Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent
Chapter 58: …I’m excited.

Chapter 58 – …I’m excited.

“Welcome, students of Merhen Academy.”

As we got off the carriage, it was already evening. A gray-robed mage greeted us.

She had ash-colored hair and pointed ears that reflected nature. Her golden eyes were pure and innocent. She was clearly an elf.

“I’m in charge of your midterm exam and your visit to Saphore. My name is Serena.”

She pointed to a golden pin on her chest with her fingertip. It must have meant she was a Saphore official.

“Have a good time, everyone. And don’t cause any trouble.”

Violet had come all this way just to see us off.

Thanks to her, we heard her worried warnings three more times before we followed Serena into the huge entrance.

“Wow… It’s so spacious.”

Becky, who was walking next to me, exclaimed.

It was worth it. Looking at it with my own eyes, I could see why they called Saphore a ‘region’.

Art exhibitions, museums, hotels, general stores, magic tool shops… Various things existed here, each with its own large area.

It looked like a village on the outside.

As we looked around, we arrived at a wide plaza.

Serena handed out badges to the students.

[ ]

There was nothing written on the badges. They were just painted white.

Yushia looked at hers and mine several times, then tilted her head.

“Huh, Sir Flan! There’s nothing on our badges!”

But we weren’t the only ones with blank badges. All the A-grade students received the same kind of badges.

And then.

“Ah, ouch!”

Sparks flew, and a girl fell to the floor with her chair. Everyone’s eyes turned to her.

“What’s wrong with her? Hey, are you okay?” “What? She just suddenly fell?”

Two other girls tried to help the fallen student. But she didn’t move at all.

But I had a feeling I knew why she fainted. I unconsciously clicked my tongue and bit it.

“That’s what you get for touching things you shouldn’t.”

“…?”

Tricksy, who was next to me, looked at me with a puzzled expression. He opened his mouth.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but this is serious… She fainted.”

“It’s lucky. It could have been worse than fainting.”

She touched something she shouldn’t have, and that’s why she fainted. It was a simple and clear reason.

“Please pay attention, everyone.”

Serena opened her mouth. At the same time, the chair that had fallen flew towards her.

“First, put on your badges. If they were distributed without any problems, you should have received white badges.”

The chair in the air spun. It stopped at an angle where we could see the seat.

There was a red badge on the part where the butt touched.

“You had a physical exam at the tower, right? Based on the minimum amount of magic among you, we classified all the items inside the exhibition.”

She emphasized it several times, as if it was an important thing to say. She tapped the chair with a serious expression.

“You must never touch anything with a different colored badge. Remember, fainting is lucky. If you’re unlucky…”

Serena’s eyes turned to the girl who had fainted.

Then, some of the guys around her gulped down their dry saliva.

If this was the level of luck, what would happen if they were unlucky? There was no student who had trouble making that judgment.

Around that time, Yushia whispered to me in a small voice.

“Sir Flan! You’re amazing, Sir Flan! Did you know everything?”

Tricksy also stared at me with a subtle look. I nodded vaguely.

“You’ll only be staying in the ‘First Time’ area, but… There’s nothing we can do about the strange phenomena in Saphore. Please refer to the booklet for this.”

As she said that, Serena handed out booklets to the students.

The booklets, assisted by telekinesis, flew neatly towards the students.

◎ Do not answer the woman who asks questions about the artwork. Saphore attaches its own explanations at the bottom of the artwork.

◎ Do not touch the magic tools on the floor. Saphore does not put things on the floor.

◎ If you need help after touching the wrong magic tool, you must get help from the third person who appears.

◎ If you suddenly feel like you’re not in Saphore, close your eyes and cover your ears. Keep it until someone taps your back four times.

◎ If your partner disappears for more than 15 minutes and then reappears, you must ignore them. That’s not your partner.

◎ The hotel is an exception area. No strange phenomena occur there.

The students started to stir.

“What? That’s scary.” “Should we just stay in the hotel…?”

It was unfamiliar to them.

…But I was used to these terms.

In a space where all kinds of magic tools were mixed, such ‘strange phenomena’ occurred as if they were natural. It was because the strong magic of the objects collided with each other.

Meanwhile, Serena created a transparent fish tank in the air. Inside, there were many folded papers.

“As long as you follow the rules, there will be no problem.”

But the students’ expressions did not brighten at all. Serena continued.

“For everyone’s safety, you will move in pairs of two in the Saphore. Then, I will draw the pairs now.”

The drawing was done quickly with telekinesis. It didn’t take long to finish.

“Tomorrow is a free day. Please enjoy the Saphore with your designated partner. Then…”

Serena distributed the hotel keys with telekinesis. I was in room 604.

I didn’t bother to check who I was paired with. As I turned to head to the hotel.

Suddenly, I felt an ominous sensation.

“Ouch!”

At the same time, a high and thin scream hit my ears.

Someone in a reversed robe bumped into me, and she even grabbed my shoulder with her gloved hand.

I shook off her shoulder and looked at her face.

