Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 237 Everyone Has Regrets

While they stared at each other with expressionless faces, it was Viola who first lifted one corner of her mouth.

‘The more I think about it, the funnier it gets.’

There was a significant age difference between her and the child standing opposite her. Flan was at an age where he should be attending lectures at the academy.

However, no matter how young he was, the words Flan had spoken couldn’t simply be dismissed as ‘the immature words of a young one’. Flan would now have to take responsibility for what he said.

“In front of a knight’s sword, there are no excuses or justifications.”

Viola twirled her sword in a circle.

“If you’ve ever uttered such things, you’ll regret it. No, to be precise, you won’t even have the chance to regret.”

Since Viola was the most likely candidate to be nominated as a hero, it could be said that each of her words carried corresponding weight.

But Flan himself seemed indifferent.

“I’ve never had any regrets in my life.”

“Well, humans live with regrets.”

Viola, who was fiddling with her sword, gripped the hilt so tightly that it made a creaking sound.

Seeing Flan’s unusually calm demeanor, she felt a peculiar sensation.

Viola wasn’t simply hot-tempered. She took pride in her skills and had undergone countless training and meditation sessions to maintain her composure.

But there was one thing.

Flan’s eyes. They looked at Viola, a Capital Knight, as if she were nothing but a speck of dust, and it was extremely unsettling.

‘There’s no way my common sense is wrong.’

Yes, no matter how much she thought about it, there was no way the common sense Viola had was wrong. Logically, if the knowledge she possessed were false, how could she have risen to her current position?

‘But if that’s the case….’

However, because of that knowledge, Viola was even more annoyed. There was one more thing reflected in Flan’s eyes….

‘Eyes that look down.’

It was absurd, but they were definitely eyes that looked down.

Like a predator looking at its prey.

Like a strong person looking down on the weak.

Like a wise man looking at someone yet to gain insight.

Flan was looking at Viola with those eyes.

Viola knew. Such eyes do not come from delusion or misunderstanding. They are eyes that only someone who genuinely believes they are superior to their opponent can have.

“Flan.”

Viola quietly muttered the name of her opponent.

“You need to understand who I am.”

“You’re no different in the end.”

“Hm?”

Because an unexpected answer came back, Viola unknowingly twitched one eyebrow.

“At first, everyone thinks it’s because I don’t understand them. But that’s not the case at all.”

“….”

“Viola, I already know you perfectly well.”

Even the calmness of Viola, which could be compared to a tranquil lake, began to ripple slowly.

Flan wasn’t saying anything particularly threatening, but each of his words was like a giant rock overturning the entire lake.

Flan calmly continued to speak.

“I know that you cannot bring defeat upon me.”

His gaze briefly swept over Viola’s wrist.

“Even if you had planned a surprise attack.”

Viola showed a slightly surprised expression.

‘Did he read the movement of my wrist?’

In fact, saying he read the movement might be misleading. Viola had been maintaining an almost unmoving posture.

In other words, Flan had seen the minute movements that couldn’t possibly be observed with ordinary vision.

Viola pondered how to respond. She swallowed dryly and was about to part her lips when Flan’s words came faster.

“Let’s begin. This conversation is getting tedious.”

Viola finally burst into laughter.

‘His mindset is already no different from a hero.’

That was precisely why she needed to be more cautious.

Not everyone who walks like a king becomes a king, but it’s also true that they are given the chance at least once.

As Viola prepared to face Flan, she had thought a lot about how to approach this match.

And after their extensive conversation, Viola now felt she knew exactly what to do in this match.

‘Even if people say I’ve gone too far, it can’t be helped. Flan must die here.’

A transparent aura began to rise from Viola like a mirage. Her pure white hair floated up and scattered, as if countless pages of sheet music were turning.

The treble clef engraved on Viola’s retina shone with a golden brightness.

“Alright. Let’s begin. The match will be even more tedious.”

Muttering to herself, Viola regained her composure.

As Flan began to draw mana, an unusual current started to whirl inside the arena.

Even though the stands were packed without a single empty seat, a hush fell over the place. It felt as if everyone would hear it if someone breathed heavily.

In the midst of the tension, tight like a pulled string, it was Viola who confidently broke through.

Whoosh!

Viola thrust her sword without any noticeable preparatory movement.

It was customary to declare an attack before launching it, but Viola aimed directly for Flan’s vital spot without any warning.

She genuinely intended to kill Flan right there.

“Huh!”

“Oh…!”

A beat later, gasps burst from the audience.

They couldn’t follow Viola’s sword movement with the naked eye nor observe it, but they could vaguely understand that Viola had made a very threatening attack.

And everyone understood that the attack carried immense power and a great sense of foreboding.

Thud!

But what followed was a dull sound. A strand of mana that had risen from the ground struck Viola’s wrist.

Whoosh!

Like musical staves drawn in the air, five sword trajectories extended in a straight line, but since her wrist was hit, they all turned into blind attacks.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Five lines were drawn on the opposite ground where the missed attack landed. They looked like the claws of a beast or like sheet music.

This was only Viola’s first attack.

“…!”

Yet the people in the arena felt a chill.

The exchanges of invisible attacks made it difficult to understand the details, but the fact that they were witnessing ‘attacks of an incomprehensible level’ was reason enough for awe.

“….”

The representatives of the Magic Department, who kept silent with serious expressions, were no exception.

They, too, had faced off against escort knights and Capital Knights, even achieving excellent results like victories or draws, feeling a sense of pride.

‘This is different.’

‘This is what they call the real deal.’

‘It’s hard to even fathom.’

As soon as the match began, these kinds of thoughts filled their heads. There was no time to think about reasons. Their bodies realized that this was what an instinctual alarm felt like.

At some point, their confused thoughts merged into one, driven by an intense feeling.

‘I want to see more, learn more!’

And the moment the representatives of the Magic Department thought that, their wish was granted. Viola, who had narrowly failed with her first attack, immediately launched her next strike.

Whoosh!

Clang!

It only seemed like Viola’s shoulder had moved slightly, yet the sound of Flan’s shield and sword clashing rang out almost simultaneously.

Each swing of her sword sent a strike with five times the range and power.

That alone would have amazed the spectators, making them gasp, but Flan calmly continued to defend and spoke.

“Viola.”

Viola’s gaze turned towards Flan.

“If this is your best, your end will be quite disgraceful.”

Viola’s expression hardened further.

It wasn’t because Flan’s words had shaken her heart through her eardrums. What genuinely bothered her was….

Whoosh─!

The ease with which Flan’s magic blocked Viola’s attacks. The flow of mana controlled many things in the invisible parts, making it seem like it formed a separate 『space』.

Swordsmanship and magic.

Though different fields, didn’t they converge at a high level?

Thus, it was clear to Viola’s eyes. Flan’s calm breathing, the ease with which he managed his strength, and his ability to swiftly assess the situation.

‘What… are you…?’

A question mark began to form in Viola’s mind.