Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 131:

Translator: MarcTempest

Proofreader: naturallyInconsistent

Chapter 131

Two more days have passed.

Early in the morning.

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I’m analyzing the treasure I obtained from the dangerous area of Verkel, a power source that contains the ancient rune language.

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The three-dimensional drawings I recorded on the paper were a hot topic as expected.

I made 20 more of them and requested the magic department to put them up for auction.

They gave me a positive answer, of course.

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I added some extra three-dimensional elements to these 20 pieces.

They were the so-called ‘limited editions’, and I planned to use the sales revenue for the construction fund of the magic tower.

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After going through these processes, I finally had some time to focus only on the power source.

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I devoted myself to it for two days at the dormitory.

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I compared and contrasted the research paper I received from Violet and the knowledge I already knew, and at the same time, I dug up and referenced many papers.

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There was also the treasure I got from the exhibition hall, the frame-shaped one.

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As I examined it using the ancient rune language contained in the 「Dream」, the outline of the power source, which was abstract and distant, began to reveal itself.

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“Indeed….”

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It was an item that had incredible power.

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At first, I only knew that it was a power source of the transformation type, but after working hard for two days, I found out more.

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This power source was close to ‘transformation’ itself.

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Transformation basically consisted of three steps: understanding, decomposition, and reconstruction.

Since it had an immense power, I was confident that the range of application for the three steps would be high as well.

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For example, not only could I change the appearance of the magic tower according to my needs, but I could also freely transform the internal space to suit the purpose.

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“The result would be amazing, but….”

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These assumptions were still at the level of ‘expectation’ or ‘imagination’.

They would only be realized after the research was completed.

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“I need a little more time.”

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I muttered and looked at the invitation.

I had received a lot of mail lately, but this one was golden and stood out.

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I couldn’t ignore it either. It was from the royal family.

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“Hmm.”

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The letters filled one page, but the content was very simple.

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“Choose between execution and verification lecture.”

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I’d rather do the verification lecture than the execution.

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That’s what I thought when.

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“Cough─!”

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Maybe she heard the noise, but Maiev, who was on one side of the dormitory, coughed and pounded her chest.

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She was scooping blood into a bowl and eating it like soup. In other words, she was having a meal.

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I narrowed my eyes and said.

“Eat properly.”

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“….”

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Maiev nodded her head with a strange expression mixed with dissatisfaction.

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She had a reason to be dissatisfied. Since she became my slave, she had never consumed human blood.

She was only eating animal blood now.

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She moved her spoon a few more times and said.

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“You’re researching the precious power source so boldly, I’m worried as your slave.”

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“If you’re worried, train yourself. I’m always worried about your trashy assassination methods.”

“That’s not what I meant….”

“Then what?”

“…”

Maiev closed her mouth tightly.

She pursed her lips for a long time, as if she had a lot to say, but then she timidly replied.

“What I mean is, you know very well how obsessed the vampires are with the ancient runes. Master.”

I finally turned my head.

Our eyes met in the air.

Maiev’s red eyes narrowed slightly.

“…You praised me for knowing a lot.”

“Maiev, are you afraid of the other vampires?”

“Master. Then don’t you care about that?”

I smiled faintly at her question.

Humans use mana as a medium for magic, but vampires use life force as a medium for black magic.

I’m fascinated by them, who have built their magic in a completely different way from other beings.

It’s not that I’m careless. I just want to understand them deeply, and the more I understand them, the less likely they are to cause trouble.

I said to Maiev.

“I’ll send you back to the vampires’ nest.”

“You’ll send me back?”

Maiev’s eyes widened.

She dropped the bowl and spoon she was holding, but I caught them with telekinesis and put them away.

“Find out what the vampires’ plan is, what kind of stories are going on. Tell me everything.”

“No, sigh…”

Maiev covered her eyes with her hand. She sighed with a lost expression, as a bonus.

“If you think the task is impossible, tell me. I’ll dispose of you here, useless as you are.”

“I’m Maiev. How can I be incompetent?”

Maiev snapped. She also grumbled.

“But, it’s harder than before. Now, thanks to someone, I have a slave mark on me.”

She showed me the back of her hand, as if to show me something.

I created a frame around her.

“Rest. Maiev.”

“I got the mark, so I meant I’ll work harder. I’m Maiev, the master of disguise.”

I nodded.

“You have another task to do. You’ve disguised yourself as the top of the Marceline Trading Company, haven’t you?”

“Yes. I have a monopoly on the investment of the magic department.”

“You’ll have to work harder on the management from now on.”

“I’m already managing it systematically.”

Maiev flicked her finger, and a ledger appeared with a bang.

“I’m not talking about the financial part.”

“Then I don’t understand what you want me to manage.”

“Explain in detail how the gold coins collected from the investors will be used. Send them a thank-you letter by hand. If you’ve received something, you should return it properly.”

Maiev grimaced.

“A hand-written letter… That’s ridiculous.”

“You have to do it even if it’s ridiculous.”

“Why?”

With a clank, a frame stuck to her up, down, left, and right. Maiev, trapped in a small prison, shouted desperately.

“Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll do it…!”

◈

‘Deep Sea’ is a space that pulsates in the deep and distant sea, a communal society made only of magic.