Silver hair that shone, pointed ears, and pink eyes… She seemed to be an elf too.

The energy I felt was not good.

“Ow…”

She narrowed her eyes and looked at me, then soon widened them.

“…Wow, what are you?”

What is she asking about? One thing for sure, she was not interrogating me.

Rather, a happy reaction. It was strange for a reaction to the fact that I stepped on her foot.

No, no. I should be the one to apologize in the first place.

I felt her presence and dodged her body for sure.

…But she deliberately bumped into me. With a clear intention.

I tried to look at her more closely, but Serena came running and shouted.

“President!”

At the word president, everyone’s eyes quickly gathered.

After hearing the word president, I finally understood the ominous magic sensation. The mana that was densely condensed was quite impressive.

The president’s eyes curved and drew a deep and attractive line.

“Oh, I totally failed to make a cool entrance. Nice to meet you all~”

“My goodness, are you okay?”

Serena hastily fixed the president’s appearance.

As the president walked past the students, Serena shouted.

“Everyone. This is the president of the ‘First Time’ section of the Saphore, Shushia!”

One by one, the students bowed their heads to Shushia, who smiled kindly at them.

“Have a good time, everyone~ Tomorrow is a free day, right? Enjoy!”

I looked at her with a blank expression, then turned away.

Shushia.

That was not her real name.

◈

The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed.

The hotel facilities of the Saphore were decent.

Clean furniture and a soft bed, and an environment where I could use Trivia… It was enough to get a good sleep.

[ *Auction of Teachings ] [ ▶ I came to the Saphore! ㅎㅅㅎ ] [ ▶ I’ll have a lot of fun! ]

[ *Tricksy von Frits ] [ ▶ We were partners. ] [ ▶ Just sleep in. ] [ ▶ I told you. ]

“…What are you doing alone.”

I shouldn’t call Tricksy stupid. She just doesn’t know my identity.

Today, I could enjoy the ‘free day’ of the Saphore. So, I planned to see all the magic tools without any restrictions.

But when I came out to the hotel corridor, the atmosphere was not good.

The students were restless. The most common thing on their faces was worry and concern.

“Ah, Plan, sir! Good morning.”

Among them, only Yushia was bright. She came to me with Louis.

“Hey… Kids.”

And the next moment, Becky came with a worried face.

She opened her mouth cautiously and took out Trivia from my product.

“Did you guys see the family tree?”

I didn’t know the content, but I had a clue. I remembered the anonymous contact I had yesterday morning.

Louis smiled and answered.

“I didn’t see it, but I heard about it. Everyone was talking about it.”

“I heard it too!”

Finally, the three of them looked at me. I shook my head and answered for them.

“Uh… really? You don’t know, Flan? They say they lure you into complacency with the free exhibition, and then unleash the artificial monsters.”

Becky asked, looking at Louis and Yushia.

“Is this true?”

“I asked some seniors, and they said they had the same kind of midterm evaluation. It makes sense.”

“Really? Then it’s like a cheat sheet.”

Becky sighed in relief at Louis’s words.

“Wow… I’m glad. If I didn’t know this, I would have had a heart attack on the spot.”

“It’s not uncommon to create a sudden situation and evaluate your coping skills, right? Of course, there will be a difference in difficulty.”

As Louis and Becky were talking, Yushia suddenly asked with a gleam in her eyes.

“…But, can’t you die if you get attacked?”

“Nah… you won’t die.”

Becky shook her head vigorously.

“The artificial monsters are all enchanted, you know. It would be a big deal if a student died during the evaluation.”

“Oh, I see!”

The three of them talked without much pressure on their faces.

After all, if you know your enemy and yourself, you won’t be in danger even if you fight a hundred times. What’s there to be afraid of when you already know the evaluation content?

That’s how they felt, and I was rather happy.

─I infiltrated based on their midterm evaluation.

The information I got from the bloodsuckers was still vivid in my ears.

After hearing the students’ stories, I could also piece together how the bloodsuckers infiltrated like puzzle pieces.

There will be an attack. But the monsters made by the academy won’t show up.

Some of them will be real bloodsuckers. Or, all of them will be.

Therefore.

…It’s very appropriate.

Satisfaction showed on my face.

After all, a mage should grow in this kind of environment. I guarantee that it will be a very good experience for the students.

‘I’ve only taken one step.’

Just by breaking Ivan, a freshman, the perception of the magic department and the knight department won’t be completely reversed.

No, if I stop at this point, it will be rather dangerous.

From the knight department’s point of view, it was a bad day. From the magic department’s point of view, it was a lucky day.

It ends with just that. This is almost inevitable.

‘But.’

The extermination festival.

The extermination festival that the knight department has monopolized. If the magic department wins the victory there… Then the knights will have to doubt their own foundation.

The extermination festival is a team of four.

I had to quickly grow the other three except me, but this situation is rather good news for me.

Bloodsuckers are better than artificial monsters for growth. No doubt.

Yushia opened her mouth with a bright face.

“Flan, by the way, I’m looking forward to the exhibition today. There might be something more fun than a glow-in-the-dark puzzle!”

