Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 53: You Want to Tame Me?

Chapter 53 – You Want to Tame Me?

“What…”

After visiting the training ground, I frowned as soon as I arrived at the dormitory at night.

Snacks, letters… Things like that were piled up in front of the door. 

So much that I couldn’t even open the door.

I flicked my finger.

Those trivial things were swept away by my psychokinesis in an instant. 

I pushed them into the room for now, planning to throw them away all at once later.

But there was one thing that didn’t go away.

“…How rude.”

Floating in the air as if to show off, it was a red letter.

When I exerted a stronger psychokinesis, the letter finally reacted. 

I unfolded it in the air.

[ Now. ]

That was the end of the message. However, below it, there was the seal of the dean of the magic department and the name Conette.

And the location of the dean’s office.

“The dean.”

I was curious when someone as important as the dean called me. 

I took a step.

The academy buildings shone white in the moonlight.

When I arrived at the place written in the letter, I faced a huge building that looked like a castle.

The whole building was a space for the dean only.

“Student, what’s going on?”

But then someone spoke to me.

Blonde hair and neat suit, I knew this woman’s name by now. 

It was Professor Audrey.

She recognized my face as she came closer, and Audrey’s eyes widened.

“Flan, Student Flan, right?”

“Yes.”

At that, the person next to her also looked at me. Audrey was not alone.

“What, it’s Student Flan.”

It was Violet. 

She recognized me with a slightly faded dark circle under her witch hat.

Professor Audrey asked me.

“What are you doing here?”

I showed her the dean’s letter instead of answering. 

Audrey nodded her head with an ah, sound.

“The dean called you… I see. Oh, but Student Flan.”

Audrey came closer to me with an awkward smile.

“Would you like to visit my lab later? Have a cup of tea, and talk about your career path and such… Huh?!”

Then, a witch hat was put over Audrey’s head.

Violet opened her mouth with displeasure.

“What are you doing. To someone else’s student.”

“He’s someone else’s student now, but you never know later.”

“The midterm evaluation is not over yet.”

I looked at the two of them talking, and shrugged indifferently.

“I’m not interested.”

I’ve never been someone’s assistant. And I probably never will.

But Audrey followed me desperately.

“Please think about it. Okay? I’ll take you to the dean’s office.”

Thanks to her, I arrived at the dean’s office easily.

A long corridor with red carpet appeared, and at the end of it, there was a huge wooden door.

Before I knocked on the door, a voice came first.

“Come in.”

A languid and seductive voice.

I opened the door with my psychokinesis and entered.

“Indeed, I’m glad to see you up close.”

A woman sitting with her back to the window greeted me.

That woman was the dean of this Merhen Academy. Conette.

She looked young, but the magical energy she felt from her was superb.

The outside of her hair was white, but the inside was black. 

Her eyes were the opposite, black on the outside and white on the inside.

The moment I met her peculiar reverse eyes.

Wooden pieces stuck together in front of my eyes and a chair was made.

“Would you like to sit down first?”

◈

Sometimes, a meeting between magicians leads to a strange direction and outcome in its flow.

It’s a natural sequence. 

The way they look at reality is completely different from that of ordinary people.

So Conette also looked at the boy who came to the dean’s office.

Black hair like pitch and red eyes like jewels… She felt familiar with this combination somehow.

But

That didn’t matter right now.

*

His every step, his confidence that showed on his face. 

He was no longer a student.

Also, his emotions were not easy to read.

I prided myself on being able to read other people’s emotions, but Flan was different.

His emotions were murky and transparent at the same time, and they scattered like mist as soon as I tried to observe them with more force.

He seemed like a human who had no emotional attachment.

My interest in Flan deepened even more.

I had only called him out to deal with a slightly unusual student, but before I knew it, I greeted him as if I was facing a seasoned magician.

“Nice to meet you, Flan. I was thinking of having a simple conversation with you tonight.”

I divided my words into seven parts.

And at the same time, Flan’s eyes sparkled.

He realized it right away.

One human language, five elven languages, one rune language. 

Each of these seven words was composed of a different language.

‘Is he trying to test me?’

It was a well-known fact that elves delved deeply into magic, and rune language was also necessary for learning advanced courses.

