Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 62 ▶ Well, It’s a Decent Magic. Talented.

[ The magic tool called ‘Dream’ seems to belong to the illusion category. ]

[ The Unfamiliar Area is currently sealed off. ]

The meeting continued, and Flan efficiently summarized the information he had gathered from the Vampires.

No one resisted him, and no one doubted him. He could extract any information he desired at any moment.

This was due to the Vampires’ compartmentalized organization and also because Maiev was an exceptionally elusive individual.

Before long, Flan had perfectly organized his plans and strategies in his mind. Now, only giving orders remained.

“Teresa.”

Flan quietly called her name.

Teresa’s eyes widened as she pointed at her chin with her index finger.

“M-me? Yes!”

Although Flan had only called Teresa, the other Vampires also straightened their postures and gulped nervously.

“Make sure everyone else hears this as well.”

It was a short command, but it was absolute. There wasn’t a single Vampire who didn’t pay attention.

“First, no student must die.”

The Vampires silently nodded. Or, they couldn’t even do that as they were too busy watching Flan’s every move.

Their goal was to prepare an exhibition that would satisfy the ‘Princess.’

Therefore, Maiev’s dark magic, known as ‘taxidermy,’ wouldn’t necessarily end the target’s life… But still, any mishaps needed to be prevented.

“Second, move all the pieces to the room I designated. I’m planning to gather them all in one place.”

The orders resulting from the meeting were only two. None of the Vampires found them difficult to understand. Nor was there any opposition.

Flan quietly rose from his seat.

He adjusted his impeccably neat clothes once again.

“Let’s move out.”

Teresa and the other Vampires quietly followed Flan.

The path from the cocktail bar to the Unfamiliar Area wasn’t far. There was no need to walk for long.

The moment they stepped into the Unfamiliar Area, a scene of various works scattered chaotically caught their eyes.

Flan examined one of them.

[ The Hanging Man ]

It was a painting of an official hanging upside down with one ankle tightly bound.

*My ankle hurts so much. It feels like it’s going to snap. Please stop.

After flipping the man right side up in the painting, Flan muttered.

“Take it.”

The Vampires hurriedly collected it. Flan felt that their quick response was at least commendable as he continued to survey the Unfamiliar Area.

“…Only officials.”

There were no students.

Among the numerous pieces that had been turned into works, there was not a single student in an academy uniform.

In other words, the students had not yet been taxidermied.

Flan began to meticulously examine each piece.

An abstract painting with the subject’s eyes erased, [ The Smoking Lady ], where the official stood amidst a pile of mist, [ Tightrope Walker ], where the subject was barely hanging by a single thread…

Even among these numerous works, there wasn’t a single student who had been taxidermied.

However, as he ventured a bit further inside.

A painting that occupied an entire wall came into view.

[ Saphora ]

The students were inside this painting.

The background depiction in the painting was so detailed that it was indistinguishable from reality.

The students were observing the situation within, unaware that they were already trapped in the world of the artwork.

At this point… the plan on his side wasn’t late. No, it was perfectly timed.

“Teresa.”

“Y-yes!”

Flan calmly stated.

“From now on, record the students’ appearances in detail.”

“All of them… at once? Or one by one in detail?”

“One by one, as thoroughly as possible until they are taxidermied. Once they’ve turned into pieces, immediately move them to the room.”

Even in the midst of this chaotic situation, Flan remained composed and started to head toward the room.

“Uh, excuse me! Lady Maiev!”

Teresa called out to Flan in a hurried voice.

“After we’ve finished recording… what should we do next?”

Their gazes met in mid-air. Teresa quickly bared her teeth and forced an awkward smile.

Flan responded in a low voice.

“The President will come.”

The President. Teresa quickly racked her brain to remember who that was.

“…The President? Ah, you mean Shusia?”

“Yes. When she arrives, guide her to me. Also, tell her that I’m waiting.”

With those words, Flan left. His steps were unwavering.

“Y-yes…!”

Teresa stared at his lofty figure for a while, then began meticulously recording the situation in [ Saphora ].

◈

A space of unparalleled splendor.

The glittering jewels and intricately designed decorations naturally drew admiration. At least, they were not suitable for the interior of the ‘President’s Office.’

And there.

At the center of the President’s Office, a woman was resting her chin in her hand.

“Hmm~”

The woman humming to herself seemed to be in a very good mood.

Her neatly combed hair held the dew-like silver sheen unique to Elves, and her pointed ears twitched in response to her mood.

It might seem like a pleasant sight at first glance… But in reality, there was no one who could truly appreciate it.

Because her upturned lips were just too grotesque.

The President of the Unfamiliar Area, Shusia. She was the very Maiev, known among the Vampires as a master of disguise.

“Hm-hm~”

One hand propped up her chin, while the other hand examined a copy of the painting [ Saphora ].

