Academy’s Undercover Professor

“Rine. What did I just say?”

“Y-Yes? What did I just say?”

Rine blinked blankly and echoed the question.

Ludger stared at her without a word.

His gaze, cold and unyielding like forged steel, made Rine shrink her shoulders and nervously mouth at the air.

‘What do I do? I asked a question and then said something weird, so now he’s mad at me.’

Ludger was someone who abided by principles and rules.

At least, as far as Rine knew, that was the case.

‘I must be insane.’

She had come all this way out of curiosity, only to get lost in her own head.

It was no wonder Ludger was angry.

“Rine.”

“I-I’m sorry! Lately I’ve been really tired, and my mind’s all over the place. I haven’t been sleeping well, so I think I just blurted that out without realizing it...”

It was a pitiful excuse—hardly convincing—but it was all she could say.

Fortunately, Ludger didn’t press the issue further.

“...Proper sleep is important. It’s good that you’re dedicated to your studies, but don’t take it so far that you sacrifice rest.”

“Yes, understood.”

Rine let out a sigh of relief inwardly.

Just as she was about to step back—

“Rine.”

“Y-Yes?”

Startled that he might still be picking on her for earlier, Rine responded with a deflated voice.

Realizing her tone, her face flushed red.

“Have you... perhaps not been able to sleep recently because of something—”

Just as Ludger was about to ask something, his assistant, Sedina, approached him.

“Professor Ludger.”

“What is it, Sedina?”

“The Headmaster is calling for you.”

The Headmaster?

Ludger turned his gaze toward the hallway outside the classroom.

Through the open door, a figure stood watching them with gentle eyes.

‘Wilford.’

The Headmaster’s aide—and Seorn’s steward.

But his true identity was that of a retired knight. A formidable one at that.

‘Why is the Headmaster suddenly calling for me?’

He had plenty of reasons to be called in, but none so specific that he could guess which it might be.

“I understand.”

Ludger nodded and began gathering his class materials.

Seeing his retreating figure as he left the classroom, Rine let out a quiet breath of relief.

‘If I had said I just remembered the name from a dream, he probably would’ve scolded me hard.’

Knowing Ludger’s personality, he would’ve lectured her for being distracted by something as frivolous as a dream.

It was lucky she’d managed to brush it off.

‘But still, what is this strange feeling?’

She should be relieved. Her head knew that much. Yet her chest felt otherwise.

A heavy, leaden weight clogged her insides, tight and suffocating.

Something within her was bubbling up—but it refused to surface.

Why?

For some reason, her eyes lingered on Ludger’s back as he walked away.

* * *

“I heard you called for me.”

This time, Ludger had not been summoned to the Headmaster’s office.

It was the high terrace of the main building.

This was where Headmaster Elisa had asked him to come.

“Welcome, Professor Ludger. Please, have a seat.”

A table for refreshments and guest chairs had been prepared on the terrace.

Ludger took a seat without hesitation.

When he turned his eyes, he saw Seorn Academy’s vast grounds sprawled beyond the finely sculpted marble balustrade.

Even from this height, the grounds were too expansive to take in all at once.

He turned back toward the Headmaster.

She was sitting upright, with impeccable posture, looking at him steadily.

As always, a faint smile played on her lips.

On the surface, nothing was out of the ordinary.

She looked like the Headmaster he always knew.

But Ludger didn’t take that at face value.

The Headmaster looked the same as always.

It was precisely because she looked the same as always... that it was a problem.

“Do you like tea?”

“I don’t dislike it.”

At Elisa’s gesture, a teacup and teapot floated over from afar.

Chorrr.

The teapot poured its contents smoothly.

Even through the use of telekinetic magic, not a single drop splashed from the stream.

“Please, help yourself.”

A teacup naturally landed in front of Ludger.

He accepted it without protest and savored the aroma.

“White Rivenda petals.”

“You know it?”

“The village of Senderil in the Queoden Kingdom. A small valley that’s neither too hot nor cold. The flower only grows there. The area is tiny, and it’s difficult to cultivate, so it’s extremely rare.”

“I didn’t realize you were so well-versed in tea, Professor Ludger.”

“It’s not something one can acquire simply with money. It’s far too fine to be offered to a guest, I’d say.”

“Oh, come now. If it’s you, Professor Ludger, you’re more than deserving of it.”

“Is that so.”

