Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 8 …Am I still a bit pretty?

On the first day of orientation.

It was a time full of excitement for the students, but for the professors, it was a period when an overwhelming amount of work flooded in.

That’s why Violet was as sensitive as ever.

The dark circles under her sharp eyes seemed to testify to the volume of work she was handling.

The sensitivity she had been suppressing was on the verge of exploding, and the cause was right in front of her.

“What’s your name?”

“Flan.”

Flan.

A freshman with striking black hair and red eyes.

‘It’s definitely him.’

Violet had noticed that her projection magic was interfered with during the orientation.

And her magical intuition told her that the male student in front of her was the culprit.

“You meddled during the orientation, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t?”

“…Ah, right. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

However, the culprit’s attitude was suspiciously evasive.

He displayed a strange demeanor that made Violet wonder if he was doing it on purpose, deflecting her questions.

‘Is he lying?’

But Violet wasn’t someone who would just let it go.

Her intuition had rarely been wrong in the past.

So, it was natural for her to trust her own intuition over the student’s words.

“You don’t seem to realize how serious this issue is. Not only did you interfere during the orientation, but you’re also pretending it didn’t happen?”

“I truly don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The boy’s expression of complete ignorance finally snapped the last of Violet’s patience.

She barely held back the urge to yell, only because she suddenly heard another professor’s voice.

“Professor Violet!”

When she turned her head, she saw Professor Audrey walking down the hallway, calling out to her.

With her blonde hair neatly tied up in a bun and wearing a clean suit, she was a stark contrast to Violet, who wore a wide robe and a pointed hat.

Come to think of it, they had planned to have lunch together today, and the memory of that promise finally came to mind.

As Audrey approached, she alternated glances between Violet and Flan, looking puzzled as to why they were just standing in the hallway.

“Professor Violet, it’s time for us to have lunch.”

“Ah… I was just having a conversation with a student.”

“Oh, really?”

Audrey, seemingly understanding, crossed her arms and leaned against the hallway wall, indicating that she would wait until the conversation was over.

Then, she suddenly looked at the student’s face and added a comment.

“It seems the student didn’t understand something.”

Violet shook her head.

“No, it’s not something that simple. This is a challenge to my authority.”

“…A challenge to your authority?”

Audrey tilted her head and asked for more details.

Although she was used to Violet being sensitive, it was rare to see her this agitated, which naturally piqued her curiosity.

“What did he do to make you this upset?”

“…”

Violet only bit her lower lip and didn’t respond.

She didn’t even glance at Audrey, still glaring at the student.

“Student, why don’t you tell us what you did.”

That was all Violet said.

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

At this point, Audrey was more curious about what had happened to Violet than she was about today’s lunch menu.

“Violet, what happened?”

“Professor Audrey.”

“Yes.”

“What happened to the students who tried to interfere with a professor’s magic?”

“They received severe punishment… Wait, hold on.”

Audrey, chewing over Violet’s words, suddenly widened her eyes.

“You’re saying he did that?”

“Yes.”

Why was she looking at her like that? Violet felt offended.

However, Audrey shook her head.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Professor Audrey, do you know this student?”

“Yes, I do. Come over here for a moment…”

Leaving Flan standing in the hallway, Audrey led Violet to a corner.

“You’re talking about that Flan student, right?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know exactly what happened… but he doesn’t have the capability to interfere with someone else’s magic.”

He doesn’t have the skill to do that?

That couldn’t be true. He had clearly interfered with Violet’s magic, interrupting her projection.

“Professor Audrey, you seem to know this student well.”

“Yes, of course. He came to ask me questions on the day of the freshman student council meeting.”

“Questions?”

Audrey nodded at Violet, who narrowed her eyes.

“Yes. At first, I thought, ‘How admirable, coming to ask questions on the first day of the freshman welcome event.’”

“Yes, yes.”

“The textbook he brought was on basic magical theory. He couldn’t even stay awake during the explanation. How could it be that he interfered with your magic?”

Violet’s eyes grew wider as she listened.

‘Is that possible?’

If what Audrey said was true, then it was indeed impossible for him to have interfered with Violet’s magic.

“And look at this.”

Maybe it was because Violet’s expression still didn’t look convinced, but Audrey waved the stack of documents she was carrying, showing something to Violet.

From the student information sheet, Audrey found Flan’s name and grade and showed it to Violet.

[F]

“…!”

Flan’s grade was the lowest, F.

‘Was I mistaken?’

With the situation being what it was, Violet couldn’t help but wonder if her intuition had been wrong.

‘Interference’ was only possible when the person had a thorough understanding of the target.

It was natural. Interfering with something you don’t understand is impossible.

Understanding the type of projection magic and the amount of mana Violet used…

For a freshman with an F grade, understanding and interfering with all that was nearly impossible. No, it was impossible.

Audrey nudged Violet’s side with her elbow.

“And if you’re really curious, you can observe during tomorrow’s test. You’re in charge of it anyway, right?”

“Hmm… Yes.”

Violet nodded. Audrey was right.

What she had felt was an utterly refined mana. So smooth, like flowing water, that she hadn’t even thought of blocking it in advance.

In hindsight, that sensation couldn’t possibly have come from a mere freshman.

…Even though something still bothered her, there was no concrete evidence yet.

