins.â
âTo buy a high-quality communication orbâŚâŚ.. huh?â
Soon, Ian spread contents to the floor of the workshop. It wasnât just gold coins. Instead, it was jewels, which were a million times more expensive per weight unit, compared to the gold coins.
âUhâŚâŚHUH?â
Not just ordinary engineers, but the manager was lost as to what to say.
They doubted their ears at the beginning, but now they doubted their eyes. Is it even real?
âItâs jewels.â
âWhatâŚ..â
âThe finest quality.â
âF, finestâŚâ
No doubt about its quality.
Only a few jewels were qualified as the finest.
A jewel that was shaped by mana-craft.
Other normal jewels had no chance to even compare with it.
Even a person who had no idea about jewels would recognize its difference immediately.
Unique shape, preciousness, perfect hardness.
âWill it be insufficient?â
The manager started to calculate quickly.
Insufficient? For the high-level communication orb?
The manager couldnât dare to decide.
It was hard to estimate the price of those jewels, and most of all, he didnât know the exact value of pairs of high-level communication orbs. He didnât have the authority to sell it.
âT, That isâŚ.â
But from now on, two things became clear now.
The boy in front of him wasnât a fool, and didnât come to the workshop to trick them. And he came to the workshop, to buy the communication orb, seriously.
âW, would you please wait for a moment? I canât simply decide to sell the productâŚâŚâ
It must be.
It was a huge scale of business.
Ian nodded silently.
âCh, chief!â
After a while,
The engineers seemed nervous by some manâs appearance.
He looked like a man who was about to become middle-aged.
It must be the chief engineer, âThram.â
âBlack hair?â
Thram had black hair, which was quite a rare case in the continent.
In his former life Ian didnât know it because Thramâs hair had turned white. So this time, Ian was quite surprised about it. It was one of the entertaining facts of time traveling.
âExcuse me.â
Thram slowly investigated the jewels.
He must be good at it.
âHmm.â
Thram figured out those jewels were real.
While looking at Ian, he said.
âFirst, high-level communication canât be sold without permission from the Ivory Tower. And in most cases, they donât. Not because of the price, it is nearly impossible to sell.â
What he said was right.
Except communication posts, which was held by te co-operation between Royalty, the Ivory Tower and the land lord, most people couldnât buy it and didnât even know of its existence. Furthermore, unlike private communication orbs, it required enormous mana to operate. Hence, there were many restrictions about the product.
âFurthermore, as I know, there were only quite a few number of men or merchants who can afford to buy it. So, I want you to identify yourself. It seemed you are a messenger of someone, and if your master is not trustworthy, I would regard these jewels as stolen treasures.â
Thram even suspected the source of the jewels.
In fact, honestly, it was stolen treasures.
However, Ian couldnât just admit it.
Fortunately, Ian had the proper title to be trusted.
âFirstly, I will give you permission to sell it.â
ââŚâŚ What would that mean?â
Instead of an answer, Ian lightly made a gesture in the air.
Soon, jewels on the ground started to levitate.
It was obviously the power of magic.
âMagicâŚ.?â
It looked like simple magic. However, levitating magic wasnât an easy spell at all. Rather, it was a high-level magic. Thram knew it very well. As a engineer of hextech, he knew most of magical theory.
âPerhaps.â
A young aged boy like Ian, supposed to be waiting for academy entrance, or just few years past after entrance. However, did he show off high-level magic? Thram can imagine only one such person. A few days ago, the Ivory Tower announced the appearance of a new Arch Mage, the youngest in their history, Ian Page. He was introduced as 12 years old.
âA, are you thatâŚâŚ?â
âI think you found the right person.â
âWhaaattt!â
Thram freaked out as if he saw a ghost.
âPlease forgive my rudeness!â
Usually young low class mages used to come and order these products. Even the chief engineer wouldnât be able to meet Arch Mages easily. They were just mysterious men who sent orders and permissions from high up.
âPlease forgive meâŚ.!â
What a disastrous situation it was?
Not just a mage, but an Arch Mage.
What was he doing in here, in the workshop?
âNo pressure. I understand you wouldnât be able to recognize me.â
While smiling, Ian re-gathered the jewels.
Of course, by magic, easily.
Then he stretched his right hand.
âNice to meet you. Ian Page.â
âM, my name is Thram, the chief engineer of this workshop! Iâm honored to meet you!â
Thram grabbed Ianâs hand with two hands.
Ian was a 4th class mage.
His age wasnât important at all.
Those hextech engineers must have acted rudely to him.
This workshop could possibly bee shut down by Ianâs order.
âSo now, may I look around for communication orbs?â
âOf course. Please, follow me.â
With Thramâs sincere guidance, Ian went down to the basement.
And the other engineersâ faces turned pale.
âWh, what is going on?â
âIt was magic, right?â
âWaitâŚ. Ian Page?â
âA new Arch MageâŚâŚâ
Now the situation was crystal clear to the workers.
âW, we are screwed.â
Not just the hextech engineers,
ââŚâŚ did I sigh?â
The manager slowly recalled his actions to Ian.
âI, IâŚ..â
On the other hand, the youngest member of the workshop, Vans, he was about cry.
He remembered that he said to Ian âmove your assâ.
