Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 273: Field Study (2)

“What went through your minds when you felt my mana just now?”

No one dared to answer immediately.

More than just feeling its level, Caroline’s mana had exuded something beyond explanation—something uncanny.

“You probably can’t put it into words, but I’m sure you all felt fear. Am I right?”

“Yes...”

As the students answered, Caroline nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Of course you did. Despite how I look, I’m a mage of a higher tier than any of you. A high-ranking mage’s mana can suppress others—because I intended it that way.”

A tiger’s subsonic growl is said to induce tension and fear in its opponent.

Caroline’s mana had a similar effect—only far stronger.

Just facing that massive aura was enough to make someone forget their will to fight, seized entirely by fear.

The battle was already decided before it even began.

That was how Caroline had earned her title as a battlefield tyrant.

“You all trembled and averted your gaze. But these four didn’t. While the rest of you cowered in fear, these four never looked away from me. That’s why.”

Ah...

The students let out murmurs of understanding.

Still, some hadn’t fully grasped her reasoning, so Caroline added an explanation.

“What I’ll be teaching you isn’t spell theory or efficient casting techniques. It’s something far more practical.”

Unlike many mages, Caroline had traveled the continent, gaining true combat experience.

The world may appear peaceful.

But look closer, and you’d see that wasn’t quite true.

Small skirmishes, violent protests, minor battles, cryptid attacks—

Conflict never truly disappeared. It only looked that way.

“Most of you think rank is everything for a mage. But in real combat, that’s not the case.”

Caroline had seen it herself many times.

A mage of higher rank losing to one of a lower tier.

Spell structure, skill, even mana capacity—every metric pointed toward the higher-ranked mage.

But it still happened.

Because the difference lay in mindset.

“Don’t let fear control you. Even if your opponent is stronger, don’t flinch. Just by not losing your courage, you gain a chance to turn the tide.”

That was what Caroline, as a mentor, wanted her students to learn.

“Of course, most of you won’t go through what I have. Once you graduate, you’ll likely settle into cushy positions or sit in a room theorizing spell formations forever. That’s the path most Seorn graduates take.”

“You seem to know a lot about it?”

“Of course. I’m a Seorn graduate too.”

The students widened their eyes in surprise.

“You didn’t know? I was in the same year as your Headmaster.”

“You mean... Headmaster Elisa Willow?”

“Yeah.”

Caroline answered Taishy’s question immediately.

Elisa Willow, who had become Seorn’s headmaster at a young age, was renowned for her beauty, capability, and political finesse.

To the students, she was a life role model.

To hear that Caroline had attended Seorn in the same year as her...

The students couldn’t help but mentally compare the two women.

No matter how they looked at it, the contrast made it hard to believe they were the same age.

Caroline noticed their expressions and scowled.

“Hey, what’s with those looks, huh?! Back in school, I was even more popular than she was! Guys used to line up for me!”

“Really?”

“...Yes!”

There was a slight hesitation in her voice, but Caroline decided to double down.

‘It’s not a complete lie.’

Sure, the one receiving flowers and love letters had been Elisa.

But Caroline wasn’t entirely wrong, either.

If you counted the number of noble boys Caroline had knocked flat on the school grounds, she could’ve made her own line.

Every time she floored one, another would show up demanding, “Are you the arrogant commoner?”

And she’d knock that one down too.

Granted, she preferred magic over fists.

...Though occasionally, she had thrown a punch. Just a little.

‘Okay. Maybe I got challenge letters instead of love letters, but hey, they still lined up.’

If anyone had actually sent her a love letter, that person would’ve had some serious taste issues.

Thankfully—or perhaps unfortunately—no such thing had ever happened.

“Anyway, let’s get moving!”

Caroline took the lead.

Most students had been hoping for a sightseeing trip around the capital.

Caroline, understanding their expectations, decided to mix in some leisure despite her tough lectures.

So, while emphasizing the importance of combat readiness, she gave them some free time to explore the area.

Lindebrune was a tourist city.

No matter where you went, there was something to see—and especially, something to eat.

The students wandered about, buying and sampling tasty street food.

Aidan was no exception.