“There is. I guarantee it.”

Something that shines more beautifully than a glow-in-the-dark at night. That’s because it’s a bloodsucker.

“Wow, really!”

Then, Louis opened his mouth with a faint smile.

“Yeah. There will be. Saphor has a reputation, you know.”

“Reputation?”

“Yeah.”

Louis opened a booklet. There was a white name tag on the booklet.

“Just by looking at the schools on the list, they are very diverse, and the number of magic tools and artworks is the highest ever this year. So there will be at least one.”

“I see. I’m looking forward to it!”

“And one more thing.”

Louis snapped his index finger. As if there was one more important fact.

“There’s one magic tool that hasn’t been revealed yet. They said it was amazing.”

“Wow… is it a glow-in-the-dark?”

“No, Yushia. It won’t be.”

As I listened to their conversation, I quietly rubbed my chin.

The one and only magic tool that hasn’t been revealed yet. As of now, that’s the most likely thing that the bloodsuckers are after.

In other words, the most interesting thing.

Suddenly, I remembered the conversation with my disciple.

ㅡWhat… did you spray perfume? ㅡI’m meeting a guy today. ㅡDid you like him that much? ㅡI don’t know yet. That’s why I’m doing this!

I still vividly remember his face, beaming with excitement and making a loud fuss.

I don’t have any information about the other person yet, and I’m clearly feeling nervous… It’s not much different from the blind date that my disciple suggested.

Whether I like it or not, whether I take it or leave it. I will decide after seeing it with my own eyes.

The most important fact is, I’m looking forward to it right now. Nothing is more important than that.

That’s when Louis opened his mouth. Sᴇaʀᴄh the N0vᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“So, how do you feel about Flan?”

“Be more specific with your question.”

“About the exhibition or the evaluation… Aren’t you nervous or something?”

If that’s what he meant, the answer was obvious.

The extermination project that was diligently prepared, the villain who uses magic based on red mana, the magical tool that makes me curious…

There’s only one way to say it.

“…I’m excited.”

At that, everyone’s eyes widened. Even Becky bit her tongue and grabbed her chin.

“Flan feels excitement too.” “Flan, you had emotions?” “Flan, I’m surprised…”

Ignoring their reactions, I quietly thought of one name.

‘Maiev’

…We will meet soon.

◈

In one of the districts of Saphora, a huge piece of art hung on the wall, occupying the entire surface.

[ Blood Demon ]

The title of the work was only two letters.

Sushia was quietly looking up at the work, where red lines were randomly drawn over the black canvas.

The ceiling of Saphora was made of glass. The warm sunlight was split into hexagonal shapes and shone on her.

The splendid artwork and the elegant elf facing it. The scenery was also a piece of art. Her expression was currently very merciful.

Suddenly, a butterfly flew in front of her nose.

Sushia’s gaze met the butterfly.

The moment that happened, the butterfly was ‘trapped’ in a ‘frame’.

The rectangular frame took the shape of a picture frame and turned the butterfly into a small piece of art.

But still, the butterfly was alive.

It flapped its wings hard, trying to get out, but it looked like nothing more than a moving picture.

And still, the butterfly was alive.

It was preserved as it was alive.

“Oh, President. You were here?”

One of the staff members approached Sushia. She answered with a bright smile.

“Yes~ What’s up?”

“Just now, the students entered for free viewing.”

“Ah. Should we move too? We have to do the mid-term evaluation~”

“Yes, but…”

The staff member suddenly trailed off. At the same time, he faintly smiled.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just remembered my student days. I used to have a white name tag too… I wonder if I was that fresh and cute.”

The name tag on his chest was golden.

Indeed, it was a remarkable growth. Sushia smiled brightly.

“You must have been fresh and cute too. Definitely.”

“Ha ha… Thank you. I talked too much. Let’s go, President.”

“Okay~”

The two started walking side by side.

At some point, Sushia stopped again. Then she reached out her hand to the staff member.

“…?”

He couldn’t understand the meaning, and tilted his head.

Sushia calmly opened her mouth.

“Shall we shake hands?”

“Shake hands? All of a sudden.”

The moment their hands were about to touch.

Zap─!

“Ouch!”

A huge spark flew and the staff member’s body was thrown back.

After rolling on the floor a few times, he shouted without even fixing his clothes.

“Ow, President! Please stop this kind of prank!”

The staff member cried out as if he was wronged.

“Every time you play with a magic tool, my heart really sinks! What if my circuit gets damaged?”

“…That’s strange?”

Sushia muttered quietly.

“There’s nothing wrong with the device. Nothing at all.”

Her eyes darted towards the staff member. Shushia asked him out of the blue.

“What would happen if this touched a student?”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. What if it touched a student… what then?”

The staff member’s face turned pale in an instant.

“President, you must never joke with the students. Their mana circuits would be completely destroyed.”

“Is that so?”

Shushia nodded.

“Yes. That’s how it should be.”

Her gaze, as she looked down at the glove, was ominous.

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