Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 3 The Agora Board

“It just so happens I’m finished too.”

The student looked at Craig and grinned.

His expression was full of confidence. It was hard to believe he had come here to clean as punishment.

He slowly retraced the scene he had just witnessed.

A watercolor painting.

The process he had just unfolded was more akin to a watercolor than magic.

Vivid and incomprehensible, yet at least he could perceive the bright array of colors.

And then, slightly delayed, the realization arrived—it was beautiful.

He should have either said that he hadn’t even started cleaning his assigned area yet, or maybe told him that he could leave since his cleaning was done.

But his mouth didn’t move.

He closed his eyes.

Selfishly, but just for a moment, he wanted to relive that scene.

◈

“It’s awkward.”

The discomfort was significant. It was his first time using magic with someone else’s body.

However, there was one thing that reassured him.

‘The essence of magic is the same as in my previous world.’

He had worried that everything he had studied so far might have become futile, but he recognized that the fundamentals of magic remained the same.

The theories still in his mind could be applied in this world too. He could feel a bit relieved about that.

Of course, he still didn’t know this world in detail. There could be unexpected variables arising everywhere.

…But even so, he wasn’t afraid.

Because the one in this body was Kaplan. If variables arose, he would simply prove himself again.

Leaving the dazed janitor behind, he walked away.

Since the restroom was perfectly clean, the janitor had no reason to stop him.

Right, there was no reason to stop him.

“Student!”

Yet, despite that, he grabbed my shoulder.

His expression was full of surprise, so at least he wasn’t grabbing me out of anger.

“You’re amazing! Are you the student who supposedly took over the entire Agora Board?”

“Agora Board?”

Having my shoulder grabbed by a janitor wasn’t exactly a pleasant feeling, but the mention of the Agora Board captured all my attention.

The chalkboard where magicians compete by challenging each other’s theories—the Agora Board.

Whoever solves the spells written on it can erase the previous ones entirely and inscribe their own on the board.

Think of it as a kind of arena for proving each other’s theories.

But that should only exist in the Magic Tower. Isn’t this an academy?

“…Can students even touch the Agora Board?”

“Can students touch it?”

The janitor tilted his head.

“Of course. Only students can touch it. Professors can’t interfere.”

“Professors can’t interfere?”

“Obviously. It was made for students.”

I understood.

The Agora Board in this world had the same name, but it was apparently a device intended for academy students. Interesting.

The janitor scratched his head awkwardly.

“Judging by your reaction, I guess not. Since you were using magic so skillfully, I thought you might be the one from those rumors.”

“What rumors?”

“About the student who filled the entire board anonymously… But seriously, how could you not know that when even a janitor like me does? No matter how much of a freshman you are.”

“There’s such a rumor?”

​

“Yeah, if you didn’t know, you should try it now. Once you gain attention on the Agora Board, you’ll get tons of scouting offers. By the way, are you naturally that good at magic?…”

After listening to a few more customary compliments about my magic, I asked for the location of the Agora Board and left.

With each step I took, I thought about the Agora Board.

The fact that someone did it anonymously, despite being able to flaunt their name and gain fame, caught my attention.

Suddenly, memories of my past self came to mind.

I used to submit answers to the Magic Tower’s most difficult problems anonymously, then enjoy watching their frantic reactions.

With that thought, I took another step, heading toward the Agora Board.

“Flan!”

Someone called out to me. It was a female professor I hadn’t seen before.

◈

“Your personal belongings.”

The female professor handed him a bag, saying he had left it in the classroom.

Books, writing utensils, magic tools—everything in there was worn out.

It was hard to tell if he was a student or a peddler.

The only thing that looked relatively new was the student ID.

Now that I think about it, even the janitor mentioned he was a freshman. It seems he really hasn’t been at this academy for long.

Merhen Academy, 1st Year.

The academy and year weren’t particularly surprising.

Flan.

A name similar to my own, yet clearly different, caught my eye.

Checking the student ID made me fully realize that I was indeed in someone else’s body.

‘I have to live with this body now.’

It wasn’t difficult to understand, but accepting it would take some time.

He stood still for a while, pressing his temples.

What kind of world is this?

In the original world, there was no academy with this name.

Magic was the same, but the world itself was subtly different.

With a deep sigh, he walked through the academy’s hallway.

Not knowing where else to go, he headed toward the Agora Board.

Magic had always been his lifeline in any situation.

The scenery of the academy that came into view as he walked looked somewhat like the academy he knew, but also different.

