Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 270: The Black Lion (1)

In the central plaza, where the grand fountain stood, a large gathering of mages had formed.

They were the mentors who had come to accompany and guide the students for the duration of the field training.

The students from Seorn immediately recognized who these mages were.

After all, as students devoted to the study of magic, they could tell at a glance.

“W-Wait—is that Caroline Monarch?!”

“Whoa! Phyron’s here too!”

“Loina Pavlini?! I’ve read every one of her papers! I’ve never seen her in person before!”

“Even Sir Ironmask showed up!”

To the students who studied magic, the mentors gathered in the plaza were as awe-inspiring as celebrities.

It felt like witnessing an All-Star game made up of their personal role models.

“We heard impressive names would be showing up, but this is on a whole different level.”

“Seriously. My head’s spinning already.”

The upperclassmen had warned them that many famous people might come, but no one expected this many.

And it made sense.

This year, the number of mentor applicants had tripled compared to the previous year.

Among them, the ratio of high-circle mages had increased significantly.

In fact, there were so many qualified applicants that it took considerable effort just to narrow them down.

Aidan and his friends were no exception in their excitement.

“Gasp! It’s Sir Phyron!”

Aidan’s eyes sparkled as he spotted a towering figure, a man with a muscular build that didn’t seem at all mage-like.

Seeing this, Taishy asked in a baffled voice,

“Why are you so excited?”

“Well, because he’s the person I respect most!”

“Respect?”

It was a word that didn’t quite suit Aidan—or so Taishy thought.

Sure, Aidan loved magic with a passion, and it wasn’t strange for him to admire someone.

But Aidan was more of a generalist—he admired everything and everyone.

Honestly, if any of these famous people had shown up, he’d probably be gushing with admiration all the same.

That he’d singled out just one among so many renowned mentors was what Taishy found most surprising.

“Why him? Is there a special reason you like him so much?”

So she had to ask.

And Aidan answered without hesitation, as if it were obvious.

“Well, you know my magic—it's all about moving my body, right?”

“That’s true.”

Aidan’s magic was anti-magic in nature, but that didn’t mean it could cancel all magic universally.

To use it, he had to channel it through a sword-like staff, wielding it as a weapon.

Because of that, Aidan had to physically train his body as well—something uncommon for most mages.

“That’s why I train my body too. But Phyron’s a high-circle mage and his physique is amazing.”

“Amazing?”

Taishy turned to look at Phyron.

A huge frame, bulging muscles, a thick neck, and a sharply chiseled jaw that radiated masculinity.

He looked more like a knight than a mage—no, more intimidating than most knights.

Just looking at him made Taishy feel dizzy.

Muscles? Sure, they were fine.

But too many? That was a problem. Frankly, it was grotesque.

From her perspective, Phyron’s physique was not “perfect”—it was excessive.

“Aidan. You really think that’s cool?”

“Of course! Look at that overflowing strength! I want to be just like that one day.”

“...”

Taishy imagined Aidan’s soft, innocent face paired with a grotesquely muscular body.

The image alone gave her goosebumps.

“No! Absolutely not!”

“Huh? What?”

“Just no! I’m completely against you bulking up!”

Watching the dumbfounded Aidan, Taishy firmly placed her hands on her hips.

“Anyway, don’t get too carried away. This field training is important, but there’s something else we need to focus on, remember?”

“Oh... Right, you’re right.”

Aidan nodded, mentally scolding himself for getting too excited.

Now that he thought about it, Taishy wasn’t wrong.

Field training was important, but they had another mission in mind: finding out what was going on with Leo, who had been acting strangely for a while now.

At Seorn, Leo had always managed to avoid them.

But during field training, with a set route and group movement, he couldn’t escape.

And yet, Aidan had already gotten distracted...

“Aidan, since you’re so unreliable, I guess I’ll have to take things seriously for both of us. Honestly, you’re not a little kid—just meeting a few seniors in the field and you’re already—Kyaaa!”

Taishy let out an involuntary, girlish scream as she spotted someone in the crowd.

“Taishy? Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“No way. No freaking way. That’s Casey Selmore! The one I admire most! The legendary detective of the century!”

“Uh... Taishy?”

“This is insane! What is Casey doing here?! I must be dreaming!”

“Taishy?”

“What should I do? Should I ask for an autograph right now? Aaaah! I can’t think straight!”

“Taishy!”

