Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 55: I’ve Already Resolved to Accept a Master-Disciple Relationship

As my interest grew, my thoughts became calmer.

The incidents that occurred in the eastern and central parts of the continent, and the structured system they seemed to possess… It was clear that this was a large organization.

The fact that they were interested in a certain magical tool was only natural. It made me anticipate the exhibition even more.

The remaining information was about the “target.”

But then she tilted her head in confusion.

“Um, Maiev.”

“What is it?”

“It’s just… you seem to be speaking much less than usual….”

It seemed Maiev was generally talkative. I moved closer to her.

“Hey.”

Then I gently grabbed her chin.

I could feel the woman tremble.

“As you said, we’re at a crucial moment.”

She opened her mouth but did not respond. No, she couldn’t. She only nodded her head a few times.

“…And yet, you’re making contact so carelessly. Right in the middle of the academy.”

“Ah, th-th-that’s….”

“You might as well shout it out loud. Let the entire academy know our identities. Is that what you wanted?”

“I’m sorry…. I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!”

I placed my finger on her lips as she tried to raise her voice.

It was a signal for her to keep quiet, and she immediately understood and complied.

“There’s no need for me to receive a report. Perfect preparation is a given. However….”

My gaze fixed on her trembling pupils.

“If you’re going to make such a fuss, I’m curious. I’ll give you a chance to speak specifically. But.”

“Y-Yes…?”

“If what you say disappoints me… remember that you’re just a rat as well.”

Her trembling spread throughout her body. She gulped nervously and finally opened her mouth with difficulty.

“It’s just that we were only ordered to place personnel…. But we wanted to enhance the perfection a bit more.”

“Are you saying my preparation was lacking?”

“No, absolutely not!”

Her eyes widened as if they would pop out.

“The assassination of the target was added too hastily, wasn’t it? Because the princess suddenly took an interest in the Blue Flame….”

Blue Flame.

I repeated those words silently in my mind. It was clear who they were referring to.

Trixie von Fritz. There was no one else.

“But.”

“Extracting the Blue Flame from other members of the family was impossible. The mother was already dead, and the father couldn’t handle the Blue Flame….”

“Conclusion.”

At the word “conclusion,” she let out a small gasp.

“I’m sorry. Since the Blue Flame is a first-year student, we decided to infiltrate during their midterm evaluation. There will be no noticeable traces.”

A magical tool beyond expectations at the exhibition.

And that the target of their recent interest was Trixie.

A force was aiming for both of these things.

For now, these three pieces of information were enough. I nodded.

“You may leave.”

◈

As soon as I parted ways with her, I headed to the training grounds.

Tomorrow was the midterm evaluation, I had a bet with Trixie, and there was even an odd force involved.

There was no time to waste.

“It’s certainly not useless.”

[ Right? Master, did you see how popular I was earlier? I’m quite useful, aren’t I? ]

It was my first training session with Hera, and she provided considerable assistance in the ‘total amount’ category.

Future growth would be much easier.

[ And that woman earlier. She’s definitely a vampire. A vampire. ]

I nodded quietly. Even without her telling me, I had already predicted that.

[ Those guys really have a thing for darkness. ]

Yes, that’s precisely the point.

After investigating several books on Demons and Vampires, I found out that they had a very distinct difference.

Demons take pleasure in human corruption as both their entertainment and ultimate goal, whereas Vampires move with their own unique purpose.

[ By the way, Master~ You were so cool. If I were that woman, I think I would’ve wet myself right there. ]

“Shall I make that happen?”

[ Then it would get on your hands, Master. ]

“I dislike jokes. Especially when they’re not funny.”

[ Haven’t you ever felt a bit damp before? Not urine, though. ]

Suddenly, her words made me anxious, and I hurriedly took Hera off and put her in my inner pocket.

I picked up Trivia. It was to gather information about the ‘Saphora’ magic exhibition.

‘…It’s more like an art gallery.’

Magic exhibitions in the previous world were structured in a way that various schools of magic held their own sections, allowing guests to freely roam and visit.

However, the structure of ‘Saphora’ was slightly different.

It was designed as an exhibition where all kinds of creations made, or to be made, through magic by various schools were displayed like artworks.

The task was to find the targeted item among them. It seemed I would be very busy tomorrow.

But then it happened.

Suddenly, the door to the training ground opened.

“….”

The uninvited guest who appeared was so unexpected that I tilted my head slightly without realizing it.

Yvonne.

The first representative of the Sword Demon Emperor, the knight representative of the Knight Department, Yvonne, who I had fought in battle, approached me.

After staring at me for a moment, she finally spoke.

