Chapter 31
The Next Day
The next morning, my steps carried me through the upper floors of the Imperial Mage Academy, where the offices of the head professors resided.
This part of the academy was unlike the rest—every corridor was adorned with polished marble floors that reflected the light of floating crystal lanterns, every wall lined with velvet drapes and portraits of legendary professors from ages past.
The air itself felt heavy with dignity and authority, as if these halls recognized only those who had earned their right to walk upon them.
It was exquisite—luxurious in a way that the lower floors could never compare.
For me, this place was more than just a hallway of offices.
It was a vision of the future I had set my sights upon.
One of my most important goals was to become a head professor.
That title wasn't just about prestige; it was the key to entering the academy's treasure room—or, as it was often whispered, the forbidden chamber.
Within that vault lay artifacts, knowledge, and resources that could grant unimaginable advantages.
Treasures beyond imagination.
To step into that room was to step closer to limitless possibilities.
If I became a head professor, I would gain the privilege to access it.
And that wasn't the only reason.
The head professors trained some of the empire's brightest and most promising students—disciples who later became the pride of the academy, even the empire itself.
To be counted among their ranks would not only secure my future but also mark me as a true leader within the magical world.
And now, to be summoned personally by the Supreme Head Professor herself… it was a sign.
A sign that the path to becoming a head professor was opening right before me.
All I had to do was complete two tasks: finalize the Mana Stone project I had been developing, and ensure that my own students triumphed in the upcoming Mage's Competition against the rival academies.
The Empire stretched wide, containing many kingdoms within its vast borders.
Each kingdom prided itself on its own Mage or Knight Academy, and every year a grand competition was held between them.
The event was not just for prestige; it was the empire's way of measuring which institutions produced the most skilled students, and—just as importantly—which professors were capable of raising them.
Victory there meant recognition, honor, and undeniable proof of one's worth.
If I could etch my name into that stage, if my students won glory, then even if the Supreme Head Professor herself wished to deny me, she would be forced to grant me the title of head professor without hesitation.
Fortunately, I had never done anything that might anger her.
On the contrary, my path so far had been smooth, carefully measured, and without unnecessary offense.
Becoming a head professor would be only the first step.
My eyes were set far higher.
What I truly desired was the seat of the Supreme Head Professor itself.
With that title, I would have absolute authority over the academy—free rein to claim whatever resources I wanted, unrestricted access to every vault and archive, and the freedom to pursue my ambitions without the interference of anyone questioning my methods.
The mundane responsibilities of administration?
I would simply delegate them to others more suited to such tedium, while I directed my energy toward power and progress.
But to reach that seat, I would have to surpass the current Supreme Head Professor.
That was the greatest obstacle in all my plans.
She was not only the strongest professor in the academy but also one of the most remarkable teachers in the history of the Empire.
Her disciples alone were proof of her brilliance—each one a prodigy who carried her teachings into greatness.
Strength, however, was the true barrier.
To even stand a chance against her, I would need to ascend to the very peak of Tier 4 or even break into Tier 5.
She was no ordinary mage; she was one of the three Supreme Mages of the Empire, an elite group revered across the continent.
Among them, she was without equal.
Legends told how she had fought the other two Supreme Mages at the same time and had defeated them both with ease.
Many whispered she was the closest of all to achieving the mythical Tier 6—a realm most mages doubted could even be reached.
But I would find a way.
Somehow, I would uncover the secrets that lay beyond the known tiers.
First, however, I needed to understand why such limits existed at all—why the ascent seemed to halt after Tier 3, the Archmage level.
There was a reason, hidden somewhere in the world's laws, and once I grasped it, the path forward would reveal itself.
My steps finally carried me to the grand door at the end of the corridor.
A knight stood there, motionless, as if carved from stone.
His presence was suffocating, his aura pressing against the very air.
He was no ordinary guard—his strength was that of a Tier 4 Diamond Knight, a guardian whose very existence was a warning: only those permitted may pass.
I did not falter.
The lines of fortune and fate seemed to converge here, urging me forward, guiding my hand.
A small smile tugged at my lips as I raised my fist and knocked upon the door.
From within came a voice—smooth, calm, and commanding.
"Come in."
I opened the door and froze for a heartbeat, stunned by how vast the chamber inside was.
It wasn't merely large — it was cavernous, every inch filled with curios, shelves of arcane tomes, and devices that hummed with restrained power.
In the center of the room sat a plush couch, low and indulgent; on it a girl with green hair lounged as if she owned the world.