Vans started to regret, âWhy did I act like that? Am I going to be executed?â
Each memberâs memories of their action to Ian were brought back in rapid succession.
âThey would remain silent.â
The most effective method of preventing rumors was to use threats.
Ian just made a simple, but effective threat to the engineers.
Even in the Ivory Tower, only Arch Mages would be informed about the purchase of communication orbs. If this information spread though, Ian wouldnât suspect this workshop as the source of it, but would not be sure about other Arch Magesâ reaction. They may react sensitively. A lot.
âThis is one of the benefits of the Ivory Tower.â
To people, the Ivory Tower was a symbol of respect and fear.
Its own existence would silence the engineersâ mouths effectively.
âIt is going well.â
Instead of the bag of jewels, Ian was holding a simple iron cage. It contained a pair of high quality communication orbs, and unlike its own ordinary appearance, the container was an invincible box, which was shielded with several protection spells.
âFor my motherâs protection.â
Ian spent an enormous amount of money for these orbs. It might cause several problems later. However, Ian was ready to take the burdens. Before anything, Ian wanted to prepare a safety net for his mother. Hence, Ian was satisfied.
âBut how should I hand this over to her?â
A big high quality communication orb.
It was as big as two fists of a fully grown male.
It wouldnât be easy to make into a trinket. What about staff form?
âBut she is still too young to use a staff.â
It would make sense if she was a mage, but she wasnât, and still young.
30 years old, actually, she hadnât passed her birthday yet, so she was 29 years old.
She was still young.
âHmm.â
However, he couldnât just give it away to her as original form.
She had to bring it everywhere. With this big marble shape, it might be easily lost and forgotten. He must to do something about it.
âIf I told her its price, she wouldnât miss it though.â
But instead, she would lose her mind.
She would serve the orb as higher than herself.
Ian must not tell her the price.
âLetâs think slowly. Slowly.â
Ian looked at the sky.
The sky that was once clear blue, now started to get dark. He promised his mother to come back before dinner, he must hurry to keep his promise.
âShe promised me to make her red bean pie.â
Vanessaâs âSpecial Red Bean Pie.â
The food that Ian had missed the most.
In his former life, no cooks were able to make the same taste as hers. Even simply imagining it made his mouth begin to water.
âIâd better not run with my bare feet this time.â
Red bean pie was best when it was hot.
If Ian walked, chilled pie would await him.
âFly.â
With a small voice, Ian cast his spell.
A spell that allows humans to fly.
But it only allowed humans to fly for 30 seconds.
Since it drained a huge amount of mana and flying speed was too slow, this spell wasnât used commonly. However, with a combination of several spells, it had its own use. (ED: LOL using high level magic for food. Worth it.)
âUp.â
Soon, Ianâs body rose straight into the sky. Before the spellâs effect ended, he reached to the castle wallâs height. He could see the mansion over the horizon.
âWind.â
Continuously, Ian casted basic wind magic. It was the basic of the basics, but its power could be enhanced greatly, depending on the mageâs skill. And Ian was good enough to do it. Monstrous wind soon blew Ian away in the direction of the mansion.
*Whiiiiinnnngg!*
With a ten times faster speed than walking, Ianâs body headed to the mansion. More accurately, Ianâs body was flying and about to smash the ground. Even at this moment, Ian was holding the container as if he was carrying a baby.
âFeather fall.â
As always, he landed with the feather fall spell.
It slowed down Ianâs body, which was about to smash into the mansion.
His landing direction was exactly the front door of the mansion.
âHmm?â
Many people were gathering around the mansion.
People wouldnât bring their presents until night.
Ian focused his mana on his eyes.
âKnights?â
Silver colored copes, they must be the second royal knight order.
Which were knights who were supposed to guard the crown prince.
*Tap!*
As planned, Ian landed at the front door.
Of course, he drew the attention of the knights.
Some of them were surprised and drew their sword by instinct.
âSir IanâŚ.?â
A young knight recognized him.
Ian asked to him.
âDid his highness the crown prince come to my house?â
âAh, yes! He did. Youâd better hurry. He had waited for a while.â
With the young knightâs word, Ian was uncomfortable.
Although he had helped Ian and treated him very well recently, he was an incomplete man. He might act violently, due to his long waiting time.
âPlease not.â
Would he harm Ianâs mother?
If thatâs what happening in there, it was not good.
In that case, Ian would gladly choose to become a traitor.
With a determined mind, Ian ran into the mansion.
âHmm?â
At the entrance aisle of the mansion,
The captain Oliver was guarding the aisle.
Even he was alone, he never lost his carefulness.
By recognizing someoneâs approach, he raised his head.
It was a young boy, Ian Page.
âWhat is it?â
Oliver felt a dangerous aura from the boy.
It was weak, but he was revealing murderous intention.
Oliver couldnât let him in and visit the crown prince like that.
âStop please.â
Now, Ian had higher rank than Oliver.
With proper manners, he blocked Ianâs way.
He was at least two times taller than Ian.
But still, a stormy atmosphere continued.
âWhy are you blocking me?â
Ian lowly growled.
Oliverâs blocking made him feel more nervous.
Was there really something bad going in there?
âCome on, wasnât he just little boy? But look at his auraâŚ.â
A dangerous aura that was spreading from his small body.