In the end, Violet awkwardly scratched her head and approached Flan.

“You can go. But I’ll still be keeping an eye on you.”

With that brief remark, she handed him a piece of candy.

It was unclear whether it was an apology for holding him up or if she was marking him as a target; her intentions were ambiguous.

Flan bowed his head, shoved the candy into his pocket, and left the hallway.

‘…She really is like a witch.’

A pointed hat. Candy. Dark circles.

That was all Flan thought of her.

◈

‘I’ll need to be careful.’

The difference between a student and a professor could be compared to the difference between heaven and earth.

Being marked by a superior was never good. Especially when you’re in the student’s position between a professor and a student.

‘Ariel.’

‘I’m sorry, Professor Kaplan. I didn’t know better.’

‘I haven’t even said anything yet.’

‘I’m really sorry, Professor. I didn’t know better.’

Suddenly, a memory from the past surfaced.

It seemed like just yesterday that I was managing assistants, but now I’ve woken up to find myself a student.

Still, having spent time at the academy before, I was able to handle the situation just now with some quick thinking.

I had mimicked the demeanor of a student I remembered, and it actually worked. The whole time I was imitating them, I felt as uncomfortable as wearing clothes that didn’t fit.

I wonder what those students are doing now.

“First, I need to focus on the test.”

Anyway, the most important thing right now was tomorrow’s grading test.

At the moment, that was the top priority and the most important thing to focus on.

What kind of magic, in what field, and in what way would the test be conducted?

Actually, those were secondary concerns. I already had all the magical theories in my head.

What I needed now was—

‘A way to implement those theories.’

The magic power and body I currently have are quite insufficient to implement those theories. No, completely insufficient.

Just as someone who only dreams is nothing more than a dreamer, a magician who only possesses theories is nothing but half of a whole.

Where should I train my body to develop it in the future?

Are scrolls allowed? If so, where can I get them… I have a lot to think about.

As I was contemplating these things, I noticed a familiar back of a head near a tree stump.

That red hair could only belong to Becky.

In one hand, she held a hard-looking piece of bread. In the other, milk.

Regardless of what the food was, she looked utterly miserable, eating alone like a drenched rat.

“This is perfect timing.”

I changed my direction.

◈

—She’s like a total beggar.

That was the first thing Becky heard as soon as she stepped out of the lecture hall.

Just from those words, Becky could tell who was speaking to Flan.

Aria Fontaine.

Her history of disliking Becky was long. Since they were very young, Aria had ostracized Becky simply because she was a commoner.

Becky had thought that she would never see Aria again after graduating from the basic magic institution, but they ended up meeting again at Merhen Academy.

She hated it. It was frustrating. It made her angry. It was annoying.

…But what could she do?

She took a bite of the hard bread.

There was nothing she could do

except silently attend the academy.

If she tried to retaliate, she would only end up at a greater disadvantage.

—She only talks to the boys. It’s so obvious what her intentions are.

That remark was unfair.

You all excluded me, so I had no choice but to get along with the boys.

—She even wore a ton of perfume to the freshman welcome event. Trying not to seem poor.

…Well, that part was true.

But she had only worn perfume to avoid bothering others with any unpleasant smell.

That was all it was, nothing more.

‘Does it smell weird?’

Suddenly, she raised her sleeve to her nose and sniffed it.

To be honest, she couldn’t really tell if it smelled good or bad. Among the perfumes she could afford, this was the cheapest.

—Everyone hates her. She doesn’t know her place.

But that was the one thing she really wanted to deny. She knew her place all too well.

She understood her situation so well that she ended up eating alone like this during lunch.

“Ugh…”

The bread, which was always hard, felt even harder today. As it choked her, she pounded her chest.

Drinking milk from the other hand, Becky recalled the next part of the conversation she had overheard.

—I’m not a noble either, though.

Flan had definitely said that.

As she thought about those words, she blinked in surprise without realizing it. What could that mean?

Not a noble?

But she had seen the mansion Flan lived in, and she had seen the head maid who called him “young master.” Not a noble?

After Flan had said that.

When Becky heard the sound of the girls, including Aria, leaving the classroom, she had hurriedly fled as well.

So, why did he say such a thing?

Taking another bite of bread, Becky pondered various possibilities.

And then, like a spark, one thought flashed in her mind.

“Was it for me?”

Did he say that to stand up for her?

“…No way.”

The idea was so absurd that even Becky couldn’t believe it. She shook her head and pondered further.

Thinking about this and that, she suddenly recalled his family crest.

‘The Flaming Sword.’

No matter how she thought about it, it seemed like the crest of a knight family.

Well, if a boy from a knight family was attending the Magic Department, he might want to keep it a secret.

Yeah, that must be it.

‘But still, just maybe…’

Could there have been a tiny bit of intent to stand up for her?

She took another sip of milk and, feeling a mix of emotions, pulled out a small hand mirror from her pocket.

The reflection in the tarnished mirror showed a girl with red hair.

Red hair and pink eyes.

The closer the color of one’s hair and eyes matched, the more it was seen as a symbol of being a commoner. No matter how you looked at it, she was unmistakably a commoner.

‘…But am I still a bit pretty?’

Just as she was thinking that.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Flan appeared so suddenly.

Pfft—!

Startled, Becky spat out her milk into the air.

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