He understood that she was trying to gauge his skills with this one conversation.

He didn’t mind being tested at such a high level.

If anything, he was glad. It was the first time in this world, and the elven language was not different from the previous world.

“Complicated stories are fine, too.”

“Oh…”

The corners of Conette’s mouth rose naturally.

There were exactly eight elven languages, and Flan had just answered precisely with the three languages that Conette had not used.

This time, Flan opened his mouth first.

“But what is your intention?”

“Intention… Nothing much.”

Conette smiled brightly.

“Being a dean is a lonely position, you see. I just wanted to get along with you.”

Of course, this was not Conette’s true intention.

She intended to confirm Flan’s skills and his direction of purpose at this meeting.

Was he a genius ? Or was he a disaster?

“I saw how you expressed Ivan’s swordsmanship with magic. It was impressive.”

Conette and Flan’s eyes met quietly in the air.

A strange reverse eye, with black and white inverted, stared at Flan as if to pierce him.

“Seven changes in wavelength, and three changes in shape, then summoning. Is that correct?”

The dean asked only in ‘rune language’ this time, and Flan understood it as well.

“That’s a good methodology.”

“…!”

The corners of Conette’s mouth twitched slightly.

“A good methodology, did I observe it wrong?”

“It was just a different way.”

Was the observation that she felt unique to her, just one of many choices for Flan?

Conette blinked once.

Then, the whole space was darkened at once.

‘An observation space.’

A domain that only magicians of high caliber can create.

In this dark space, everything related to magic glows fluorescently. 

Formulas, magic circles, circuits… A space that exists for magical observation, as the name suggests.

‘Neat.’

Flan also saw a flawless manifestation.

“This is interesting.”

As Conette stared at the air, a formula began to draw itself there.

Soon, a 15-stroke summoning formula with a solid frame was completed.

“Flan, what did you do differently?”

“There are many ways, but…”

Flan began to modify the 15-stroke formula.

“First, I wanted to cut out the parts that I didn’t need.”

He cut them out boldly, more than Conette had expected.

After cutting them all out, only seven strokes remained. 

At this point, it was almost a bare skeleton.

“…”

Conette narrowed his eyes and examined the formula.

Precisely, he observed the ‘simplicity’.

It was not just a skeleton. 

The mana was very dense, and the circuits were neatly arranged without any twists.

It looked fragile, but its foundation was stronger than anything else.

“It seems like an illusion, but it’s not…”

It was only a seven-stroke formula, but thanks to its simplicity, it looked no different from a 15-stroke formula.

Then, if this student’s total mana increased even more and he could fully draw a 15-stroke formula…

The principal lifted one of the strokes that had fallen off.

It was a circuit related to ‘killing’.

“You also excluded this. I’m curious why.”

“Killing the opponent was not my goal.”

“Good. Then, let me ask you one more thing.”

Conette’s face became very serious.

“…What if the opponent was a villain or a blood demon?”

Then, the stroke related to ‘killing’ was pulled into Flan’s hand.

At the same time, the other strokes were all erased and hidden.

“This one stroke would have remained.”

“I see, is that so.”

Conette nodded his head. 

His serious expression gradually returned to its original gentleness.

The observation space also disappeared. In front of the two, the scenery of a normal office unfolded again.

“Then… what are you pursuing, Flan?”

“The ultimate of magic, and proof.”

Conette watched Flan quietly.

He still couldn’t read all the emotions that he had, but he felt that the answer just now was sincere.

“I’m sorry for being late with the tea. How about a cup now?”

“Thank you.”

After a plain black tea was handed over, at some point.

“But, it’s boring to just drink tea. Do you know how to play chess?”

“I don’t.”

He knew the existence of chess, but he had never played it. 

Magic was his work, hobby, and rest.

“You have a cute side. You’ll surely like it.”

As Conette flicked his finger, the wooden pieces that popped up in the air were carved and worn into a large chessboard and pieces.

“I’ll explain the main points. The pieces in front are pawns…”

The principal explained the chess rules clearly. 

Flan also understood everything after listening once.

After finishing the explanation, Conette smiled slightly.

“Good. But, what I explained so far is the rule of ordinary chess. This is ‘Agora board’, which is a bit different.”

