Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 245 Interview

“Next applicant.”

…Should I knock before going in?

While I was contemplating this, the door opened on its own through telekinesis. Becky, who had already raised one hand, awkwardly lowered it and stepped inside.

Although the exterior of the building hadn’t changed much, the interior of the Dean’s office had undergone quite a transformation.

In fact, it was only natural. The Dean had changed, and how the office was decorated depended entirely on the new Dean’s preferences.

If the previous Dean’s office had been calm, the current one had a rather sophisticated feel. For some reason, it also felt about three degrees colder compared to other places.

Dean Flan Judith.

Behind the nameplate, engraved as if flaunting it, sat Flan. Becky, cautiously assessing the situation, quietly sat down in the chair opposite.

Without even looking up, Flan spoke.

“So, it’s you, Becky. You managed to apply.”

“Yes. I mean, yes.”

Becky immediately responded.

There was no need to hesitate in answering. She had known that Flan would become the new Dean, and from that moment, she had dreamed of becoming his personal secretary.

“No regrets about your choice?”

“I want to become the Dean’s personal secretary.”

Therefore, Becky could speak with utmost confidence.

And then she waited for Flan’s response. However, since none came, she awkwardly continued to wait.

“….”

But as Flan remained silent, Becky began to feel slightly anxious. Still, she couldn’t back down now. She wiggled her toes and desperately held her ground.

“Hmm.”

After a long pause, Flan finally reacted. Their gazes met in the air, but Flan’s eyes remained expressionless, leaving Becky slightly confused.

‘Still, I’m the best candidate, right?’

She glanced over the faces of the other applicants. In terms of pure magical ability, her skills were superior. Leaving aside familiarity and righteousness, purely on the basis of magical aptitude, she was the most likely to be chosen.

Perhaps Flan was secretly impressed.

Becky had meticulously hidden her preparations to become a personal secretary. Even Flan probably hadn’t expected it. If a highly skilled individual became a secretary, anyone would welcome it.

Becky calmly awaited a positive response.

But why? Maybe it was because Flan had never been included in that ‘anyone.’

“You are not suitable for the secretary position.”

Flan unceremoniously rejected Becky.

“….”

Becky blinked three times.

She struggled to grasp the situation. Still, it was okay. She hadn’t been officially rejected yet. Wasn’t this what they called a pressure interview?

However, Flan continued.

“Choosing you would indeed be a wrong decision.”

It was a decisive rejection, as if driving a nail into her coffin. Even Becky, who had mastered mind control, was greatly taken aback this time.

“Why? I mean, why? There’s no problem with my magic.”

“There’s no problem with your magic.”

If there was no problem with her magic, then what was the reason for her rejection?

Unconsciously, Becky raised her hand and touched her face. Even though she had just received a single notice, she suddenly felt as if she had aged.

“Then what is… the problem?”

“Don’t be confined to the academy. You need adventure, and the great forest of the elves would be a great experience.”

There was no malicious intent in Flan’s words.

In other words, Flan was genuinely concerned about Becky’s future without any ill intentions.

…Flan is worried about my future.

It was a tremendously gratifying thing. However, Becky couldn’t simply be happy about it. If she didn’t become a secretary, her only option left would be to graduate.

“Then…”

“You are rejected.”

It was the final nail in the coffin.

She hadn’t even had the chance to present the materials she had prepared to become a secretary, yet she was already hearing the rejection notice.

“You may leave now.”

With those words, the Dean’s office became extremely quiet. Becky couldn’t bring herself to move, while Flan looked back at his newspaper as if the matter was concluded.

How much time passed like that? For Becky, it felt like an eternity.

The one to break the silence was Flan.

“Haven’t you heard the result?”

“I heard it clearly.”

Becky responded quickly, without any gap between their exchanges. The girl now had a face filled with even more determination.

“Thank you for worrying about my future and for telling me what I should do.”

Becky’s hands had, at some point, clenched into tight fists.

“But the interview isn’t over yet.”

“That’s for me to decide.”

“No, I still have something to say.”

Becky continued to speak clearly.

Though she had always been clumsy, today she wasn’t wearing her hat crookedly, and her attire was neat. Moreover, the trembling of her body gradually subsided.

“Looking back, it seems like others always decided what I should do. Naturally. First, because I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and second, because I lacked the ability.”

“So?”

“So… from now on, I will decide how to live my life.”

“It looks like you’re throwing a tantrum.”

Flan’s attitude was firm.

Honestly, from his position, there was no particular reason to take Becky as a secretary. The process of refining the raw stone was now coming to an end, and keeping her by his side was almost a luxury.

But Becky’s feelings were entirely different.

“I’ve thought about it countless times, but I want to become a secretary. I want to do something that allows me to stay by your side for a long time.”

“I’m curious about the reason that led to such an unreasonable decision.”

“Reason? Well…”

Becky clenched her fists even tighter.

After taking a deep breath, she shouted.

“…Because I like you!”

◈

Maiev had come to the academy for the first time in a long while.

How long had she wandered the world? Well, in fact, it had only been about two years, so it wasn’t that long.

What was important to her was the accumulation of diverse experiences.

Even though Maiev had lived a long life as a vampire, she still lacked in her human aspects. She wandered for two years not just to ‘pretend to be human’ but to truly become one.

And today, she finally arrived at the academy.

‘Am I about ten minutes late? Is that okay?’

While thinking such thoughts, Maiev reached the door of the Dean’s office and hesitated to knock.

The door opened on its own. It wasn’t the movement caused by telekinesis. Someone inside had pulled the door open and was coming out.

“…Becky?”

Maiev recognized the other person first, but unfortunately, she couldn’t hear a response.

“….”

Becky glanced at Maiev and then looked away.

It didn’t seem like she was avoiding eye contact because it was Maiev. For some reason, Becky’s face was flushed red as if it was about to explode.

Maiev spoke.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“Um…. Ah, uhm….”

Judging by her condition, she really did seem unwell.

“Hehe.”

Becky suddenly twitched the corners of her mouth. To Maiev, she looked as if she had been mentally attacked.

“Hihihi….”

Becky continued to giggle as she walked away.

“What’s wrong with her?”

What on earth had happened in the past two years for Becky’s mental state to become so strange? Shaking her head, Maiev stepped inside.

“What is it?”

A voice she hadn’t heard in a long time.

The voice she had longed to hear.

Maiev had prepared for this moment for two years, but Flan acted as if they had met just an hour ago.

“Do you have much to say?”

“Not that much.”

“Then speak standing.”

“Alright.”

Maiev snapped her fingers while standing. The backpack behind her opened, and documents started to fly out one by one.

“I traveled around the human world for two years, investigating various things. I also experienced a lot firsthand.”

“If it’s about the secretary position, that has already been decided.”

“Please hear me out. This isn’t about the secretary interview.”

Maiev continued speaking calmly. Flan, with an indifferent gaze, seemed willing to listen.

“I just want to continue practicing magic. I’m asking for a little help with that.”

“Support isn’t difficult.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Maiev slid something onto Flan’s desk.

“To continue living as a human, I need this.”

What Maiev placed on Flan’s desk was none other than a marriage registration form.

Flan’s eyebrows twitched. He was about to say something to Maiev, but she spoke a beat faster.

“You already said you’d help. You clearly did.”