Aidan raised his voice, and only then did Taishy snap back to reality.

Realizing the scene she had just made, her face turned red as she cleared her throat awkwardly.

“...So, um, this is... It’s just that I’ve admired her for a long time.”

“Yeah. I got it.”

Aidan remembered all too clearly how just moments ago, Taishy had scolded him for acting like a child.

But showing a bit of kindness, he chose not to bring it up.

After everything they’d been through, Aidan had started to develop a bit of tact.

As the students continued to gawk in awe at their mentors, the mentors, in turn, had their eyes on just one person.

Ludger Cherish, who had joined as a supervising teacher.

Ludger could feel the weight of the attention directed at him.

Looks like everyone’s all fired up.

That was the nature of high-circle mages.

They were top-tier personnel recognized as elite executives within magical communities. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

People who, if they felt like it, could cancel their engagements at a moment’s notice—and still have their hosts bow in apology.

And now, such people had gathered to serve as mentors.

Even for Seorn, the premier magic academy of the Empire—no, the entire continent—this level of participation was unusual.

And Ludger knew perfectly well why.

I gave them the method for creating mana suppressants, but it probably didn’t work out the way they’d hoped.

There was a reason he had shared that formula during the Arcane Chamber presentation.

Even if they had the recipe, Ludger was certain they wouldn’t be able to reproduce it exactly.

The Old Mage Tower, the New Mage Tower, and various magical academies had all tried replicating it.

But after seeing subpar results, they realized—

Something critical was missing.

And Ludger Cherish knew what that something was.

They couldn’t exactly accuse him of deception now.

By the time the information was released, Ludger’s reputation in the magical world had already risen significantly.

Some desperate mages likely tried to obtain the missing information through underhanded means, but even that required careful consideration—depending on who the target was.

So what remained?

The only option was to get on his good side—and learn directly from Ludger himself.

Hence, the flood of high-circle mages sent as mentors.

It was a transparent ploy.

Of course, not everyone came with ulterior motives.

Phyron was a prime example of that.

“Ha ha ha! Professor Ludger! It’s been a while! How have you been?”

While others tried to subtly maneuver and maintain appearances, Phyron marched up without a hint of pretense.

He extended his hand for a hearty handshake, which Ludger accepted and returned.

“It’s our first time meeting again since the Arcane Chamber, isn’t it?”

“Exactly! Things have been so busy!”

Knowing that Phyron harbored no ill will, Ludger replied with a diplomatic smile.

“You look even more fit than before.”

“Ha ha! You noticed? I changed up my workout routine lately. For you to catch that—your eye for detail is remarkable! Have you trained too?”

“Only enough to maintain stamina.”

“Kuhaha! Even that much puts you ahead of most mages who don’t bother at all! I’m almost jealous!”

“Jealous, you say.”

Ludger raised a brow, surprised at the sudden admission.

“Of course! Researching how to increase mana output has always been our school’s dream!”

“Your school of magic would be...”

Ludger trailed off, already guessing what the answer would be.

Phyron, despite his massive physique, was a full-fledged mage who had trained his body to its limits.

His body was the result of a particular field of study.

The School of Muscular Vitalism.

It belonged to the faction Phyron was affiliated with—despite its comical name, it boasted a surprisingly large scale.

The magic they pursued was simple.

Physical strength.

-A mage’s body is too weak, and that’s why their mana output remains low!

-Strong mana dwells in a strong body!

While other magical factions stacked up books and quietly engaged in research...

...the School of Muscle Vitalism lifted barbells, pounded sandbags, and did squats.

It was a ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) place overflowing with sweat and shouts.

“Not only did he achieve what we all dreamed of, but he’s even humble about it! Is there anything more unfair in the world? Still, if this brings a good wind to the world of magic, then that’s enough! I’ll accept the result with grace!”

Despite those words, Phyron genuinely acknowledged Ludger.

“Of course, I do have the better face. Still, do your best and try to become as wild and manly as I am. Hm, perhaps growing a beard would be a good start.”

“Thank you for your generous understanding, but I’m afraid I don’t quite have the leisure at the moment.”

“Then how about paying our school a visit sometime? From what I can see, you don’t just have the potential—you’re overflowing with it!”

Phyron’s hawk-like eyes scanned Ludger’s body.

Others might have missed it, but Phyron could tell.

The well-trained body hidden beneath that black frock coat.

“You were modest, but I can see it. The tightly packed muscles all over your frame!”