“…”

Flan looked at it quietly.

At the same time, a faint interest began to grow in his eyes.

“Agora board. I understood the meaning of the name.”

“Yes. I thought you would be interested, Flan.”

Chess is simply a game of moving black and white pieces, but Agora board is different in depth.

The queen is harmony, the knight is destruction, the bishop is summoning…

Every time a piece is moved, a problem related to the relevant field that was posted on the Agora board appears in front of him.

Only when he solves it correctly can he move the piece.

“Three minutes.”

Conette made a sandglass in the air on the spot.

“Let’s do it for three minutes. It’s late.”

Three minutes was enough to gauge the opponent’s skill.

Five problems. No, solving even three problems would be more than expected.

“I understand.”

Flan nodded and agreed.

Conette gave Flan the first move. 

Therefore, Flan was white and Conette was black.

Thud-

“…?”

It was unexpected from the start. 

Flan moved a pawn without any hesitation.

If it was a pawn, then it meant that the problem was from the ‘softening’ series of the Agora board.

No, even if the series was excluded. 

The problems of the Agora board were not easy to approach in the first place.

First, Conette also moved a piece.

Thud- Thud-

“…”

It was unexpected again.

As soon as Conette’s piece landed on the chessboard, Flan moved another piece.

‘It’s already more than I expected, but…’

There was a possibility that he only touched the problems he could solve. Conette moved his pieces a few more times.

Thud- Thud-

Thud- Thud-

“Aha…”

After moving his pieces exactly two more times, Conette unconsciously lifted the corners of his mouth.

He didn’t just pick out the problems he could solve. 

He was just playing Agora board like ordinary chess.

He was moving his pieces only to win the game.

It was Conette’s turn again.

Conette deliberately hesitated and looked at Flan with a sly eye.

Flan, the calm and weak student, the representative who gave the magic department a victory, was staring at the chessboard and the pieces like a statue.

‘…Didn’t you say you didn’t know the rules?’

His chess strategy was clear.

He tamed the opponent.

He was like a trainer. 

He read all the moves of the opponent, narrowed down the range of movement, and made him do what he wanted.

‘This is, his way of fighting.’

The battle between magicians was not much different from chess.

He analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent, figured out the magic he could use, and engaged in a number game.

Thud- Thud-

The aspect he showed at the Black Horse Tournament was also clearly revealed on the chessboard.

The moves that Flan read were accurately caught and blocked. 

Conette had no choice but to try different moves.

No, he had already read all the moves.

He was inducing Conette to use a certain move, and making him accept the defeat gradually.

‘No matter how chess it is… You want to tame me?’

He was happy. 

Conette enjoyed this rare game.

In the end, he also started to immerse herself without knowing.

Thud- Thud- Thud- Thud-

They started to move the pieces like madmen. 

There was no time to rest in between.

“Check.”

The board was completely tilted in Flan’s favor. 

Connet quickly escaped.

“Check.”

But Flan muttered again in a low voice.

“Check.”

He chased after him as soon as he got away.

Every time they moved a piece, Connet became more disadvantaged, and Flan became more advantageous.

Connet had no doubt in his mind that Flan could solve the problems of the Agora board. 

Even if he did, he had no time to think about it.

“Check.”

He just started to move the pieces to avoid checkmate.

But.

“Checkmate.”

He couldn’t escape in the end.

Bang!

At the same time, the hourglass that was floating in the air exploded, signaling the end of three minutes.

The fine white sand fell on the chessboard like snow.

“…”

Hoo.

He let out a breath and opened his mouth with a happier face than ever.

“Well, I was so sure I had won.”

He spoke with a regretful tone, but Connet looked happier than ever.

“Congratulations on your victory.”

At the same time, something flew towards Flan at a threatening speed like a medal.

Flan caught it without difficulty.

“This is not a gift for winning the chess game. I was going to give it to you anyway… And one more thing.”

Connet’s smile became slightly clearer.

He tucked his sideburns behind his ears and added.

“Thank you. For spending time with me today.”

The chancellor’s eyes were very strange as he looked at Flan.

He didn’t answer, but looked at what he had in his hand.

It was a blank white paper with nothing written on it.

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