Matching her carefree hum, a satisfied smile spread across her face.

Shusia had placed countless rabbit dolls inside [ Saphora ]. At the same time, she added a massive demonic beast to the painting.

This monster, with eight human heads attached, was perfect for inducing fear in the students.

[ Rip open the doll’s belly to find the key. ]

[ If you don’t find it in time… ]

[ The monster in the painting will come to life~ ]

She didn’t forget to kindly include a guide message.

Immediately, all the students began tearing open the dolls’ bellies like a swarm of ants.

─Not here either!

─It’s not… It’s not here….

“Geez~ Kids, you should search more thoroughly~”

Shusia giggled.

Of course, the key didn’t exist. This entire exercise was just for Shusia’s ‘amusement.’

This situation itself was a ‘work of art’ created for her.

“Before showing it to the Princess… I’m allowed to enjoy it at least this much, right? Hmm. Hmm. I thought so.”

Before long, ‘fear’ began to be extracted from the painting.

A certain amount of fear was converted into red mana. For that reason, Vampires could only survive by scaring and threatening others throughout their lives.

However, it wasn’t just for survival. The act of extracting and consuming fear itself brought overwhelming pleasure to Vampires.

It was both to stay alive and for enjoyment. It was simply the driving force behind Shusia’s life.

At that moment, her Trivia rang.

[ *Violet ]

[ ▶ How’s the student test going? ]

[ ▶ Are you following the rules properly? ]

[ ▶ Please provide a midterm report. ]

“Damn it…”

Shusia frowned as she typed on Trivia.

[ ▷ It’s progressing well~ ]

“Hm-hm~”

Shusia’s gaze returned to the painting.

─There… It’s crawling out!

─Even freezing magic doesn’t work!

Of course, magic wouldn’t work. After all, it was a world created by Shusia.

─Screech!

In the end, the monster began chasing the students. As soon as it caught them, it would immediately turn them into part of the painting.

“Pfft…! Pffft… How pathetic…”

A smile full of malice spread across Shusia’s face.

It was a brilliant smile, but her lips were filled with nothing but pure evil.

The pleasure of tormenting and terrifying others. It could only be described as malice.

Shusia moved her fingers a few more times.

The students who had been taxidermied were ejected from [ Saphora ]. The ones still intact desperately struggled to escape the monster, giving Shusia immense joy.

By the time her fingers finally stopped moving, [ Saphora ] had already emptied out after all the students had been taxidermied.

“This time, let’s leave it at this…. It’s a shame I can’t kill them. If not for the Princess… Pfft, pfft.”

Shusia stretched and burst into laughter. Tormenting humans was always a pleasure, no matter when or how she did it.

“But…”

Then, Maiev’s expression turned subtle.

She slowly moved her hand and carefully examined the names listed on the roster.

A line was drawn through the names of the students who had been taxidermied, but there was still one name left intact.

“Flan.”

Flan.

Maiev murmured the name once more.

“As expected… He’s a strange one.”

Shusia smiled.

Her eyes narrowed into thin lines, forming a crescent-shaped curve.

He had been a peculiar one from the start. He exuded an unusually unique aura, which was why she had deliberately approached him.

If he had been an ordinary student, he would have died on the spot. Even if he had survived, there was a high chance his mind would have been completely destroyed.

“Good.”

Shusia slowly rose to her feet.

Even with that light movement, her gray robe rippled, revealing glimpses of her curved silhouette.

“I’ll personally seek you out and taxidermy you.”

And so, it wasn’t long before Shusia set foot on

the floor of the Unfamiliar Area.

The sight that greeted her was both gruesome and familiar.

Ordinary humans, not students of Merhen Academy or officials of Saphora, had mercilessly become corpses.

Janitors, ordinary visitors, shop workers… Their bodies, brutally drained of blood, were being swiftly cleared away by the Vampires.

Some were moving the taxidermied pieces, some were handling the corpses, and some were cleaning up the bloodstains.

This wasn’t anything unusual. After all, this was what Vampires were like.

However.

“Careful, careful.”

“You don’t need to tell me.”

“…?”

The sight of the Vampires efficiently carrying the taxidermied students out of [ Saphora ] was a problem.

Assisting with something they weren’t ordered to do? No, it felt slightly different from that.

…It was almost as if they were following someone else’s orders.

“Ah. President.”

Then, at that moment, one of the officials recognized her.

‘This one’s a Vampire too.’

The official whispered into Shusia’s ear.

“Let me guide you. Lady Maiev is waiting.”

“…?”

The absurdity of it made Shusia pause in disbelief.

“…What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Exactly what I said. Please, come this way.”

Shusia’s brows slowly furrowed.

Lady Maiev is waiting… In other words, someone was impersonating her.

‘Who dares?’

Naturally, Shusia’s curiosity was piqued. Whoever it was, they definitely had some nerve.