The design was oddly more refined, and when he passed by a few students, their styles were quite different from what he was used to.

It felt as if the trends had completely changed.

“Hmm.”

Finally, he arrived in front of the Agora Board.

Standing outside the building, it looked like a small gate at first glance. That’s how massive and grand it was.

It was too large to be placed inside the building.

In any case, the board was densely covered with spells written in white.

For some reason, it felt familiar. There was a time when I felt a certain romance in chalkboard writings.

He set down the bag he was carrying on his back. And just as he was about to focus on it—

“You should give up.”

A clear voice rang in his ears.

The girl who advised him to give up at first sight placed her hands on her hips with a confident expression.

She was shorter than him, but her spirit was anything but small.

Her red hair cascaded down to her waist. Just as he was about to admire its luster, she spoke again.

“There’s a rumor that the professor, not a student, wrote that spell. You won’t be able to solve it even if you spend all day on it.”

“What are you?”

“Me? Becky.”

Even a child would know that simply asking for her name wasn’t the point.

When the boy frowned blatantly, Becky hesitated and added,

“I’ve been here all day since the freshman welcome event. I couldn’t solve it either. I got close at the start, but after that, I couldn’t manage it.”

“You look like it.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean? I’m pretty skilled, you know?”

Anyway, it sounded like she had given up. Why would she tell me to give up too?

He turned his gaze back to the Agora Board.

Numerous lines, dots, and circles of the spell were intricately intertwined, like a knot that couldn’t be untangled.

His expression naturally twisted into a frown.

Great spells aren’t usually this complicated. They’re intuitive and simple. The only difference is that the cost they demand is high.

Thus, the intention behind what was written on this Agora Board was clear.

To make it look as difficult as possible, and to make oneself look as impressive as possible…

But this was not the kind of ‘difficulty’ he pursued.

It was somewhat annoying.

“See? It’s hard, right? I told you it was hard.”

‘It’s not hard, it’s just tedious.’

That was exactly what he thought.

This spell, crammed with an absurd amount of magic formulas, wasn’t difficult; it was just frustratingly repetitive in its calculations.

‘It’ll consume a lot of mana.’

It wasn’t impossible to accelerate his thoughts and solve the calculations quickly.

However, even though this body’s original owner would have used this spell with a sneer, it was a different story for the boy’s body he now possessed.

Just attempting a harmonization spell in the restroom had pushed this body to its limit.

Of course, he intended to fix this in the future.

In any case, tackling this problem without sufficient mana would be reckless.

It was hard to estimate how many days it might take.

“You’re not answering? Hey. It’s okay if you don’t hide your shock.”

Becky waved her hand in front of his eyes a few times. Only then did his gaze and thoughts shift back to her.

Come to think of it, there was no need to limit himself to his own mana.

After all, there was another magician right next to him.

“Becky.”

“Yeah?”

“How far did you get?”

“I figured out that it’s an image. Each part of the spell corresponds to specific coordinates and points. If you connect them all, it’ll probably form a picture.”

Becky shared what she had noticed without any hesitation.

Because

she was confident the other person wouldn’t be able to solve it anyway.

“Why didn’t you connect them all?”

“When am I supposed to do all that math? It’s almost impossible.”

He nodded.

Her assessment matched his own. With her level of skill, she should be more than helpful.

She looked at him with a suspicious gaze.

“But… is that how you usually talk?”

“Vertices.”

“What?”

“Just as you can imagine a triangle with only three vertices, you only need to solve the spells at each vertex.”

Becky let out a half-laugh.

“Hey. Easier said than done. How are you supposed to find those?”

“This is how.”

With a face full of composure, he made a suggestion.

“If I accurately identify the vertices, you’ll do the calculations.”

“You’ll just identify the vertices? Do you hear yourself?”

For Becky, it was an incomprehensible statement.

To figure out the vertices, wouldn’t you have to examine every single point?

If it were so easy to pinpoint the vertices just by glancing, this spell on the board wouldn’t have been considered difficult in the first place.

“Just answer if you’ll do it or not.”

His short reply made Becky swallow nervously.

The boy had a sharp look, and he seemed frail at first glance. But Becky didn’t feel he was weak.

She could sense the confidence radiating from his expression, tone, and attitude.

After a moment’s hesitation, she could only answer this way.

“…Sure. But only if you actually get it right.”

But the boy smirked as if pleased.

“I like that.”

He conjured mana into the form of a piece of chalk.

As it touched the board, it moved without a moment’s hesitation.