Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 231 Nonsense.

As the day drew to a close, the Capital Knights gathered once again.

Although the same members had gathered, the atmosphere was incomparable to before. In the silence that seemed to sink into the ground, a woman spoke first.

“This is truly pathetic…”

Viola, the pristine white Capital Knight.

She, who seemed to be sculpted from musical notes, openly displayed her discomfort. She glared at Selpen and Clotte, who had been defeated, and spoke again.

“You are truly pathetic. Show some reaction, at least.”

“….”

Selpen and Clotte did not respond. That was answer enough for Viola.

Viola pressed her temple with her index finger, as if she had a headache.

“When you should be showing the best performance and rising to the rank of hero, the honor of the Capital Knights is falling with every match…”

Viola’s voice, which usually sounded like a heavenly melody, was now seriously disturbed. A discordant note, to put it musically.

“….”

Losers cannot make excuses. They shouldn’t make excuses. Selpen and Clotte had no choice but to silently endure the rebuke.

But at that moment.

“Lady Viola, it’s alright. Since you will ascend to the rank of hero anyway, you don’t need to worry about the honor of the other Capital Knights.”

At the escort knight’s attempt to soothe her, sparks flew from Viola’s eyes.

“…What did you say?”

Viola glared at the escort knight as if she wanted to kill him.

“Even if I become a hero, the honor of the Capital Knights must always be high. The higher a person, the higher the title they receive. Always walking the highest path—that is my path.”

As Viola exuded a murderous aura, something like a musical staff, tinged with gold, rose in the form of a haze.

In this situation, it was Selpen who spoke.

“You’re thinking wrong, Viola.”

“…?”

Their gazes met in midair. Selpen asked again.

“What did you just say?”

“Viola, listen to me carefully.”

“I’m not asking because I didn’t hear you.”

“I’m emphasizing it once more. It’s important.”

Selpen continued calmly.

“Viola, you seem to only know the outcome, but those magicians are by no means ordinary.”

“Not ordinary? To what extent?”

“I don’t know how you’ll take this, but…”

After swallowing a dry gulp, Selpen barely continued speaking. By the way, she was still in a tattered state.

“They are at the level of Capital Knights.”

Silence fell upon the space.

Viola looked around with a face that questioned if what she had just heard was indeed true. Everyone seemed to share the same sentiment as Selpen.

Yes, if they had witnessed the match, it would be hard to miss how amazing the representatives of the Magic Department were.

Selpen continued to speak.

“If the time and place were different, the outcome might have been clear. And if it hadn’t been a draw, the defeated side would surely have been me.”

“…This is absurd.”

However, Viola seemed even more infuriated by Selpen’s words. She eventually couldn’t bear it and slammed the desk.

“Is it right to say such things so confidently now?”

The high treble clef engraved in Viola’s eyes shone as if it would leap out at any moment.

Viola felt stifled.

If it was true that the magicians had become stronger, then why hadn’t the Capital Knights advanced to a higher level during their progress?

She swung her sword, trying to find a point of motivation. No matter what level they reached, they should raise their heads and aim for higher places, yet they seemed slightly disheartened just by looking at the Magic Department.

‘Weak. So weak. How can they be so weak?’

Viola’s complexion darkened.

Despite still holding the title of a Capital Knight as always, merely uttering such words felt pathetically weak to her.

‘Our predecessors as Capital Knights weren’t like this. They seem like trash clinging to their unique abilities…’

It was at that moment.

“Viola, the next match will begin soon.”

Viola looked at the clock. In the quiet dawn, they had to proceed with the next match against the Magic Department.

“I’ll take care of it. Wait.”

“Yes, Viola.”

The escort knight was about to leave, but Viola suddenly stopped him.

“Oh, wait a moment.”

“…!”

As Viola called out, the escort knight abruptly halted.

“Who is participating from the Magic Department?”

“It’s not Flan, as expected. It’s Trixie.”

Viola quietly nodded.

‘So it’s another ordinary representative.’

It seemed Flan intended to come out last again. However, if it was Trixie….

“Isn’t she from a fairly well-known family among magicians?”

“Yes, that’s right. Fritz, the family Trixie belongs to, is quite famous among magicians.”

“That means….”

Among the representatives of the Magic Department, even students who weren’t well-known had produced results. It was needless to say that Trixie, being superior to them, would be exceptional.

The paper the escort knight handed over included information related to Trixie. Viola’s experienced eyes quickly scanned through it.

“Recently succeeded the position of the head of the family, and all her academy grades are top-notch…. Unlike other representatives, she has been called a genius countless times….”

The other Capital Knights quietly watched Viola as she murmured.

“There’s no need to think too hard about it.”

At that moment, someone lightly raised a sword. It was Libra, the knight who wore a straw hat and chewed on grass, the one who cuts through memories.

She spoke very slowly.

“Anyway, isn’t Flan someone you will face directly, Viola? And now we are in a situation where we must win, so it seems right for me to participate.”

“No.”

But Viola firmly called out to Libra, who was adjusting her straw hat’s strap. Libra stopped what she was doing and looked at Viola with a perplexed gaze.

Viola pondered once more.

‘Trixie.’

What followed her was the title of genius.

If someone who had been called a genius remained by Flan’s side, it was clear she would be much stronger in the future. No, perhaps she was already incredibly strong even now.

‘And Libra.’

Libra, the one who cuts through memories.

She was strong. Even Viola couldn’t dispute that. Not only did she possess the unique ability to cut through memories, but her swordsmanship was also exceptional.

But…

‘Nothing has gone as predicted.’

After experiencing the defeats of Selpen and Clotte, there was nothing she could be sure of anymore. What if even Libra, the one who cuts through memories, were to lose?

Essentially, they would lose their trump card. So Viola had no choice but to devise a slightly different strategy.

After a few minutes, Viola nodded.

“Libra.”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m sorry, but… it’s not your turn yet.”

“Hmm?”

Libra seemed quite taken aback by that statement. She slightly lifted her straw hat and looked at Viola.

Viola, however, turned her head nonchalantly. Instead of looking at Libra, she gestured towards Libra’s escort knight who was standing idly in the distance.

“It would be better for that escort knight to go up.”

“Are you saying to send my escort knight into the arena?”

“Yes.”

After a brief silence, Libra spoke again.

“Are you still underestimating the Magic Department? With the level of an escort knight….”

“I’m not underestimating them. Quite the opposite.”

“Opposite?”

“Yes. I took your words at face value. That’s the conclusion I came to.”

Libra fell into thought for a moment.

“…!”

Then her eyes widened.

“Viola, you don’t mean…!”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I mean.”

Libra’s gaze at Viola became extremely sharp.

“…You’re thinking that I might lose to Trixie, so you’d rather send in an escort knight who will definitely lose. Is that right?”

“Exactly. It’s better this way. From now on, all the remaining representatives should be matched against escort knights.”

Viola’s eyes flashed as she spoke.

“And I will face Flan directly. Understood?”

“Stop this nonsense.”

Libra immediately protested, but Viola swiftly wrote names on the paper, completing the match schedule.

When Libra reached for the paper,

“You’re the ones talking nonsense─!”

Viola shouted fiercely. The veins in her neck stood out prominently.

“A Capital Knight losing! A Capital Knight! Not anyone else, a Capital Knight─!”

For a moment, silence fell over the room.

After catching her breath for a moment, Viola spoke again.

“…Shut up and do as I say. No Capital Knight can lose anymore, so just do it this way. Before I kill you all.”

Flan.

Viola’s mind was entirely focused on him.