Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 22 “My Golem…”

I looked over Aria with a calm gaze. Her pale face and trembling legs came into view.

Suddenly, she looked like a drenched rat, and I couldn’t help but smirk. I watched her, terrified, with a leisurely attitude.

“What… what did you do? That’s my golem…”

Aria muttered as if she couldn’t understand what had happened.

The memory of her arrogant attitude and the trouble she caused me surfaced. I briefly pondered what kind of punishment would be appropriate.

A warning had to be clear.

At least enough so she wouldn’t dare to challenge me again. Or rather, wouldn’t be able to.

The simplest and most effective tool was, of course, fear. At my signal, the golem raised its massive fist into the sky.

If that blazing fist hit the ground, it would be nothing short of a meteor. Aria, who met the fist with her eyes, collapsed to the ground.

She looked back and forth between me and the golem, as if the scenario she envisioned was too horrifying to bear.

“… Wh-what are you trying to do? No, it can’t be?”

I remained silent. I felt no pity or sympathy for her.

She would feel pain equivalent to death.

However, thanks to the support magic Violet had cast on the students, she wouldn’t die.

I checked the remaining mana. Once the golem swung its fist, the remaining mana would nearly run out, but this was sufficient.

I controlled the golem to strike Aria with its fist. The golem made a strange, grinding sound, like nails on a chalkboard.

“Hey… hey! Wait… wait a second… hey, you bastard!”

Aria was nearly screaming.

Regardless, I started to think about how to manage the rest of my day after the lecture.

“You… you’re going to become a murderer! You crazy bastard! Please spare me!”

After my meal, I planned to train.

Then I would teach Trivia’s client, read some magical books in the library, and organize the papers I would publish in this world.

“Ahhhh!”

Aria’s scream shattered my thoughts. The golem’s fist was about to touch Aria’s body.

Snap. I flicked my fingers, shattering the golem.

The summon, which had been moving precisely, turned into mere stones that scattered in all directions.

“…Hiccup! Ugh!”

Aria still had her eyes tightly shut, covering her head with both hands. I parted my lips to call her name.

“Aria.”

“…?”

Aria slowly opened her eyes. I pointed my chin at the shattered remains of the golem.

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.

Aria’s face gradually turned to one of shock. I left her there and began walking toward the stands.

The match was already decided. The professors would surely give me the win.

“You… you… you bastard!”

Aria’s voice, filled with resentment, echoed, but I cleanly ignored it.

Then suddenly, I sensed something unusual from behind.

Shhhh—

I quickly unfolded the Rapid Freeze Scroll. Instantly, the surrounding area froze, engulfed in a cold chill.

There wasn’t much around that could freeze, except for Aria, who was stuck in a rather ridiculous position.

She had frozen in the posture of throwing a bright red scroll at me.

It seemed she had intended to throw it at me, but the scroll was a different color from the ones Violet had provided.

Hadn’t she already used up three scrolls? It was a scroll of unknown origin.

Her hand, raised in midair, was awkwardly frozen with the scroll, which slipped out and activated its effect.

The purple liquid that poured out of the paper was overwhelming.

“…!”

Aria screamed with her eyes. Her eyes almost rolled back as the purple liquid cascaded over her head.

I simply watched.

‘Paralysis, huh.’

The wider the area covered by the liquid, the weaker her mana became. It was clearly a liquid with a paralysis effect.

If she received treatment within the golden time, she would recover; if not, she would have to give up magic.

I felt no anger or pity toward her. I just thought that now, she finally looked like someone at her level.

Meanwhile, Violet and Professor Leonard appeared and grabbed Aria.

“Aria, can you hear me? Aria.”

The professors hurriedly took action, and the barrier that Aria had turned black completely shattered.

At the same time, the murmurs from the students sitting in the stands started to pour into my ears.

“What’s… what happened to Aria?”

“Did she lose? No way?”

“Losing isn’t the problem! What the hell was that?!”

Aria collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

“Ugh… urgh… gah…!”

Her entire body turned a violet color as she writhed in pain. While Leonard patted her shoulder, Violet carefully inspected the red scroll.

At some point, Violet’s eyes widened.

“!”

Professor Leonard, noticing Violet’s strange reaction, approached her, and soon, his eyes widened as well.

Violet sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead with one hand, and spoke with trembling lips.

“…Aria Fontaine is disqualified for cheating.”

And then, as if she almost forgot, she hastily added another word.

“Today’s lecture ends here. No, it’s over! Everyone, leave immediately!”

That simple announcement was like a true Rapid Freeze. The spacious training hall instantly turned cold and silent.

I quietly returned to my seat.

Unlike when I had entered the arena, there was no murmuring as I returned to my place.