“I came because Scarlet sent me on an errand.”

“That woman must really dislike you.”

While knights were not forbidden from entering the Magic Department, it was extremely rare for them to do so.

This was because the way they looked at each other was far from kind.

For Yvonne, this situation must have been even more humiliating. Having to set foot in the Magic Department’s territory after suffering defeat.

Scarlet would have known everything and still sent Yvonne. No, she sent her precisely because she knew.

Yvonne surprisingly nodded without hesitation.

“I understand. I caused the situation.”

She handed me a piece of paper.

“Scarlet entrusted me with something that should be given to the winner of the Sword Demon Emperor’s event.”

There’s no way Scarlet wanted to deliver it to the winner. She would have hated revealing the fact that she and I were bound by blood.

I felt the same way. After accepting it, I checked it so only I could see it.

[ After the midterm evaluation, the Judith Family luncheon is scheduled. ]

*Attendance is mandatory.

The message on the slightly burnt paper was short and simple.

I crumpled it up with telekinesis and shoved it into my pocket. The scattering ashes were slightly bothersome.

“I’ve seen it. You can leave.”

But Yvonne remained standing like a statue.

“The official business is done, but there’s personal business left.”

“Do you want to resolve your grudge over the defeat?”

“I have no grudge, so there’s nothing to resolve.”

Yvonne gave a bitter smile. Her expression was free of any malice.

“Then let’s hear it.”

“Losing, bearing a grudge, and being humiliated—all of it was my fault. I admit it cleanly.”

Her face stiffened slightly.

“However, I cannot forgive myself for letting go of my sword at the last moment.”

“And so?”

“When you have time, summon me as you did back then. Whether it’s three or five times…. I would like your help.”

This was somewhat unexpected. A knight asking a magician for help— I didn’t expect to see that in this world.

“Yvonne, I’m a magician.”

“I know that much.”

“Isn’t it disgraceful?”

“It is disgraceful, but I have a goal.”

Yvonne politely bowed her head.

The paths walked by magic and the sword are vastly different. But the determination of this seeker to do their best on their path was something I appreciated.

However.

Even so, it was still too early.

“When the time comes, and I’m in the mood, I’ll consider it.”

But then, at that moment.

“Please, I beg you!”

She quietly placed her sword on the ground. Not only that, but she also knelt down.

“As a comrade, as a friend, it doesn’t matter if you don’t teach me. If I can just learn from you…. I’ve already resolved to accept a master-disciple relationship.”

She spoke as if squeezing the words out from the depths of her soul.

“The victory in the Hunting Competition…. It’s too desperate for me.”

“Hunting Competition?”

When I asked, Yvonne nodded.

“The second event of the Sword Demon Emperor. It involves forming a team of four….”

“I don’t understand why you’re asking me for advice. We’re in a competitive relationship.”

“We’re not in a competitive relationship. The Magic Department doesn’t participate in the Hunting Competition, do they?”

I narrowed my brows.

It’s an event of the Sword Demon Emperor, yet the Magic Department doesn’t participate?

“Is the Magic Department prohibited from participating?”

“It’s not prohibited, but I’ve never heard of anyone from the Magic Department participating. They say magicians can’t perform group activities….”

Those words irked me slightly.

Magicians can certainly perform group activities if they coordinate. No, it’s even possible to achieve extreme results.

The fact that I had been acting individually was just due to my nature, not because group activities were beyond magicians.

‘…Magicians.’

They couldn’t even take advantage of such a favorable event.

After making a decision, I nodded towards Yvonne.

“If the midterm evaluation goes well, I’ll give you some guidance.”

“Re-Really!”

At the same time, Yvonne’s eyes lit up. She asked in a much brighter voice.

“Until then…. What should I prepare

?”

“Well.”

I didn’t have much to say since I wasn’t a knight.

As I looked at her, still kneeling, I spoke.

“Get up first.”

◈

A space filled only with emptiness and silence.

In the center of it, a woman lay sound asleep on a throne as if dead, without any sound of breath.

Around her, twelve vampires gathered in a circle. They were here to discuss the ‘operation’ scheduled for tomorrow.

However, they were currently checking an irrelevant visual recording instead of discussing the operation.

The recording vividly depicted the actions of a certain magician student at the Sword Demon Emperor event at Merhen Academy.

For reference, the recording had been stolen and delivered by a vampire who had infiltrated the ‘Mysterious Valley’ guild.

As the video ended with the appearance of three dolls, one of the vampires raised a hand.

It was a small vampire with the body of a girl.

“Hey, hey.”

The woman standing idly by the throne received her gaze.

