Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 23: “Oh my, do you know this student too? Are you interested?”

Early in the morning, I was already at the training ground.

I never expected to lose the battle against Aria in the first place, but things ahead won’t be as simple.

Consistent training was essential to prepare for the upcoming exploration assignment.

I had just completed a training session to increase my total mana capacity.

I had finished the intermediate level just now. The important thing is that I accomplished it. As long as I know the method, growth won’t be slow.

‘Just a bit more to go.’

In a short span, whether two weeks or a month, I’d be able to use advanced magic with this body.

The real problem lay elsewhere.

It’s hot. The heat is more bothersome than the training itself.

I took off my top entirely. With the sign at the entrance indicating the training ground was in use, no student would randomly enter.

As I was taking a break, I noticed the blue light flickering on Trivia’s cover. I opened the page absentmindedly.

[▷ Can’t even solve this?]

[▶ Teach me, please. ㅠㅅㅠ]

It was that customer who spent 10 gold coins just for the search.

Teaching wasn’t hard, but negotiating the price came first.

And to negotiate the price, it was necessary to gauge how desperate the customer was for this guidance.

Humans are willing to spend more money and time on matters they are desperate about. This is a very obvious truth.

[▷ I’m busy. I’ll contact you later.]

The reply came in less than a second after I wrote it.

[▶ I can give you as much gold as you need.]

As much gold as I want, huh. If satisfied with just this, it would be third-rate.

[▷ I’m not desperate for gold, but as I said, I’m busy.]

[▶ I’ll even fetch items for you.]

[▶ I’ll do anything! ㅅ!]

At this point, this was an excellent customer.

Looking at Trivia with satisfaction, I wrote down a few requirements.

Following these requirements was now the customer’s task.

[▷ Describe how far you’ve progressed.]

[▷ Describe where you got stuck.]

[▷ From now on, report your progress every 8 hours.]

Just then, someone suddenly peeked over my shoulder, making me reflexively close Trivia.

“Hey, Flan! I brought some drinks… huh.”

It was Becky. She quickly waved her hands.

“Oh, I wasn’t trying to look. Really. I just brought this because I appreciated your feedback today… but it totally looks like I was sneaking a peek. What a situation.”

Earlier this morning, I had given Becky feedback on her simulated battle from yesterday.

Since I had already accepted her request to ask if she had any questions about magic, I didn’t refuse the sudden request last night.

“But… um, looks like you were pretty hot.”

Suddenly, Becky began twirling her hair around her finger. She couldn’t meet my eyes.

Knowing the reason, I put my top back on.

Once I was fully dressed, Becky finally spoke up again.

“Hey, Flan. By the way… that person contacting you seems really interested in you?”

“What do you mean?”

“No, it’s just. I wasn’t trying to look, but… they said they’d do anything for you… looks like they can do a lot. Are they a noble or something…?”

Of all the things to see, why did she have to see that? I let out a deep sigh and ignored her. Engaging with this is a waste of time.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not interested in them anyway.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Becky stopped twirling her hair. It seemed like the conversation was ending, but then she spoke again.

“Flan, how’s the preparation for the exploration assignment going?”

“Same as always.”

“Then you’ll do well. I’m so worried though.”

Becky let out a long sigh.

“Just thinking about navigating those maze-like paths makes me dizzy. Plus, it’s a competition, so we have to keep other teams in check too. It’s driving me crazy.”

“You just have to do it.”

“Hey! Not everyone is as amazing as you! Is it easy to find other teams’ positions while clearing paths?”

Becky yelled, then immediately slumped down in defeat.

“I’ve only exchanged greetings with my teammates once. On a day like this, we’re supposed to be coordinating, but… no one’s saying anything…”

Her face was full of worry.

As a commoner without innate talent, every step of the process would be lonely and tough for her. Her growing pains would be close to unbearable.

However, comforting others is completely against my nature. Thus, I had nothing fitting to say for her.

In the end, teaching her magic was the only sympathy I could offer.

“Becky.”

“Yeah?”

I pointed my chin toward the center of the training ground.

“Go stand there.”

Becky tilted her head.

“Why? The feedback session is over. I remember everything.”

“Stand.”

“All of a sudden?”

Becky did as I asked, looking puzzled. I gave her a brief instruction.

“Summon the ice barrier again.”

“O-okay. Did I do something wrong?”

Becky focused for a moment, creating an ice orb, then spread it out into a wide, rectangular barrier.

Compared to yesterday, the color was clearer and more transparent, and the mana was woven more densely, indicating improved strength. The difference was obvious.

“Keep going until all your mana is depleted.”

“Huh? All of it?”

“Start repeating.”

At that, Becky’s face turned as pale as ice.

◈

Violet was in the academy’s intensive care unit.

She let out a deep sigh and rubbed her face with her hands. It was unusual for her that a student had ended up in critical condition.

This was the first time an incident had occurred during her lectures since she started working as faculty.

‘Why would she do something like that?’

Violet simply couldn’t understand.

Violet was curious about what had happened between Flan and Aria.

What on earth had happened that Aria harbored the intention to use a Highly Toxic Scroll? As she was contemplating these matters—

“Aria?”

A refined voice from a man with neatly combed hair broke Violet’s train of thought.

His gaze was fixed on Aria Fontaine, lying on the bed beyond the glass window. Violet cautiously addressed him.

