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Lennok had heard enough about talent.

Isn’t that why he was running so hard to avoid being just a handle swinging a blade?

“The story I wish to unfold is far more grounded than what you might think. It delves into the reasons behind the unlikely alliance between the dark wizards of the enchantment faction and the Palmus Artificial Intelligence Research Institute.”

With a nod, Raul began to elucidate the tale.

Within Palmus Corporation, certain key employees had played a pivotal role in reaching the company’s current stature. Among them was a person with an unwavering resolve, who sought to fuse artificial intelligence with enchantment magic principles. The aim was to create a modular system that would exponentially increase the AI’s capacity.

“Surprisingly, the research yielded remarkable success, and the project was on the verge of commercialization when an unexpected inspection was announced. If not for that setback, a significantly advanced artificial intelligence would have been released much earlier.”

Intoxicated with their achievements, the dark wizards of the enchantment faction shared their findings, unknowingly exposing them to the watchful eyes of the Practical faction.

However, their fortunes took a drastic turn when the city government ordered the dark wizards to leave District 44, causing their plans to hit a roadblock.

“Craig’s real target must be something related to that enhanced artificial intelligence. As per what my friends revealed back then, the capacity of the AI’s algorithm had been dramatically increased. Thus, he must have wanted to contain something within that expanded capacity.”

“Are you referring to the ‘something’ that the necromantic ritual summoned?” Lennok inquired.

“Yes, exactly,” confirmed Raul.

“Truth be told, before you shared this story, I thought the massacre at the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute was just an outburst of anger. But now, it seems Craig’s primary objective wasn’t us dark wizards; instead, it was the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute itself.”

“So, you’re saying his intentions were different from what we believed all along.”

Lennok had assumed that Craig was solely targeting the dark wizards employed at the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute. However, it became clear that the actual focus of his attack was the artificial intelligence being developed there.

It explained why there were no obvious clues among the corpses of the dark wizards who had been killed during the rampage.

The real prize was the AI data stored in the lab’s isolated network.

“The dark wizard you eliminated, the one who performed the necromantic rituals. If the current scenario holds true, he didn’t directly move the data but likely transferred it through some covert means.”

As Lennok pondered, he remembered the blank expression on the dark wizard’s face as he stood on the lab’s rooftop after the massacre.

At that time, Lennok had dismissed it as a moment of contemplation. But now, it seemed that it might have been a crucial step in achieving their ominous goals.

“… I made a mistake by not considering the lab network. I should have thoroughly searched every corner of it,” Lennok admitted, feeling distracted by the dark wizards’ deadly conflicts and failing to anticipate their interest in artificial intelligence.

“It’s not your fault,” Raul comforted him gently. “Even I, with my knowledge of the inside story, could only deduce the connection after hearing the information you brought. How could you, with no prior involvement in dark magic, have guessed it?”

Indeed, Lennok’s oversight was not considering areas beyond the realm of magic.

‘I need to ponder this carefully…’

Despite his low expectations, Lennok found himself gaining valuable insights from Raul. The information he just realized was beyond his reach without knowing the inner workings of these events.

“To confine the ‘existence’ summoned by necromancy within the framework of artificial intelligence…”

“If they could succeed, they might harness the full power of the spell while minimizing the risks associated with necromancy,” Raul mumbled, nodding in understanding.

“Talking with you, I now comprehend. Craig’s ultimate goal is likely to dominate and control an existence surpassing the abilities of a sorcerer, enslaving it to the algorithm of artificial intelligence.”

***

“Domain construction failure. Transition space disappeared. 7th experiment ended.”

“I was wrong.”

Craig shook his head as the announcement echoed softly.

“The manipulation of the artificial domain was unstable from the beginning. If the pieces don’t fit from the start, the process cannot proceed smoothly.”

A vast underground cavity enclosed by several-meter-thick steel plates on all visible walls, preventing even a sliver of air from escaping.

Dozens of dark wizards rushed around, adjusting a massive magic circle that spanned several hundred meters in diameter.

Dark magical energy surged and faded, gradually infusing the space.

Craig stared at the cavity in silence for a long time, then turned his head.

In the direction he looked, numerous monitors displayed various data, and people furiously typed on keyboards.

“How is the algorithm performing?”

“The logical structure is complete, but as soon as the spell activates, the AI becomes entangled and malfunctions,” responded a man with thick glasses, standing with his arms crossed at the back.