At least Becky tried to strike up a conversation.

“Hey, F-Flan. What happened? What’s going on with Aria?”

“I won.”

“So, how? Why is Aria in that state?”

I found it bothersome to explain how I had won.

From interfering with Aria’s magic to utilizing the scroll… explaining it in detail would be tiresome and a waste of time.

So, I only answered why Aria had been disqualified.

“She used her own scroll. She got what she deserved.”

“Wha…?! So, she cheated! Come to think of it, the scroll was a different color… she’ll be disciplined, right?”

Probably.

I carefully replayed Violet’s words in my mind. She had said today’s lecture was over, so there should be no problem leaving this place immediately.

There was much to do.

I had to train, read, and if time allowed, I would think about Trivia’s modifications.

I took a step forward, and Becky hurried to follow.

“Hey, Flan. Where are you going? I mean… let’s go together!”

The moment I stepped outside the arena.

It was as if the students had just woken up from a trance, and they all started murmuring at once.

◈

The fairness that Merhen Academy’s Magic Department offers is limited to ‘learning.’

In other words, there could be discrimination in living conditions.

Naturally, the academy does not promote discrimination, but since commoners cannot bring what nobles do, differences naturally arise.

For example, the private building that the Fritz family built near the academy dormitory.

The ballet studio, with orange lights pouring down like sunlight, was bright even at night. A girl, who could easily be called a work of art, calmly stretched.

Her pure white ballet dress and blue hair, like a lake, were art in themselves. A divine sculpture had come to life and was breathing.

Her name was Trixie von Fritz.

She had been troubled since the simulated combat, despite achieving an overwhelming victory and good results.

The reason was none other than Flan.

Trixie was confused because of the mysterious commoner male student.

It wasn’t that she had developed feelings of affection for him, but simply because of what he had shown during the simulated combat.

Plié.

Trixie began her ballet routine with the first move, recalling the scene she had witnessed.

It had started with something lodged in the center of the barrier she had been watching.

A crack appeared directly in front of where Trixie had been sitting alone, and the crack spread like a spider web, eventually creating a space where she could peek inside.

Thanks to that, she saw scenes that the other students couldn’t. And she remembered them all.

Demi Plié, Grand Plié.

She continued her ballet moves, recalling the scene. Trixie furrowed her brows without realizing it.

‘Overwhelming.’

That was the first word that came to mind.

Aria, who was trembling like a mouse cornered by a cat, and Flan, who controlled the golem as if he had summoned it himself.

‘And composure.’

Aria had screamed like a soul trapped in hell. The moment the golem, following Flan’s will, brought down its fist like a thunderbolt.

Flan simply snapped his fingers and shattered the golem.

Aria, unable to control her anger, pulled out a scroll but was immediately subdued by Flan. That’s how the simulated combat ended.

Tendu, Dégagé, Rond de Jambe… with each move, Trixie’s legs traced elegant curves. Her thoughts continued.

‘How on earth.’

How on earth.

That was the only question in Trixie’s mind.

How could someone who entered as an F rank possess such skill? How could a commoner have such presence? How could a freshman control interference-type magic…?

Piqué.

Standing gracefully on one tiptoe, Trixie began piecing together the remaining puzzles in her mind.

The strange sensation she felt from Flan when Aria repeatedly failed to output mana crystals.

Also, he was training at the advanced level in the training hall. Now that she thought about it, that wasn’t a mistake in selecting the

difficulty level.

Flan, just who is he….

“Ugh!”

Suddenly, Trixie’s ankle twisted, and she collapsed.

It was embarrassing. It was the first mistake she had made in recent times.

“……”

The shock of making a mistake was greater than the pain. In her vision, the elegant ribbon of Trivia came into view.

“Auction of Teachings.”

At the same time, she muttered unconsciously.

Flan had said he frequented the Auction of Teachings.

‘…Could it be?’

If the reason Flan had rapidly escaped the F rank and become a genius of the A rank, able to train at an advanced level, was due to the Auction of Teachings?

All the puzzles fell into place. Trixie used telekinesis to bring Trivia into her hand.

“Hoo.”

She took a deep breath and counted the days.

There were only two days left until the showdown she had proposed on the Agora Board. At this rate, she would lose.

She would have to bow down to someone whose name she didn’t even know.

Trixie nervously fiddled with Trivia. This ‘Auction of Teachings’ might hold the answer to the Agora Board problem.

But perhaps the Auction was offended by her haughty words; there had been no reply.

Should she try to contact them again? But her pride still wouldn’t allow it….

Then, all of a sudden.

“…!”

Finally, the cover of Trivia glowed with a blue light.

A reply had come.