“...But Leo’s still off on his own.”

While waiting in line at a grilled skewer stall, Aidan glanced over at Leo standing alone some distance away.

Next to him, Taishy spoke.

“Don’t push it. If we try to get closer right now, he’ll probably just get annoyed and push us away harder.”

“Yeah. You’re right.”

“There’ll be more chances. No need to rush.”

“You care about Leo too, huh? Even with all that bickering between you two.”

Aidan smiled as he said it, and Taishy’s face turned red.

“W-what are you talking about? It just annoys me seeing him act weird!”

“Sure. Let’s go with that.”

“It’s not ‘let’s go with that,’ it’s the truth!”

While Taishy snapped back, Aidan just laughed and glanced at Iona.

She was silently munching her grilled skewer, but her eyes were locked on Leo—clearly worried as well.

Aidan hoped whatever was bothering Leo would resolve soon, and continued waiting for his order.

Just then, a new customer walked up beside him.

“Boss! Two of the spicy skewers, please!”

“Coming right up. One moment.”

It was a cheerful female voice, and Aidan found it oddly familiar.

‘Hmm... That voice... I used to hear it a lot... kind of sounds like my master.’

As that silly thought crossed his mind, he turned his head—just as the new customer looked his way.

Unkempt strands of long black hair, messily tied in a ponytail.

That signature light, carefree aura was unforgettable.

“Master?”

“Aidan?”

The voice that had seemed so familiar really was her.

The very mentor who had taught him anti-magic during his childhood.

* * *

Loina Pavlini.

A 6th-Circle mage, though shy and socially awkward, she now lamented her current situation.

‘Why... why am I even here?’

She glanced over her shoulder—only to find several students staring straight at her.

Just their gazes made it hard to breathe. Sweat trickled down her back.

Loina thought back on how she ended up in this predicament.

—Loina. You’ve been chosen to mentor Seorn’s field trip.

—...What?

The Mage School Alliance wanted to make a good impression on Seorn and needed someone competent. Loina was the obvious choice.

The first reason? She was young, so it seemed she’d get along with students.

The second? She had a soft personality and was unlikely to refuse.

While lower-ranked mages respected her status as a 6th-Circle, higher-ups from the Alliance didn’t care at all.

So Loina hadn’t been able to refuse. And by the time she came to her senses—here she was.

Though she could count on one hand the number of conversations she’d had in the past month, she resolved to do her job properly now that she was here.

“E-everyone, please follow me closely!”

He even stuttered as he spoke, leaving the students feeling rather uneasy.

Still, since she was a 6th-circle mage, her mentees followed her without complaint.

Among the students under Loina’s charge were Rine, Erendir, Flora, and Sheryl.

The place Loina brought her students to was a massive museum.

The Crystal Palace.

It was the main venue of the international expo held every year to showcase all kinds of magical artifacts and steam-powered inventions from across the continent.

True to its name, the Crystal Palace—dazzling under the sunlight—was made entirely of translucent “crystal” glass aside from its steel frame.

Through a blend of alchemy and magitech, it utilized custom-made glass rather than ordinary panes.

Inside, the temperature remained warm and spring-like all year round, and even artificial parks had been established within.

The Crystal Palace played a major role in earning the Empire’s capital, Lindebrune, its reputation as a city of tourism.

“E-Everyone, this is the Crystal Palace, where you can witness the history of magic,” Loina said, her voice full of pride.

She believed this was something the students would surely enjoy. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

And in fact, most of the students were already overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur of the palace, their mouths agape as they hurriedly looked around.

Perfect!

Loina clenched her fist in triumph.

“O-On Expo days alone, the Crystal Palace sees over 30 million visitors. Even on weekdays like today, it’s packed with people!”

Just as she said, the palace was crowded despite it being a weekday.

The long lines at the entrance were clear proof of that.

“There’s too many people...”

“Can we even get in?”

“E-Everyone! Don’t worry! We made a reservation in advance, so we can go right in!”

Loina, her voice slightly excited, led the students into the Crystal Palace.

The ticket booth staff at the entrance recognized Loina and let them through without delay.

“Wow...”