“Are you a guardian of Aria?”

“Yes. I’m the secretary of the head of the Fontaine family.”

Violet took off her pointed hat and bowed politely.

The man asked calmly.

“What happened?”

“She was caught in a Highly Toxic Scroll. She’s currently paralyzed, but thanks to the prompt response… she’ll be fine soon.”

“I see. That’s good to hear.”

The man smiled and looked towards Aria. However, his expression as he gazed at her was oddly cold.

Violet began to sense something was off around that time.

He showed none of the reactions Violet had expected.

Concern for Aria Fontaine, shifting blame to the academy, anger… he showed none of the typical emotions a member of the Fontaine family might feel.

After quietly observing Aria, he finally spoke.

“How did this happen?”

“It was her own fault. She violated academy regulations, got involved with a scroll she privately brought, and got caught.”

Violet relayed the facts carefully, maintaining her composure.

“As for why her private scroll was not detected in advance, it had an artifact that obstructed recognition attached to it. This, too, is a violation of academy regulations.”

“I see. That’s how it is.”

The man nodded politely.

However, Violet overheard him muttering as he stared at Aria through the window.

“…Pathetic.”

He certainly mumbled that.

“A pathetic thing who can’t even resemble her brother half as much. She should just die…”

However, the muttering was short-lived. He quickly turned his head, bowed politely to Violet.

“If there’s anything the Fontaine family needs to cover, please send the details in writing. If punishment is needed, feel free to impose it.”

With those words, the man turned and left.

As the man walked away, Violet stared blankly at his retreating figure.

…To think the young lady would be insulted by her secretary.

Although she felt a strange sense of unease, Violet knew that family matters were not something she, as a professor, could meddle with.

She soon turned her steps toward her own office.

Taking precise steps, she checked the document in her hand with her eyes. She was reviewing information about student Flan.

In terms of hardship, this one seemed even more challenging.

His status was commoner, and his family status was listed as unknown, indicating he had no parents. Even his ranking in the Magic Department was F…

“…?”

Violet stopped abruptly. Her office door was wide open.

A woman in a robe with long orange hair cascading down her back was rifling through transcripts, her back turned towards Violet.

Violet lifted a broom with telekinesis and smacked her on the butt with all her might.

Smack!

“Eek?!”

The orange-haired witch, who looked exactly like Violet, leapt up like a startled frog.

She turned her head, met Violet’s eyes, and then shouted.

“Ah, seriously! Sis!”

“Sephia. Didn’t I tell you not to come and go from my office as you please? I clearly locked it, so how did you open it again?”

Violet sighed deeply as Sephia grinned mischievously.

“I couldn’t help it because of my work with the Magic Department newspaper~ Work is work, you know. When orders come from above, I have to do

it! And this is all legal, by the way.”

“There’s no one above you in the newspaper club.”

“It’s a request from the Judith family~ I had no choice but to comply.”

The Judith family, huh. Violet was well aware of the prestige of that esteemed knight family.

However, she still couldn’t understand why they would be interested in her office.

“They’re a knight family. Why would the Judith family be interested in transcripts from the Magic Department?”

“Well, I can’t get into the details because of the work~ Anyway, I’ve seen all the transcripts I needed, so I’m done!”

Sephia trotted right up to Violet and caught a glimpse of what Violet was reviewing.

“Oh my, do you know this student too? Are you interested?”

“I know. This student is giving me a headache right now.”

“Mm-hmm. He’s a pretty interesting student, isn’t he?”

“Why?”

“Who knows~ Why indeed~”

Sephia flashed a meaningful smile. Then, upon receiving Violet’s exasperated look, she burst into laughter.

“Ah, alright, alright. I can’t tell you much more right now. But did you know he was homeless?”

“Homeless?”

“Yeah. There was a period when the dorm was open for moving in but not for staying. During that time, he was sleeping outside. Isn’t that funny?”

Sephia chuckled brightly, but Violet’s expression turned icy.

“You investigate things like that?”

“That’s my job.”

“…And is that funny? Get out.”

“Ah, wait. Take it easy! Aaah! Oh, by the way! There’s going to be an amazing transfer student in the Magic Department soon! Hey, stop hitting me!”

“Out.”

After telekinetically tossing Sephia out of her office, Violet quietly sank into her thoughts.

‘He raised his F-rank skills to A while being homeless?’

She let out a dry laugh in disbelief.

His remarks about disliking scrolls had amused Violet. She, too, wasn’t particularly fond of scrolls.

And the mock battle she had witnessed between Aria Fontaine and Flan.

There was not a single falsehood in that battle. Flan had shown skills appropriate for an A-rank student.

No, he had shown even more. His ability to handle interference spells already surpassed the level of first-year students.

His reaction in using rapid freezing to block Aria Fontaine’s scroll was also commendable.

Thanks to that, the situation hadn’t escalated. If the Highly Toxic Scroll had been used to its full effect, every student inside the training ground might have ended up in the intensive care unit.

“Hmmm.”

She rubbed her chin and pondered for a moment, then made up her mind.

She didn’t pity his status or poverty. In fact, perhaps pitying him would be wrong.

However, one thing was clear.

Efforts worthy of recognition must be recognized, and actions deserving of reward should be rewarded accordingly.

Violet reached for the drawer beneath her desk.