Despite being underwater, this place is a veritable embodiment of magic research, with the city’s shape implemented on the ground.

Inside Deep Sea, there are scattered geniuses who hope to shake the world with their magic.

As the saying goes, ‘All the top magic on the continent was created in Deep Sea’, the members of this place dream of high-dimensional magic research.

They devote themselves to research all day, check each other, and live without even asking how they are.

But now they were gathered together with one mind and one purpose. It was to participate in an auction that was in full swing.

The cause was a limited edition of a three-dimensional picture created by a student of the academy. Just one sheet of record.

“Currently, 989 people have offered 1,000 gold coins. The auction will resume with 1,200 gold coins after a 10-minute break.”

What they wanted to get with a huge amount of money was not a luxury item. It was a limited edition of the glowing three-dimensional picture in Flan’s record.

“The auction will resume with 2,000 gold coins after 10 minutes.”

Considering that the resident population of Deep Sea is 1,001, the participation of 989 people is a tremendous achievement.

The auction continued without any fuss.

All they had to do was write the number of gold coins on the record sheet the size of a business card they had received, so there was no need to make a sound.

“Yes. 20 people at 4,000. Congratulations.”

Flan’s three-dimensional picture attracted the interest of the Deep Sea magicians for its excellent depiction of the past, present, and future of the academy.

Especially in the process of shaping the ‘future’, they gained not only interest but also admiration from the multi-angle approach.

“This concludes the auction.”

The limited edition records were distributed to the successful bidders, and the auction finally came to an end.

One of the twenty people, the royal treasurer, Reilly, nodded his head with a relieved expression.

“It was quite fierce, is this that much?”

He sighed with relief at the same time. Deep Sea was a communal society made entirely of magic, so even the royal family could not secure the auction items.

But there was a benefit for the royal family, which was that they could stay in Deep Sea for a total of four hours, adding one hour to the three hours.

That was when it happened.

“Yes. Even with the last transformation, this record has a great collection value.”

Someone next to him took Reilly’s muttering. It was a woman who covered her eyes with sunglasses, but the treasurer was familiar with her appearance.

“The dean of the magic department… Conette?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

The woman lifted her sunglasses slightly, revealing the strange eyes that were hidden.

Reilly greeted her warmly.

“I didn’t expect to meet you here, Dean. You could have just received the report from the magic department, but you took a long way.”

“No, I didn’t come out for inspection.”

Conette chuckled.

“I just purely like Flan’s magic. I wanted to buy the limited edition, so I visited.”

She tilted her head slightly and continued.

“By the way, it seems that you also took a long way, Treasurer. You must have worked hard.”

“Ah, the second princess ordered me. I hope this limited edition will please her, but I’m a little relieved that the dean also wants the limited edition.”

“You’re too kind. Well, have a good day.”

“Sure. Let’s see each other again at the festival soon.”

Conette stopped at Reilly’s farewell.

She turned her body and asked.

“Festival?”

“Come to think of it, you wouldn’t know. The magic department needs funds to build a magic tower.”

“I’m ashamed to admit it.”

“The princess said she would open a fair to recruit investors. It’s not just a festival.”

Reilly lifted the record once.

“The reason why she is so generous is of course, because she liked Flan’s three-dimensional painting. There is no other reason.”

“…The magic department owes Flan again.”

A faint smile spread over Conette’s face. Reilly looked at her and continued.

“Actually, the festival talk is a bit early. Flan’s visit to the palace in two days is the first thing.”

“I know that story. There is a decoding lecture in two days to verify the record.”

This was also a surprising thing.

Usually, the verified records were sent out to the world, but Flan was following the order of receiving verification after causing a huge topic.

“That’s right.”

Reilly nodded.

“It’s a happy thing, but at the same time a scary thing. The second princess’s interest is a blessing and a disaster at the same time.”

“No. I’ll just think of it as a happy thing.”

Conette smiled brightly.

She kissed the record with a sound.

“Flan will do well this time, too.”

◈

Two days later.

I arrived safely at the palace.

In the waiting room next to the lecture hall. The other representatives of the magic department had tense faces.

“Ro, royal people… Am I supposed to be with those people…?”

Becky drank cold water endlessly.

Trixie narrowed her eyebrows.

“Just stay still. Is that hard?”

“Hard…”

“Then are you going to jump around?”

“I’ll stay still…”

I brought the representatives, including Becky.

The lecture on decoding the record would surely be a good learning experience for them.

Suddenly, Trixie’s gaze turned to me.

She scrutinized every corner of my body.

“…”

She licked her lips as if she had something to say.

Knock knock─

Someone knocked on the door outside.

“Mr. Flan, please prepare for the verification lecture.”

I quietly got up from my seat.

I arrived at the lecture hall with the guidance of the official. 

The door was so huge that it could be called a gate.

Before I entered, I said to the three magicians,

“Listen carefully to my explanation.”

I walked into the lecture hall after confirming their nods. It was a vast space, with people sitting in a circle around me.

But.

The one thing that caught my eye was.

Someone who was glaring at me from the front, behind a gray curtain.

Even though they were hidden, I could sense their golden crescent-shaped eyes shining. 

They were not just a figure of speech, they were literally glowing.

I knew instinctively.

That she was the second princess, Aurora.

I calmly opened my record sheet.

“Let’s begin the analysis.”