Phyron’s eyes gleamed.

He had thought most magic academy professors were nothing but frail weaklings, yet here was such a shining raw gem.

That’s why he felt tempted.

“Well? How about a quick dumbbell session?”

“...I appreciate the offer, but I happen to be rather busy at the moment.”

Sensing a strange heat in Phyron’s gaze, Ludger felt a sense of crisis—if he let this continue, it might become dangerous—so he immediately declined.

Phyron acknowledged it with an air of resignation, though he still smacked his lips in regret.

“A shame. I could have sculpted your body into something truly magnificent.”

“...I’ll accept the sentiment with gratitude.”

“Hahaha! Most mages crumble the moment I suggest such a thing, but you remain perfectly polite. I felt it then too—you have a righteous spirit. Yes! That’s how a man should be!”

With a hearty laugh, Phyron excused himself, saying he would now go meet the students he’d been assigned.

Ludger shook his head.

Unlike other mages who concealed their motives, Phyron was blunt and honest to a fault.

Because of that, his unfiltered words and actions could be exhausting to deal with.

'And I already have enough people to be wary of over here.'

As Ludger surveyed the crowd of mentors, trying to gauge their intentions, his eyes met those of Casey.

'What’s this?'

He had sensed something was off since she submitted her mentor application.

It wasn’t like her.

Even now, the moment their eyes met, Casey abruptly turned her gaze away as if nothing had happened.

'Thought she’d shamelessly come over to start a fight again... but maybe not?'

Then what exactly was her reason for volunteering as a mentor?

Ludger couldn’t figure it out.

At that moment, someone recognized Ludger and called out to him.

“Oh! Professor Ludger Cherish!”

Ludger turned his head naturally toward the voice.

And when he saw who it was, his eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise.

“Miss Veronica, is that you?”

Veronica de Ville.

Deputy Commander of the Cold Steel Order, responsible for the vast Arret mountain range in the northern Empire.

“Haha. I’m honored you remember me.”

Her black hair tied neatly in a ponytail, she smiled warmly and approached Ludger.

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

“Yes. I’ve been doing fine. But what brings you here, Miss Veronica?”

“Today is the day Seorn is doing field study in the capital, correct? Because of that, the Imperial Household dispatched us to ensure the safety of the young talents—should anything happen. It’s essentially a security mission.”

“Someone of your rank is personally involved?”

“Of course, I’m not the only one here. Several of our knights from the Order have accompanied me.”

Though she explained it like that, Ludger still didn’t quite understand.

“In that case, doesn’t that leave a large gap in the northern mountain defense?”

“Oh, that’s fine. The Yuta Kingdom has recovered from the aftermath of its civil war and completed internal reorganization. Through collaboration with them, public security has actually improved, so our workload has lessened.”

Quite some time had passed since the end of the Yuta Kingdom’s civil war.

The newly crowned princess had demonstrated exceptional competence, restoring the war-torn nation and bringing it to a stage of stability.

But even with that, Ludger’s doubts weren’t easily dispelled.

The Cold Steel Order was one of the Empire’s three great knight orders under direct control of the Imperial Family.

And they sent people like that... for the sake of students?

'Could there have been some sort of deal between the Imperial Household and Seorn?'

But even in his position as Director of Planning, he had heard nothing of the sort.

Which meant either the Headmaster had contacted the Imperial Family privately...

'...Or it was a unilateral move by the Imperial Family.'

Ludger leaned toward the latter.

If that was the case, then while the talk of a “security mission” sounded reasonable—it might very well be a lie.

“Oh, and the Cold Steel Order isn’t the only one here. The sea guards didn’t come, but other knight orders were also dispatched.”

If they were knights sent by the Imperial Family, only one thing came to mind for Ludger.

“Ah. And there they come now.”

At Veronica’s words, Ludger turned his gaze toward one side of the plaza.

In the distance, a group of knights appeared.

Unlike the Cold Steel Order’s snowy-white uniforms, these knights wore uniforms as black as ink.

Considering their role in the Empire’s shadows, the color couldn’t have been more fitting.

The Nightcrawler Knights of the Security Bureau.

And leading them stood a person Ludger immediately recognized.

'Terrina Lionhowl.'

Snow-white hair and a charismatic presence.

A knight who had reached the level of a true master, guardian of the Empire.

And—

A nemesis he had once faced while acting as 'Arsène Lupin'.