“Ha…”

Shusia scoffed. She carefully repeated her words to Teresa, emphasizing each one.

“So… you’re saying that Maiev is waiting for me?”

“Yes, it’s true. You need to move immediately.”

Shusia stared intently into Teresa’s eyes.

But she couldn’t find a trace of falsehood in Teresa’s gaze. She was completely sincere.

“The Vampire known for her disguise… Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Oh, but you need to move immediately…”

Teresa began to grow anxious at Shusia’s soft tone.

“You know about the taxidermy magic, right? You’ve heard of it?”

“Of course I know.”

She was the one who had invented it, so it was impossible not to know.

But that was precisely why the next words Teresa uttered were so shocking.

“When you see it in person, it’s beyond words. It’s at the level of portraiture, sculpture, and even prints…. Anyway, please, hurry up.”

“In person…?”

Shusia’s expression twisted into a snarl. Her mood was anything but pleasant.

So, they were even imitating her abilities?

How dare they, mimic this body’s taxidermy magic?

“Lead the way.”

“Pardon?”

Teresa was visibly startled by Shusia’s heightened tone. Shusia insisted.

“Lead the way. You said we should go.”

“Ah, yes.”

The two began to walk.

Teresa, now guiding the way, moved without any hesitation. She appeared completely loyal.

Curiosity surpassed displeasure. Who exactly was impersonating her?

“Ah, this is it?”

Finally, when they stood in front of a large door, Shusia murmured. This was the room containing ‘Dream.’

Teresa slowly nodded.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Hey.”

Shusia abruptly turned to Teresa.

“Yes, what is it?”

“What do you do with a dog that doesn’t recognize its owner?”

“Excuse me? I don’t quite understand what you’re saying.”

Teresa wasn’t at fault. It was simply that Shusia’s skill in disguise was abnormally outstanding.

But because of this, Shusia was only growing more irritated.

“If a dog fails to recognize its owner, should I feel proud of my competence? Or should I beat the dog to death?”

Teresa frowned.

“I really don’t understand what you’re talking about…”

“You don’t need to.”

Shusia began to release the red mana she had been suppressing. Teresa’s eyes widened in shock.

“Y-you can’t be─”

Teresa hastily tried to draw on her red mana, but it was too late. The four frames had already enclosed her.

[ Blind ]

*Ah, I can’t see anything. Nothing at all.

Teresa was taxidermied on the spot. Two black lines were drawn across her eyes like paint.

“This is what real taxidermy is. Pathetic.”

Shusia didn’t even glance at the text in the description before slowly moving toward the door.

Click─

She gathered her red mana, adjusted her hair, and passed through the massive door.

A long corridor appeared before her.

‘Dream’ was a magic tool of such high rank. It had to be stored separately like this.

Just being in the same space as it would be enough to suffocate a low-level magician to death; it wasn’t just a matter of some sparks or circuit failure.

This impersonator… had the level of magic power to stand within the same space as ‘Dream.’

Her interest grew.

At the end of this corridor, that arrogant person would be waiting.

Click─.

As she reached the end of the corridor, another door greeted Shusia.

“…”

It was already slightly open as if it had been waiting just for her. So, the term “greeted” seemed appropriate.

Shusia used telekinesis to push the door open and stepped inside.

“…Hmmm.”

And then, she let out a sound she couldn’t quite understand herself.

A dark, massive room, the chilling air, and the immense magic power emanating from ‘Dream’….

All of this was as expected. However.

In one corner, a large visual record was being played. It showed the process of the students being taxidermied one by one in [ Saphora ].

Additionally, the taxidermied pieces were neatly arranged as if in a real exhibition, with large papers covered in writing stuck in the air.

“…”

Shusia picked up one of the papers and examined it.

[ Becky ]

▶ Her understanding of ice elements is commendable.

▶ Shows too much instability in unexpected situations. This is due more to a lack of confidence than a lack of talent.

Click─

“What is this…?”

Shusia’s hand crushed the paper.

But there were countless other papers, all written in the same way, one for each student.

She used telekinesis to clear them all out of the way in one sweep.

And finally.

What came into view was the figure of a magician standing firmly.

A towering, imposing figure, with elegant red eyes that shone even though they were not those of a Vampire.

His jet-black hair, pale skin, and sharp jawline, as if his shadow was tightly bound.

He was the master of meticulously gathered blue mana.

“Was it you who played this ridiculous trick?”

Flan.

In the center of the exhibition opened just for him, he slowly turned to face Shusia.

Pop─!

At the same time, a piece of paper shot out like a ray of light.

Shusia stopped it with telekinesis right in front of her eyes.

[ Maiev ]

▶ Well, it’s a decent magic. Talented.

Talented.

Talented. Talented. Talented….

“Ha…?”

A vein popped on Shusia’s forehead.