Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent
Chapter 75: What difference does it make if he’s the Black Demon Emperor?

Chapter 75 – What difference does it make if he’s the Black Demon Emperor?

“Dean.”

The dean of the magic department, Conette, moved his chess pieces without saying a word, even when he heard someone calling him.

For a while, the only sound in the dean’s office was the clashing of the chessboard and the pieces.

“The preliminary round of the subjugation tournament will start soon.”

Violet reported politely.

She had visited this place to inform the dean of the situation before the match.

“Oh, is it already time? Are you ready?”

“There’s no problem with the participation. We added one more representative this morning… and he looked very confident.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Violet sighed softly.

‘It’s a relief that he’s confident.’

It was not only the defeat, but also the attitude of the magicians that Violet had been most upset about.

The representative position that they tried to pass on to each other, the motivation that hit the floor, the skills that they couldn’t show in the real battle…

Every time she saw those things, she felt sad as a magician, not just as a professor.

Then, Dean Conette opened his mouth.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it? Thanks to Flan, that one person… we’ve come this far.”

Violet nodded quietly.

No matter how much they shouted something with a good intention, if there was no result, people wouldn’t listen.

That was the harsh reality.

But Flan made that result.

Flan won the first event with a splendid victory, and saved the face of the magic department. So the dean’s words were absolutely right.

Conette’s strange eyes were still looking at the chessboard.

The dean suddenly asked.

“At this point, I’m curious about Professor Violet’s thoughts.”

“My thoughts… you mean?”

“Yes. Just like last time, just tell me what you think. Your thoughts on this preliminary round.”

At that, Violet’s face darkened a bit.

“Dean.”

“I’m listening.” S~ᴇaʀᴄh the NʘvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“Honestly, I’m scared too.”

“That’s probably how most people feel. Do you want to tell me why?”

Violet looked at her toes and spoke.

“Thanks to Flan, many young magicians have gained motivation. But because of that, I also think it would hurt more if they lose this time.”

“Oh, you’re expecting a defeat.”

“I want to hope for a victory too. But, as you know, the subjugation tournament is…”

Violet couldn’t finish her sentence.

It was a fact that both the dean and Violet knew that Flan was amazing.

But the subjugation tournament was not a solo event.

It was composed of four people, and even the magic department had all freshmen selected.

Even if Flan was great, it was too hard for the remaining three to beat the sophomores of the knight department.

Violet was worried.

She wondered if the young magicians who had just started to hope, would be broken so painfully that they would never get up again.

Conette nodded quietly. He understood how she felt.

“True, I wonder if we’re prepared enough.”

He flicked his finger and several copies of the Merhen Daily floated in the air.

Numerous articles poured out about the missing Flan and the representatives, and the three days that were left empty because of them.

The newspapers had a formal format, but they were nothing but mocking the magic department and Flan.

Violet was amazed by Conette’s attitude.

He seemed to have given up and lost his ambition, as he showed no sign of tension from the moment he met her in the dean’s office until now.

This time, Violet broke the silence first.

“Excuse me, Dean. If you don’t mind.”

“Yes.”

“…What do you think, Dean? I dare to ask.”

“Ah.”

The dean was still looking at the chessboard. Conette opened his lips.

“Before that, do you know why I like chess?”

“…Yes?”

Violet tilted her head slightly at the sudden chess talk.

“If it’s hard, let me ask you differently. How many moves do you need to turn around a very disadvantageous situation in chess?”

Violet thought for a while and opened her mouth.

“At least… three moves?”

“One move.”

Conette cut off Violet’s words firmly.

“One trick is enough. That’s why I like chess very much. I do.”

Conette smiled brightly and continued.

“What difference does it make if you’re the Black Demon Emperor?”

The dean’s finger pushed the knight over with a thud.

“…Let’s see. What trick Flan has played.”

◈

“They’re not kids… Anyway.”

The knight with jet-black bangs covering her eyes completely.

The eldest of the ‘Four Siblings’ of the knight department, Ella, expressed her dissatisfaction.

A variable suddenly occurred at this point, when the preliminary match was right in front of them.

“They couldn’t stand it and started a fight…”

On this morning when the academy was soaked in a festive atmosphere, there was a serious fight between the students at the pub.

The cause was, of course, the three siblings of the knight department, except for Ella.

The building of the store was smashed to pieces and the students inside were all seriously injured.

The situation was so serious that it was pointless to say.

What’s worse, they only picked on the magic students, so their crime was bad. They couldn’t avoid a severe punishment.

“I can’t believe I’m going as a representative…”

“Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal. The opponent is a freshman magician.”

The chatter of the knight trainees was heard.

This was the result of the fight.

The three siblings, except for Ella, were all dragged to the disciplinary committee, so she had to find three new members in the morning.

