Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 275: Dvalk Imperial Castle (2)

‘Something’s off.’

Hans frowned as he processed the report the rat had brought back.

Usually, if Hans gave an order, the rats would carry it out—no questions asked.

Of course, there were limitations to what a rat could do, so Hans mostly sent them to look around and report back what they saw.

But that alone had always been more than enough.

Especially after he had transformed into a cryptid during the Beast of Jévaudan incident, Hans had felt his control over animals grow stronger.

Now he could handle not just rats, but also dogs, cats—even crows.

Which meant that rats, at the very least, would always follow his orders to the letter.

Hans knew that, and so he had sent one to inspect the underground aqueduct.

But what had come back was something completely unexpected.

‘They said they couldn’t even approach the underground sewer system.’

It wasn’t because the way was blocked, or there was no further path.

The rats had simply refused to go any deeper—because they were afraid.

‘They’re experiencing fear beyond my control? I could force them into a fire pit if I wanted, and yet—?’

But the rat had no reason to lie.

Rats that followed Hans’s commands did not fabricate anything—they only told the truth.

Of course, the information they brought back wasn’t always clean or complete, so Hans would usually verify it again himself.

Even with that in mind, the phrase “too scared to proceed” had only one interpretation.

‘There’s something down there.’

Hans felt it in his gut.

There was something beneath the capital’s sewer system.

‘Did the boss’s teacher know about this?’

Hans recalled Grander’s advice.

She had offhandedly told him to check the sewers.

She wouldn’t have said that if she hadn’t known something.

Hans had a million questions—how she knew, what exactly was down there—but he forcefully suppressed the urge to ask.

He wasn’t completely lacking in tact.

‘Since she gave that one tip, she hasn’t shown any intention of getting involved.’

Which meant even if he asked, he probably wouldn’t get an answer.

If anything, he might just end up irritating her.

At this point, he had no choice but to act on his own.

“Ugh. Seriously. I really hate doing this.”

Hans stood up and put on his coat.

He didn’t like taking action himself, but he wasn’t the kind of person to run from his responsibilities either.

‘Besides, I’m not going alone.’

There was someone else here—another member of Owens.

It wasn’t <Herman Melville> (Phantos), who had the highest combat ability, nor <Victor Hugo> (Alex).

Rather, it was someone unexpected.

No—an elf.

“Hey. You ready?”

At Hans’s call, a tightly shut door creaked open.

Out stepped a shaggy elf with messy, bright-orange hair.

Bellaruna Petanada.

Her Owens codename was <Francis Scott Fitzgerald>.

Ludger had given her that name because her drugged-out behavior reminded him of the famously alcoholic author.

“You have all your stuff?”

“Huff, huff... I think so. Probably.”

“Then let’s go.”

She had come all the way to the capital with Hans in case something unexpected happened and he needed backup.

Hans tugged a beret over Bellaruna’s head and stepped out of the house.

* * *

Magical Exhibition Hall, Crystal Palace.

Loina Pavlini beamed as she led the group.

“This place is where we exhibit magical research. It’s also called the Hall of Magic, and you’ll even find materials on spells you’ve probably never heard of before.”

“Are there really that many rare spells here?”

“Yes. Since the Crystal Palace is directly managed by the Imperial family, it’s not just for show. They’re completely serious about it.”

That was why the palace had gathered all kinds of magic and knowledge from across the continent and put it on display here.

Even [Unusual] category spells, which ordinary people rarely encountered, were included.

“Oh, of course, we don’t reveal the deep secrets of those spells. That part is still protected.”

“Ah, I see.”

“More importantly—Rine, are you really a non-attributed mana user?”

Loina’s eyes sparkled as she asked.

Rine offered a wry smile and nodded.

“Yes, I’ve always had trouble with elemental magic.”

“Wow, then you must’ve struggled a lot in class.”

“Yes, I did. I’ve had to push through mostly with theory, but I’ve always felt a kind of limit.”

“Oh, I totally get that feeling!”

Loina grabbed Rine’s hand and nodded energetically.

Though she was a 6th-circle mage, Loina had never once thought of herself as “great” like other 6th-circle mages.

“Still... Mentor Loina, aren’t you a Lexuror-tier mage?”

“That’s true, but I’m barely clinging to the lowest seat on that level!”

“That still sounds amazing...”

“I just happen to be well-versed in theory. Technically, I’m only a half-baked 6th-circle mage.”

Loina was disastrously weak in practical combat.

