Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 153:

Translator: MarcTempest

Proofreader: naturallyInconsistent

Chapter 153 I will become a spark.

The Cloud family’s mansion.

The Cloud family’s master’s room, renowned among the knights as a prestigious place. 

There was only a cold atmosphere there at the moment.

“So.”

The Cloud family’s master, Conrad, broke the silence.

His hair and the cross-shaped scar under his eye shone silver in the light. His dignity was like a sword forged into a human shape, clearly showing that he was no ordinary person.

“…”

“And not even against Flan, who’s been causing a ruckus lately, but to the Blue Flame, that’s what I hear.”

“I’m sorry.”

January bowed his head.

His appearance standing in front of Conrad was pitiful. His hair was burnt and curled up in places, and his exposed skin was full of burn marks.

“Didn’t you guarantee that you could get von Fritz?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know what’s going on right now.”

“I’m sorry.”

That was all January could say.

For a while, there was no sound in the master’s room. Only occasionally did Conrad puff out some smoke from his cigar.

The one who broke the silence was Conrad’s daughter, who was standing next to him. Elphis.

“You say you’re sorry with your mouth, but you’re still alive, huh.”

Her voice was cold and sharp like an icicle.

Her hair and the cross-shaped tattoo on her cheek sparkled silver like a blade. She looked exactly like her father, but her ‘resemblance’ was not limited to her appearance.

“Why are you so quiet? I get the urge to carve out something from you if you’re too quiet.”

Elphis inherited Conrad’s cold personality. She was the opposite of Kian, the leader of the Azure, who was round and sociable.

“January, can you still be quiet even if your fingers are cut off? Why don’t you say something?”

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

January kept bowing his head and looking at his toes. But Elphis didn’t seem to be done yet, and continued.

“You were the ones who asked for the Cloud family’s cooperation first. You emphasized several times that von Fritz was in within grasp.”

“…Yes.”

The Cloud family had a simple way of keeping their high status. 

Elphis used her insight to roll the capital, and Conrad eliminated the enemies.

Therefore, it was also Elphis who agreed to this cooperation. Von Fritz was also a very good prey for the Cloud family, who had always grown by devouring something.

“A prestigious mage family that serves the knights, a tower construction obstruction, the support of other knights… It was a deal that could achieve all of this at once.”

Elphis fiddled with the hilt of her sword.

“You failed perfectly. January, what did you do wrong? Do you know?”

She quietly drew her sword and pointed it at January’s neck.

January swallowed his dry saliva and opened his mouth.

“Losing… completely…?”

“Wrong. That’s not very accurate.”

Elphis sneered.

“It’s the fact that you mentioned the Cloud family. You should have just died quietly if you lost. Thanks to you, the Cloud family became a family tied to a mere loser.”

“I’ll take the punishment.”

“Yes. The most effective solution is execution.”

Elphis was about to push her wrist when

Conrad opened his mouth.

“Stop.”

All the movement in the master’s room stopped with just two words. Conrad’s gaze was not directed at January or Elphis.

His eyes were on April, who was standing quietly behind him.

“April.”

“Yes.”

“You also lost.”

“Yes, Conrad.”

Conrad’s eyes narrowed as he talked to April. He took a deep puff of his cigar and asked.

“April, you don’t have any resentment on your face.”

That was Conrad’s biggest question.

If they looked back at their first visit to the Cloud mansion, both April and January had faces full of ambition.

The desire to fill their stomachs somehow, even if they had to lower their pride as mages. He liked that.

But now, he couldn’t see that in April.

“Am I right?”

“Yes, Conrad.”

“I’d like to hear the reason.”

Only then did Elphis glance at April with a curious eye. 

The one who broke the silence was April, after a long time.

“I realized.”

“You realized. Is that what you’re saying?”

“That was… a flame that suited von Fritz.”

April said calmly, even though she was battered and bruised.

“I have realized my theme. I have lost my ambition. I want to go back to the Great Forest and quietly hone my flame.”

Elphis, who was listening from the side, clicked her tongue.

“Lord, she seems to have gone mad. I will visit von Fritz personally and settle this matter.”

But the one who answered was April.

“I don’t know if it can be settled.”

“…You insolent wretch.”

Elphis’s hand, which had already started to move, was grabbed by Conrad’s smoke. The eyes of the mother and daughter met, and as soon as Elphis met the lord’s eyes, she sheathed her sword.