“Moreover, after each experiment, the algorithm distorts into a different form, making it impossible to back up the data.”

It was a phenomenon that couldn’t be explained solely by logical structures and calculations.

“At the moment, we can only say that we need to collect more data from the stage where the AI responds immediately after necromancy.”

The man in glasses looked at the silent Craig and offered a wry smile.

“Well, it’s still quite entertaining. Many have attempted this, but only a few have chosen such an intriguing theme,” the man spoke freely, facing Craig, a powerful dark wizard.

He understood well that borrowing their abilities at this moment was crucial to accomplish their task.

Craig looked at the man with a blank expression and shifted the conversation.

“We are running out of time,” he said in a low voice that emanated from under his beard. “Our temporary base in Falcon was attacked. They are tracking our movements faster than we expected.”

“Agents from the megacity? I remember them as rather crafty and lazy people… it seems they’ve changed in the last few years,” the man replied sourly while working on his computer.

“The ley line disruptors we installed in the city are also being removed rapidly. After the meeting, we managed to secure an alternative power source with investor funds, but how long the mana can sustain us remains uncertain. We need to see results within a month, at least.”

“If the thieves can’t buy us more time, that could be problematic,” the man shrugged nonchalantly, while Craig frowned silently.

Even though they were discussing a criminal capable of gruesome actions like popping human heads like balloons, the man remained entirely relaxed.

Perhaps that was because the god worshipped by the programmers, including the man, was an even more formidable monster than Craig himself.

It was ironic.

Those known for their extreme faith, the fanatics, were the very ones skilled in the delicate and meticulous craft of computer programming, which demanded logical precision.

But if Craig couldn’t accept this contradiction, he wouldn’t exist in this world at all.

Sometimes, he would look back at the moment he accepted the deal from the city government.

The answer was always the same.

And to resist those monsters, they had no choice but to summon a monster of their own.

Even now, as he was considered a city-scale criminal, his desire remained unchanged.

Only when he looked at the children following him from below, his endlessly obtuse wizard’s gaze softened.

That was all.

***

“The councilor is deeply concerned about this matter.”

The words were heard in Evelyn Marcia’s office.

Since Lennok’ last visit, all sorts of vegetables had sprouted, indicating that her hobby had found a place right in her workplace as her work got busier.

Sitting across from her, a young man leisurely sipped his tea.

He was dressed in a dark blue robe that seemed out of touch with the times, and his eyes remained closed even after tasting the tea.

“Your tea-making skills are improving. Every time I have it, it feels more enjoyable,” the young man said, offering a warm smile. Evelyn, sitting with her legs crossed on the sofa, responded with a somewhat gruff expression.

“That’s just a tea bag. I wouldn’t waste my tea leaves on an uninvited guest.”

“Hehe.”

“So, let’s talk about why Councilor Reisen sent someone over for a change.”

“It’s not a complicated story,” the young man replied, placing his teacup back on the table. He then turned his head towards Lennok, his eyes remaining closed.

“But before that, may I know who is standing behind you? With my limited knowledge, I can’t recognize the face.”

“He’s Van, a wizard. An external consultant we recently recruited.”

External consultant.

It reminded him of a similar title he had when he worked with Dyke last time.

Though not an insider, it was clear that there was no better title to signify being an associate.

“I see. Can I ask where he used to work?”

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed at the young man’s sly response. “You’re pretending to be innocent, even though you’ve already found out everything.”

“……”

“Why don’t you stop pretending to be ignorant and open your eyes properly?”

‘Oh’

By pointing out something that might be sensitive, regardless of her acquaintance with the young man, it seemed she must have disliked him quite a bit.

Despite Evelyn’s sharp retort, the young man brushed it off with a friendly smile.

“I don’t care, but it would be a problem if you spoke like that in front of the Councilor.”

“You’re telling me this now?”

“Let’s get to the point. The Councilor is greatly disappointed that the agency did not fully disclose the achievements of this operation to the city council.”

“…”

“Especially the specific information obtained from the temporary base of the terrorist organization Falcon. He is particularly concerned that the city did not hand over the secrets directly related to the city’s safety to the council.”

“There were no objections at the announcement.”

“That was possible because the Councilors of the upper and lower houses did not know the details. I won’t say more.”

As he put down his teacup, a sharp momentum flowed from the young man.

“He claims there should have been no secrets if it was for the city. This is the message the Councilor wants to send to the agents.”

(To be Continued)

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