Offering such a rare tea was, in effect, a kind of praise.

It was as if to say: You’re worth serving this tea to without hesitation.

In other words, it was recognition.

‘But she didn’t call me here just to give me a pat on the back.’

Wilford, who usually accompanied her in all but the most private affairs, had deliberately stepped aside this time.

They were alone.

Which meant this conversation was meant to be private.

Ludger took a sip of the Rivenda tea.

Its sharp but smooth aroma danced on his tongue.

The sweetness was just right for his taste.

“If you didn’t call me just to serve rare tea, then let me be direct—what is the reason you summoned me?”

“Are you that curious about why I called you here, Professor Ludger?”

“......”

Ludger stayed silent.

There was no benefit in tipping his hand.

Seeing this, the Headmaster chuckled softly—then moved to the main point.

“The reason I called you here separately, Professor Ludger, is because I want to make you an offer.”

“An offer?”

“Yes. Ever since you arrived, you’ve worked tirelessly for Seorn with utmost dedication, haven’t you? Eliminating werewolves, capturing bad actors, protecting the students.”

There was a subtle implication in her words.

Yet Elisa never explicitly said, I know your true identity.

Ludger, likewise, didn’t bring it up.

“I merely did what I had to do.”

As a teacher, he gave the only appropriate answer.

He wasn’t about to be guilted into revealing his identity.

“There are many who don’t even do what they’re supposed to. But you, Professor Ludger, you did it. I don’t know why you went that far, but in the end, everything turned out well, didn’t it?”

She took a sip of her tea.

The brilliant gold of her irises reflected the teacup.

And then, those eyes turned toward Ludger.

“So I thought about it. No matter how new a teacher you are, if you’ve done this much, you deserve a fitting reward, don’t you?”

“I didn’t do it hoping for a reward.”

“Still, it’s my duty in this position to offer one. I gave it some thought—what sort of reward would satisfy both the giver and the receiver.”

She clapped her hands once.

“And I came up with a good idea. I think it’ll be a positive thing for you, too.”

“What would that be?”

“You’re currently in charge of the second-year students, correct? Quite unusual for a new instructor.”

Ludger nodded.

“Even so, you teach more first-years than second-years.”

“Well, that doesn’t matter. Anyway, Professor Ludger, you haven’t even reached your one-year mark yet. You’re adjusting quickly, but you still lack experience.”

“Yes. Which is why I intend to continue improving.”

“That’s why I wanted to ask...”

For the first time, the Headmaster trailed off.

Here it comes.

Ludger sharpened his focus on what she was about to say.

“How would you like to join the Planning Division?”

Elisa’s offer was wholly unexpected.

She wasn’t telling him to reveal himself.

She wasn’t demanding that he surrender.

Rather, she was offering him a new position.

“The Planning Division...?”

“More precisely, you’d be assigned as one of the evaluators under the Planning Department.”

“An Evaluation Officer within the Planning Department. That’s not exactly a minor position, as far as I know.”

“Yes. You’re aware that Seorn has various affiliated departments, aren’t you?”

Ludger nodded.

Of course he did.

Seorn itself was practically the size of a city.

It wasn’t just a place where students came to study.

It housed residential facilities, living quarters, and recreation areas.

It had laboratories, administrative offices, a central library, training grounds, and even a museum.

Just the number of faculty and residents alone was considerable.

While it couldn't quite compare to the nearby major city of Rederbelk, it was large enough to be treated as a small city.

Its internal infrastructure rivaled that of many urban centers.

Naturally, it had numerous departments to handle its many functions.

The position Elisa was offering—Planning Evaluation Officer—was part of one of those departments.

The Planning Division, by name alone, didn’t sound particularly grand. But its actual authority was formidable.

It handled performance oversight, internal audits, external partnerships, and curriculum evaluations.

But its greatest power lay in one thing: budget control.

To run research or classes, funding was essential.

And the department that managed that funding was none other than the Planning Division.

And now he was being offered a place in that very office?

It was an incredibly enticing offer.

Which made Ludger all the more suspicious.

“May I ask why you’re making this proposal?”

“Well, it just so happens that a position in the Planning Division has been vacant for quite a while.”

Elisa said it casually, but Ludger wasn’t buying it. A position being open wasn’t enough reason to offer it to someone.

The Planning Division wasn’t something one simply walked into.

Only faculty members were eligible.