Without saying a word, Conrad stopped Elphis and opened his mouth with a slightly interested expression.

“April, you just uttered a doubtful remark about Cloud’s power.”

“Yes.”

“Is that also enlightenment?”

“No.”

April shook her head from side to side.

“I really don’t know, so I said that. Flan told me…”

She said with a puzzled look.

“Even if the Cloud family interferes, the outcome will never change.”

“…!”

Elphis’s face was filled with disbelief. Conrad also paused the cigar he was bringing to his mouth.

“What did you just babble?”

Conrad put down the cigar on the desk.

He looked different from before, when he seemed to be listening to someone else’s story. A presence like smoke spread around Conrad.

April looked back at January and said.

“That’s right, January. You heard it too.”

“Huh? Uh, uhh…. That’s true, but…”

Conrad’s expression became subtle.

‘Is it just a magical confidence? Or….’

Conrad’s son, Kian. 

He was a promising knight who led the Azure knights, but he died in the dangerous area of Verkel. And he even chose the worst option of becoming a demon.

Only Flan’s party knew the truth.

Conrad asked with a nagging feeling.

“Was there any mention of the witches?”

“…The witches?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Conrad’s eyes became colder.

“January, April. Tell me everything you heard at the mansion. You can’t leave anything out.”

“Yes.”

After hearing their stories, Conrad nodded his head. He lit a new cigar.

‘There was no mention of the witches.’

Fortunately, the worst case scenario had not happened yet, but he needed to tie up the loose ends before it got more troublesome.

The Cloud family was Conrad’s masterpiece and a tower that he had built with his blood and sweat for his whole life. It must never collapse.

He soon made up his mind and nodded his head.

“Elphis. Prepare for the dawn butterfly collection. We don’t have much time left until we leave for Reheln Hill.”

“Yes, Lord.”

Elphis nodded quietly. Born in the Cloud family, she could never go against Conrad’s will.

“And January, April.”

Conrad reached out his hand quietly. January flinched at the inexplicable force.

Then Conrad chuckled.

“What are you flinching for? You said you would return to the Great Forest.”

“Yes?”

He handed them two cigars.

“Have one before you leave. It’s the last farewell.”

“Yes?”

“Take it.”

“Yes, yes….”

January and April reluctantly took them.

They didn’t have a hobby of smoking cigars, but they thought it wasn’t too bad if they could end their relationship with this.

“You can light it yourself. Whether it’s white flame or whatever.”

“Yes…. Cough! Cough!”

January and April coughed from the spicy taste that hit their throats, and Conrad looked at them amusedly. In the meantime, the smoke penetrated their lungs.

In the end, until Conrad burned all the cigars, April and January only smoked the end part.

“That’s enough. You can leave now.”

“Cough, cough! Thank you. Then….”

As April and January turned around.

Whoosh─!

The smoke that had penetrated their lungs shot out sharply, piercing through their bodies. 

A shocking power that wielded smoke like a sword, slaughtering the enemies. This was Conrad’s unique ability.

“Ugh…?” “Cough…!”

The siblings fell without a chance to question anything, their guts ripped apart. Their bodies were so distorted that it was hard to believe they were human.

Cloud, Flan, Reheln Hill, Dawn Butterfly… Conrad sorted out the pieces in his head and uttered a single word.

“Dispose of them.”

◈

It would have been nice if it was a dream, but this was a flashback.

Dawn.

Father kept raising flames even in his exhausted state. Trixie still remembered that sight vividly.

His effort was not bound by time or place. He burned himself with fire, always living like a flame.

Young Trixie could not understand.

Mother was already the peak of the blue flame.

If he could not produce flames like mother, no matter how hard he tried, wouldn’t it be enough to live happily with such a woman as his wife?

Why did he have to be so obsessed? Trixie could not comprehend his father, who wore out his heart with his effort.

─It’s not for me.

Isaac from the past said that.

─I will become a spark.

He said that a small spark was needed before a big fire could spread to the firewood. He said he would be that spark.

“…”

Trixie opened his eyes around then.

He saw the familiar ceiling.

His body condition was perfect. He took a few breaths and got up right away.

Then something fell under the bed. He didn’t notice, but something had been placed on his stomach.

“…Trivia.”

A single trivia. 

It was not his.

But what really bothered him was the note that fell with it.

[ Come to the grave. ]

That was all it said on the note.

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