Chapter 1063: Council Funding and Handover of Permission Level

"Creak—"

Hearing the sound, Xia Duo immediately turned his gaze toward the Mage Tower that was the source of the noise, only to see a portal slowly opening on the tower's gray-white outer wall.

Before the portal had fully opened, a tall figure rushed out from inside the Mage Tower. He first swept his gaze across the area outside the tower, and upon noticing Xia Duo's presence, he immediately bowed slightly and performed a solemn salute:

"Respected Lord Xia Duo, Mage Saville, Steven, the stationed Mage from Giles Tower, greets you both."

From the emblem on the other's Mage Robe, Xia Duo could tell that he was indeed from Giles Tower; it was basically impossible for anyone to dare impersonate that, not to mention that this was originally the Princess's family Territory, making it even less likely to be a fake.

And judging by the Magic Aura on his person, even among the Intermediate Mages of the Seven Towers, most would not be this wealthy; this Steven was in all likelihood an Advanced Rank Mage.

And if the other were an Arcanist, it would be basically impossible for him to be stationed here to guard the tower.

But even so, Xia Duo gave him full respect: "Mage Steven, nice to meet you!"

"You are too kind, Lord Xia Duo. You two are here to take over the Watchtower, right? I have already received notification. Please follow me, both of you." Steven wore a respectful expression.

After speaking, he extended a hand to gesture toward the Watchtower behind him, signaling for Xia Duo and Niya to follow. Xia Duo and Niya exchanged a glance, both seeing the confirmation in each other's eyes.

In truth, no matter how many bad assumptions they had before coming, the possibility of the Watchtower being a trap was ultimately extremely low.

Not to mention, with an ordinary Advanced Rank Mage so close to Xia Duo, if he really wanted to pull any tricks, Xia Duo's Flying Sword was not just for show.

From the moment someone came out of the Watchtower, Xia Duo had basically determined that there would be no traps here.

Just after entering the Watchtower, Xia Duo confirmed that this Mage Tower was indeed far inferior compared to the Tower of Time.

Although it looked taller than the Tower of Time from the outside, the interior was far worse. The interior of the Tower of Time had Folded Space effects almost everywhere, whereas here—

It was as large inside as it appeared outside; there was no Folded Space, at least not that Xia Duo had seen along the way.

"Lord Xia Duo, Mage Saville, this Watchtower has been established for nearly three hundred years. For these three hundred years, it has consistently served as the lighthouse for the Harbor Port shipping route, and this duty must continue to be fulfilled after the handover."

Having said this, Steven paused intentionally, but neither Xia Duo nor Niya showed any worry because of it.

Although Xia Duo had also considered that maintaining that super-bright lighting Spell outside might cost quite a bit, this was, after all, a Mage Tower obtained for free. If nothing else, the extra share of Mithril that could be obtained from the Arcane Union every year alone made it worth spending a large sum to maintain.

One must know that whether it be Dwarves or Elves, the amount of Mithril exported to Netheril is strictly capped. Aside from raiding ruins, the vast majority of Mithril currently circulating on the market comes from the allocation of the Arcane Union.

Any registered Mage Tower can obtain a certain share. Of course, the Mithril itself still needs to be bought with money; if one doesn't need that much, the share can also be sold.

Currently, the Tower of Time has already achieved mass production of three types of Magic Items (Communication Magic Tool, Warning Amulet, Missile Wand), and in the foreseeable future, the types of mass production will increase.

Even now, the Tower of Time's Mithril reserves are somewhat tight. Before possessing a Mithril Mine, aside from the cost-saving measure of recycling, the only other option is to open up new sources through external purchases.

But one must know that the design for mass-producing Magic Items is not something only the Tower of Time can accomplish. In fact, as long as that layer of window paper is pierced, almost all Mage Towers have the capability to create such designs.

By then, the demand for resources, especially for Mithril, which has a relatively fixed annual import quantity, will become greater and greater.

One can't just build a Mage Tower specifically to obtain an extra share from the Arcane Union!

But what if there is a Mage Tower obtained for free?

That is a different story.

However, the real surprise is yet to come—

Seeing that the two were unmoved, Steven did not know if the Princess had given instructions in advance or if these two really didn't care, but he could not intentionally mislead them, so he hurriedly explained:

"However, you two need not worry. The maintenance costs for the Watchtower's role as a shipping route lighthouse will be covered by the Seven Cities Council, generally 100,000 Gold Coins per year, delivered in the form of Mithril and Arcane Crystal."

Hearing this, the corners of Xia Duo's mouth couldn't help but lift slightly. He exchanged a glance with Niya, and there was also great surprise in Niya's eyes.

Next, Steven said again: "Initially, the Light Spell at the top of the Watchtower could be easily seen from Seventon at night, but later, because the maintenance costs were too high, the brightness was lowered year by year, until now.

"After you two take over, you can also choose the brightness yourselves, as long as you ensure the lighthouse's normal function of guiding navigation. Specifically, this means increasing the brightness during Mist or rainy weather; it doesn't matter if it's a bit dimmer at other times. In reality, the 100,000 Gold Coins of materials per year can completely cover the maintenance of the entire Mage Tower."

"..."

Perhaps there might even be a surplus!

Xia Duo immediately realized the trick here. In fact, the form of the lighthouse could still be improved. Instead of using a diffused Light Spell, one could use a beam-form illumination, which would save even more.

However, he did not know if a beam-form lighthouse could be accepted by the Seven Cities Council. If the maintenance funding were to be cut because of this, then it would need further study.

Soon, led by Steven, Xia Duo and Niya spiraled up along the spiral staircase clinging to the inner wall of the Mage Tower and arrived at the main control level of the Watchtower.

The Watchtower's Four Elements Pool was located on this level, and the transfer and handover of relevant Permission Level were also restricted to this level.

Arriving at the Inheritance Chamber, Steven summoned a Scepter with a simple design and lifted his own attunement with the Scepter on a circular platform that was about two fingers higher than the ground and engraved with complex lines.

Afterward, he stepped off the circular platform and handed the Scepter to Niya, saying: "Mage Saville, please stand in the Inheritance Array and attune with the Watch Scepter. This is an essential step for transferring Permission Level."

Niya reached out and took the Scepter, then looked at Xia Duo. Xia Duo nodded, and only then did Niya walk onto the circular platform and begin to link the Scepter with herself.

A moment later, Niya walked off the circular platform holding the Scepter, her eyes filled with a hint of confusion. She asked Steven: "Is this all?"

"This is all," Steven answered affirmatively. "This Mage Tower has no Tower Spirit; all Permission Level are concentrated on this Scepter. Mastering the Scepter means mastering this Mage Tower.

"But be aware, once the Scepter leaves the Mage Tower, the Mage Tower cannot be operated, and at the same time, the Mage Tower will automatically enter a state of alert."