“Have you finally decided to quit being a secretary? Will you quit by dying? Why are you showing us this random stuff~?”

However, that commotion was restrained by the calmness on the other side.

A man wearing a mannequin mask with his mouth pointed upwards spoke.

“The princess brought the recording. Should we consider that you just spoke to the princess?”

“…!”

The girl vampire’s gaze turned to the woman on the throne.

Fortunately, she was still asleep. The girl vampire cleared her throat and spoke again.

“…That changes things. But still, isn’t this a bit too random?”

The girl vampire floated a red paper and a blue paper.

She pointed at them one by one. The red one was the assassination list, and the blue one was the recruitment list.

“Look at this. That human doesn’t belong on either list.”

“Excuse me, reporting urgently!”

The appearance of a vampire dressed in a suit interrupted their argument.

“It’s Maiev!”

“…!”

“…?”

There was a small change in the expressions of the other vampires.

It was enough to indicate a stark difference in opinion.

Four had scowling expressions, as if to say what nonsense is this, four were puzzled, and four had eyes that seemed to say, I see.

For the vampires who clung together like family under the concept of a ‘clan,’ Maiev was an oddball who liked acting independently.

She did things that benefited vampires, but it was notoriously difficult to track her activities.

The vampire in a suit continued to explain.

“I met her in person today and confirmed that she is indeed Maiev. Perhaps that’s why the princess played the recording….”

Then, someone spoke to her.

“If that’s not Maiev, it’s your responsibility.”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Meanwhile, the girl vampire and the masked vampire turned their gazes back to the video.

The two muttered to themselves. Finally, they seemed to understand.

“But it does seem like her, doesn’t it? Now that you mention it, the way she brings despair to her opponent—it’s just like Maiev’s style.”

“Also, it’s not magical accomplishment that a human of that age could achieve in the first place.”

“Well~ Then there’s no need to hold the meeting any longer~”

The girl vampire stretched.

“Maiev does whatever she wants anyway. No need to have a meeting. Just let her handle it this time too~”

The other vampires left the area roughly.

Not that they fully agreed with those two, but since the princess wasn’t waking up, the meeting was pointless.

One by one…. The vampires dispersed into the darkness, and about three hours passed.

“Haaam….”

Finally, the princess opened her eyes.

In the literal sense, no part of her body moved, but she barely managed to lift her eyelids.

The secretary by the throne bowed respectfully.

“You’re awake.”

“Yeah…. Let’s have a meeting….”

“It’s already over. Three hours ago, to be exact.”

Three hours. The princess quietly scratched her head. The secretary, looking at the visual record, asked.

“Princess, was that man Maiev?”

“No…. It wasn’t….”

“…?”

The secretary tilted her head.

“Some of them left thinking it was Maiev.”

“I…. went to see the Blue Flame….”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I just happened to see him. He’s very talented in summoning…. So I took the record….”

The secretary tilted her head a little more.

“Summoning?”

“Yeah…. We’d need a transcendent summoner to summon him….”

Now the secretary’s head tilted entirely to the side.

“If that man isn’t Maiev, then he’s just a human magician. But how could a mere human….”

“I just praised his talent.”

Suddenly, the princess’s tone sharpened.

A silence as close to a void descended, and the secretary quickly lowered her head.

“…My apologies.”

The secretary quickly changed the subject.

“Well, this is no time for this. If that man isn’t Maiev, we should inform the clan immediately.”

“No, no.”

The princess waved her hand. Her thin arm fluttered like a piece of paper floating in the air.

“The fact that some thought he was Maiev…. is proof of how talented he is…. So….”

“Yes, Princess. I’m listening.”

Yawning, the princess continued to speak sluggishly.

“Tomorrow, watch him…. Whether he’ll end up on the red list or the blue list….”

“Since you command, I shall obey. While I’m at it, shall I check on the Blue Flame as well?”

The princess blinked twice.

“No, no…. Just watch him….”

“I will do so.”

The princess blinked twice again.

“No, no…. If you can observe both, do so.”

“Yes, I will.”

The princess slowly blinked twice more.

“No…. It’s better to focus on just one.”

“Princess, it’s exhausting when you do this.”

“Really?”

The princess slowly sat up.

“Then…. Should I just kill them all…?”

“No. You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Mm….”

The princess lay down again.

“That’s right…. And one more thing.”

The princess dozed off.

“I had a thought the moment I saw that man’s face….”

It was rare for the princess to elaborate on her thoughts. The secretary gulped and listened carefully.

And one second, two seconds, three seconds….

The only sound was that of someone sleeping peacefully.

“….”