She wore almost nothing — a scant garment that left little to the imagination — and she watched a flickering screen with casual interest.
The screen showed a recorded battle: one of the duels I had fought, the clash where I faced a Tier 3 — Archmage and a Tier 3 — Gold Knight.
She chewed on a handful of chips, the motion unbothered, as if laying waste to entire battlefields was the sort of spectacle one might consume between snacks.
When her gaze finally turned toward me, her face, still beautiful even in its lazy amusement, tilted into a smirk. "Aren't you coming in?" she asked, voice smooth as silk and deliberately slow, as though savoring the moment.
I stepped forward and took in her appearance properly; the piece she wore barely covered her breasts and even less of her lower half — not an armor, not a robe, merely the hint of fabric where modesty should be.
She did not seem to care about propriety.
She smiled as I approached, and I found a seat on the other couch opposite her.
My own smile was steady, respectful. "Why did you call me, Supreme Professor?" I asked.
"Interesting question," she replied, stretching languidly as if the inquiry amused her.
"Truthfully, I just found the way you fought here… quite alluring." She folded her legs and sat up straighter, crossing them with a practiced grace that made the motion seem almost ritualistic.
"Even for me, facing a Mage and a Knight at the same time is difficult. It's a terrible combination—magic plus disciplined melee. I wouldn't win against that unless the opposing pair lacked teamwork. If they couldn't coordinate, I could exploit that and my chances would rise, though I still couldn't promise victory."
She smiled, eyes alight. "But you faced opponents who knew how to corner and cooperate, and yet you prevailed. You nearly killed them before that barrier appeared at the last moment."
She scanned me up and down with an assessing look that felt like a measuring tape.
Then she said plainly, "I'm going to give you a chance. The only condition is simple — do you disagree?"
I kept my voice calm. "It depends on the offer, and what you would have me do, Supreme Professor."
A soft chuckle escaped her, and she shook her head. "Just call me Arian." She paused to watch my reaction.
"Okay, Arian. So what is the chance you've been talking about?" I asked, careful to keep my tone respectful.
Her answer came clean and blunt: "A chance of becoming one of the Head Professors, and a chance to gain my position as Supreme Mage."
The words landed like a thrown gauntlet.
For a moment I was confused; the offer seemed too generous — why would someone at the summit of her power hand me a path to that summit?
What motive lay beneath such sudden largesse?
"Why?" I asked simply.
The question was straightforward: why would a woman so high in power extend such an opportunity?
She must have investigated my aims already — my goals were not subtle — and yet she appeared to be removing obstacles rather than adding them.
What reason could she have for accelerating my ascent?
Her answer came without hesitation.
"Because, of all the mages I've seen in the two hundred years I've been alive, none match your talent. None match mine, either. Your talent surpasses mine in some ways. If you'd been born with an elemental affinity, you'd already be famous beyond measure.
Even without one, you command every element — perhaps with less finesse in each, but with a control no one else possesses." She leaned forward, eyes gleaming.
"You took the most basic affinity — the one every mage has — and turned it into something extraordinary. No other mage in the world can compare to you in terms of raw mana control. Your vision, your… kind eyesight, it made me curious.
I wanted to see how far you'd go, and what you might do to push magic forward as a whole. I couldn't manipulate mana at that particular level myself, but recently I crafted a spell that matches the one you used — and I must admit, it is devastating."
She tapped a finger against her lip, amused. "Besides, I just want to see you grow. I want to be defeated by you."
I pressed for clarity. "May I know the reason?" I asked again, though by now the pieces began to fall into place.
She laughed, a sound half like a child's giggle and half like a triumphant bell. "Because I want you to marry me." Her announcement hung in the air, unexpected and brazen.
"I made a promise to myself: only the strongest would marry me. So I became this powerful to test anyone who claimed strength. If someone truly wanted to marry me, could they first defeat me when I was at my fiercest?" She waved one hand, as if dismissing the difficulty of the idea.
"At that time, two other Tier 5s challenged me — I beat them both. Even one of the Tier 5 Knights tried and failed. So yes, I want someone who is or can become stronger than me to be my partner."
She paused, watching me with eyes that shone with something like hunger and hope. "But if you don't wish it, say no. I don't mind."
Arian's gaze was fixed on me with an intensity that made the air between us electric — she regarded me as though I were a star in a dark sky, a singular point of light worthy of all her attention.
She had found in me something rare: potential not just to rival but perhaps to surpass her own.
She was extremely excited to see someone who has equal or greater potential then herself.