And even then, only those with seniority and a strong record.

‘And you want to put me in such a critical position—even though I haven’t even been here a year?’

From the way she spoke, it didn’t sound like she’d discussed this with others either.

It seemed to be a decision she’d made independently.

‘Placing me in the Planning Division means giving me immense power within Seorn. Even though it’s supposedly under Academic Affairs, all it really does is approve important paperwork. Staff can be recruited and managed internally as needed.’

Low risk, high return.

And with that, one would gain authority within Seorn—naturally, it was a position many teachers coveted. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

And yet the Headmaster was offering it to him by her own authority.

To grant such power to someone she suspected was hiding his true identity?

She would have to be utterly mad.

‘She must be giving me more authority on purpose—so she can watch me from even closer.’

Ludger couldn’t help but admire her nerve.

‘Because that’s how you reduce variables.’

It also meant she placed an extremely high value on his abilities.

More than fearing the uncertainty of his identity, she respected the competence he had shown thus far.

Even if someone had the right background, if they couldn’t perform, they wouldn’t be trusted with the role.

Conversely, if someone was shrouded in mystery but proved capable, they would be given the title and responsibility to match.

Was it a pure meritocratic perspective?

Or was it confidence—that she could personally manage any uncertainty?

“What do you think?”

Elisa asked with a gentle smile.

“If you say you’d like the position, I can push it through using my authority as Headmaster.”

“And what would you gain from going that far, Headmaster?”

“Me? Nothing. But you would gain something. A person should hold a position that reflects their true ability.”

I see, Ludger replied, sinking into thought.

No matter how he looked at it, this seemed like an act of self-sabotage on the Headmaster’s part.

She was forcibly placing a new instructor who hadn’t even been here a full year into a highly coveted position.

It was bound to provoke backlash.

The first name that came to mind was, naturally, Hugo Burteg.

That man would froth at the mouth screaming that this was abuse of power and try to vilify the Headmaster.

Other faculty members who supported her would also be affected.

Some among them would undoubtedly begin to question her decisions—and resent Ludger.

Why him and not me?

There would be no shortage of whispering behind the scenes.

And yet, Elisa had made her offer.

Why?

She wasn’t foolish. And she certainly wasn’t the type to take a loss for no reason.

‘Because even after weighing all that, what she stands to gain outweighs the risk.’

And what she stood to gain—was Ludger Cherish himself.

Outwardly smiling, inwardly sharp-eyed.

‘The more brilliant someone is, the more tempting it is to keep them close.’

Danger?

That was precisely why one kept them nearby.

If someone was close, they were less likely to do anything reckless.

She was fully aware others would talk.

But so what?

Everyone in Seorn had talent—it’s how they got in.

But many of them had been overpraised for that talent.

Especially the noble faction led by Hugo—they’d monopolized their positions for too long.

And now, with recent external interference making things difficult, she couldn’t afford to let such people keep running rampant.

What she needed was a blade to cut through it all.

And Ludger was the ideal blade.

Too sharp. Too precise. Capable of cutting through anything.

She planned to use that blade to first trim away the rot within.

Ludger understood her intent perfectly.

‘She’s offering me a deal: I won’t question your identity or origins. In return, take my hand and «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» work with me.’

What a remarkable woman.

To make such a gamble without losing her head.

He rather liked her for it.

In the end, both of them were well aware of each other’s circumstances.

And yet, neither said it aloud.

Because they were both sharp enough to understand without words.

‘A threat like Seorn voluntarily offering to become my shield—it’s a favor I should be thankful for.’

With the Headmaster extending her hand, one burden was lifted.

But—

‘Still, I don’t like being pulled along like this.’

Since they both understood each other anyway, Ludger saw no need to preserve formalities.

He made his decision and spoke calmly.

“Your offer is extremely tempting, Headmaster. Honestly, I’m grateful you’d even think to offer me something like this.”

“Oh my. Is that so? I’m glad to hear it.”

“Yes. Which is why I’d like to add a small proposal of my own.”

“Oh? And what would that be?”

Go ahead and say it—her golden eyes said.

What?

Nothing special.

If they were going to reward him for his abilities, then he would aim even higher.

“Being a regular member of the Planning Division isn’t enough. If you grant me its leadership—the position of Head of the Planning Department—I’ll accept.”

For the first time, a visible crack appeared on Elisa’s previously cheerful face.