“It’s really beautiful inside, too.”

The exterior of the Crystal Palace was impressive enough with its massive size and crystalline beauty, but the interior far exceeded expectations.

The exhibition hall was laid out with clean, precise design.

The light coming in from outside diffused like it had passed through a prism, casting a beautiful glow throughout the space.

The air was warm against their skin, and a sweet floral fragrance lingered in the museum.

It truly felt like a dream world made of pure magic.

At the center of the indoor hall was a fountain, and a large tree could also be seen.

What was truly astonishing was that this was merely a part of the Crystal Palace.

“This area is the Central Exhibition Hall of the Crystal Palace, where you can observe the history and development of magic,” Loina explained, taking on the role of guide and warmly sharing her knowledge with the students.

“As we go further in, the sections will be divided thematically. That direction over there focuses on steam golems, mechanical engineering, and steam-powered inventions.”

She ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) pointed toward an area where white steam rose into the air and brass-colored machinery glinted beyond the crowd.

“And over there, they’ve landscaped it to resemble a forest—an artificial park. Real animals live there, and occasionally, you can even spot spirits. I recommend all students studying summoning visit at least once.”

The students were already fidgeting, itching to explore the inner sections.

Loina smiled fondly at the sight.

She, too, had once looked just like that.

“All right, from here on out, you have free time. Feel free to look around, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me!”

As if they had been waiting for that exact sentence, the students scattered at once.

Rine, debating where to start, suddenly remembered something and approached Loina.

“Um...”

“Y-Yes! What is it?” Loina replied, flustered at Rine’s approach.

Half nervous, half hopeful, she gave such an energetic response that Rine was a little taken aback, though she still asked politely.

“Is every type of magic represented here?”

“Oh, magic? I’d say there’s nothing that isn’t represented. In fact, even the Mage Tower and several academic societies donate magical data to the Crystal Palace.”

“In that case... would it be possible to find something on non-attributed mana?”

“Non-attributed mana?” Loina’s eyes gleamed beneath her long bangs.

* * *

While students were touring various parts of the capital with their respective mentors...

Freuden Ulburk, too, was facing his mentor in the heart of the capital.

For all the fuss he made, he was still a second-year student, so he couldn’t skip the field trip.

Freuden didn’t find the day particularly unpleasant. It gave him a rare bit of freedom, and he didn’t resist it.

Unlike others, he wasn’t excited or thrilled—but he did plan to enjoy the change of pace.

‘At least, that’s what I thought.’

Freuden stared blankly at the bulging muscles in front of him, at a complete loss for words.

“Hee-yah-cha-cha!”

“Three more sets!”

“Hraaah!”

“Lift it! No one’s going to lift that barbell for you! Put your life into it!”

“Gghaaah!”

The gym rang with war cries and strained groans from all directions.

This space, brimming with testosterone and muscle, was one of the capital’s most famous gyms.

Freuden wondered to himself,

Why the hell am I here?

All he had done was accompany his mentor to explore the capital.

His gaze naturally shifted to his mentor.

The 6th-circle mage and member of the School Alliance—Phyron.

“Wahaha! You brats have been sitting around reading books too much! No wonder your bodies are so weak and flimsy! Listen well! What a mage needs most is stamina! You need stamina so you can sit in those chairs even longer!”

Phyron was shouting as he made one of the students exercise.

Sweating profusely and lifting the barbell under Phyron’s instructions was a familiar face—his friend and retainer, Henry Presto.

Always the composed, handsome man who drew the admiration of many female students...

Now, Henry’s face was contorted as he struggled to lift the barbell.

“Huff... huff... I can’t do any more...”

“What? You can’t even finish fifteen reps? What’s wrong with Seorn students these days?!”

Phyron swept a glance over the frozen, horrified students.

“Today, I’m gonna drill that stamina into you good and proper!”

“U-Um...”

Freuden, sensing something dangerous, began to open his mouth.

Unfortunately, that small act only caught Phyron’s attention like a hawk spotting prey.

“Yes, you, there! You look like a sickly little twig. Come here and give this bar a lift!”

“......”

Freuden felt the second greatest crisis of his life descend upon him.