“But… why are they having a press conference before the match at the tower?”

Someone muttered incredulously.

Of course, the rest of the impressions were not much different.

The press conference where the players from both sides gathered together before the preliminary match of the Conquest Festival was traditionally held at the knight department.

“Did the magic department use some power?”

“What power do they have?”

“Well, that’s true. Then they must have begged to do it at the tower.”

Ella, who was listening silently, felt a golden aura.

There was only one person who had such an aura… except for Ivan.

“…Why is he here? Who asked him?”

At Ella’s sharp voice, someone else answered.

“They said Ivan would also participate in the press conference. He lost in the combat event, remember? They probably want to ask him about that.”

“…”

Ella quietly licked her lower lip with her tongue.

She seemed to suppress her anger for a moment.

Soon they headed for the tower.

“There’s really nothing here.”

As soon as they stepped into the magic department, someone murmured.

The knights’ mouths were filled with subtle sneers.

Library, books, papers… These things dominated the magic department, which looked infinitely shabby to them.

A knight trainee asked Ella.

“Ella, do you know that story? The magic department got second place in the Conquest Festival.”

“I know.”

“It sounds ridiculous. There’s really nothing here.”

Ella walked silently.

Her bangs covered her eyes completely, and even though her eyes were closed, she didn’t stagger at all.

Another knight opened his mouth.

“Magic department as our opponent… It’s a free win for us, but I don’t see why they have to include them in the tournament. Don’t you agree?”

“That’s what everyone thinks. What’s the point of beating up some magicians who don’t even know how to wield a sword? It would be more beneficial to slash some scarecrows a few more times.”

Finally, Ella spoke.

“This is a matter that the Knight of the Flame has approved, and you seem to have a problem with it. Is that what you mean right now?”

“…”

As soon as their eyes met Ella’s, they felt a chill run up their bodies.

They quickly changed their words.

“N-no, that’s not what we meant. We were just…”

“Just shut up. You should be grateful that you got lucky and filled the quota. Know your place.”

“Okay. Okay…”

Ella spat out her tongue at the sweating students.

But soon after, she slowly lifted the corners of her mouth as if she remembered something.

She opened her mouth again.

“By the way, do you have any idea why the Knight of the Flame allowed this match? I have a guess.”

Ella gripped her sword.

And she jabbed the hilt at the target’s cheek.

“He wants you to pay back for the disgrace of the knight department. What other reason could there be?”

It was a blatant provocation and sarcasm.

“…”

But the one who was being criticized, Ivan Rose, remained silent with a calm attitude.

Ella narrowed her eyes slightly and opened her mouth again.

“No reaction, huh? Did you lose your mind when you dropped your sword? Even I, who can’t see ahead, have never dropped my sword by mistake. Huh?”

Ivan didn’t react even when his cheek was jabbed repeatedly. Even until it bled.

Ella’s expression was visibly distorted.

“Is it true that you were in the magic department dormitory until dawn? Did you go to Flan and confront him directly?”

The fact that Ivan had lost in the first match was now known to everyone in the Merhen Academy.

The knights’ eyes toward Ivan, who had given the magic department a chance to rise, were not pleasant.

“Hey. Answer.”

Ella kept jabbing Ivan’s cheek with her sword hilt.

“Answer me.”

It was no longer a simple poking.

She was now pushing Ivan’s head back with force.

“…”

But Ivan still had no reaction.

“Ha, how boring…”

Ella gave up first.

After the defeat, Ivan had become a different person.

He had always been serious about everything, but now he seemed to be possessed by something.

And then.

“Oh, here you are.”

A reporter who had been waiting greeted them.

She was a reporter of the knight department, who had various nicknames such as Grim Reaper, Death, and Mad Dog. Her name was Eliza.

“As I told you before, we’ll have a short interview before the match. Please speak your mind without any filter.”

Ella asked.

“What about the magic department kids?”

“Not yet. They also have a change in their representative list. But it’s not because of discipline like the knight department… Let’s talk while we go in.”

Eliza pointed to the tower behind her.

Ella snorted.

“Not yet…? Did they lose their manners?”

As the group entered the meeting hall one by one, Ivan stood still.

Suddenly, he lifted his head and looked up at the tower.

‘Magician.’

He had not been conscious of that word before.

But now, he naturally thought of a man when he heard that word.

‘Flan.’

The reason why Ivan was blank was also him.

The opportunity to duel with Flan, which he had obtained as a reward for facing the three representatives in the fire world, and the new magic that he had encountered there.

“That was…”

Something as deep as the abyss and as distant as the sea.

Something that he could not grasp or focus on, something that made him lose his way.

Something that was intricately intertwined with hundreds of thousands of things, as if it was controlling him.

“…Flan.”

He muttered that name for no reason.

He felt like he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

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