It was because she had an innately low sense of self-worth.

Precisely because of that, she couldn’t help but feel a soft spot for Rine, who was working so hard at Seorn despite the burden of non-attributed mana.

Rine, on her part, felt a bit pressured by the attention.

‘Still... she seems like a kind person.’

When Rine asked questions, Loina answered them sincerely—and even offered to personally guide her through the Crystal Palace.

Rine hadn’t expected that much, but Loina said with a smile that she genuinely wanted to help.

“By the way, how’s your school life at Seorn been, considering your non-attributed mana?”

“It was tough at first, but I’ve met a lot of good people.”

“But wasn’t it hard to keep up in class with the professors?”

“There’s one professor who paid special attention to me...”

“Oh? Who?”

“Professor Ludger.”

“Wha—?!”

The moment she heard the name, Loina practically jumped.

“What’s wrong?”

“U-Um... you mean Ludger Cherish, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“He helped you? Just from his demeanor, he seemed like the type who’d mercilessly abandon struggling students.”

Rine let out a small laugh.

It wasn’t strange for someone unfamiliar with Ludger to think that.

“Most people assume that, but Professor Ludger really cares for his students. He doesn’t show it outwardly, but when someone’s struggling, he helps—acting like he’s just being reluctantly generous.”

“Huh... I didn’t expect that.”

“I’ve received a lot of help. Especially regarding non-attributed mana—he gave me solid advice. My mana output has definitely improved since then.”

“Wait, mana output—don’t tell me you participated in Professor Ludger’s experiment?!”

Loina exclaimed.

“Yes. It just sort of happened...”

“That’s amazing! To have such a breakthrough at a key moment in your growth... weren’t you scared?”

“Honestly, I was. No one had succeeded with it before. But I figured that if I didn’t try, I’d stay stuck forever.”

“You’re incredible!”

She looked at Rine with shining eyes—not just admiring her courage, but clearly re-evaluating Ludger as well.

From Rine’s perspective, having a 6th-circle mage and industry veteran speak so highly of her was a bit overwhelming.

But it didn’t feel insincere.

Loina’s actions and words radiated sincerity.

Rine’s “eyes” told her as much.

Rine had always been able to tell whether someone bore goodwill or hostility toward her.

It was thanks to those “eyes” that even someone like Ludger—whom others feared—never seemed intimidating to her.

She could sense clearly whether a person’s behavior was genuine or fake, whether they meant her harm or kindness.

To an almost unnatural degree.

“U-Um, Rine.”

“Yes?”

“That blonde student who’s been following behind us for a while now... who is she exactly?”

Rine turned to look behind her to confirm.

The moment she saw the strikingly golden-blonde hair, she could only smile awkwardly.

Erendir von Exilion.

The Empire’s Third Princess, Rine’s senior—and, at the same time, her friend—was trailing them from behind, trying to be discreet.

Her eyes were blazing with jealousy.

She seemed to think she was stealthily tailing them, but her distinct hair color stood out even in a crowd like this.

“She’s my senior.”

“Y-Your senior? Then why is she not walking with us...?”

“Would you mind waiting here a moment? I’ll go bring her.”

With that, Rine headed toward Erendir, who was hiding behind a crowd.

“Senior, what are you doing?”

“Ah! R-Rine? W-What a coincidence! Fancy running into you here!”

“Coincidence nothing. You came to attend the same mentor session as us.”

“R-Right. I, uh, I did, didn’t I?”

“Then why are you wandering around alone? Didn’t you come with anyone?”

“......”

As Erendir’s face fell with visible gloom, Rine quickly jumped in to soften the blow.

“Well, it works out perfectly! I wanted to see you anyway, Senior. I was looking for you—so what a lucky coincidence that we ran into each other!”

“...!”

Erendir’s face instantly lit up again.

Rine, seeing that, felt both relieved and... a little exhausted.

Was it really okay for a senior and a princess to be this simple?

What had happened to the proud and confident attitude she’d shown at first?

‘Still, I guess this part of her is kind of endearing... and kind of like her.’

Rine couldn’t just leave Erendir alone, so she took her hand and brought her back to where Loina was waiting.

And so, Loina and Erendir stood face to face.

“U-Um, Rine... this person is...?”

Loina, who recognized Erendir, began stammering all over again.

People unfamiliar with Erendir were often overwhelmed by her dazzling appearance and natural aura.

Especially someone like Loina, whose low self-esteem and timid personality made her the worst match for someone like that.

But Erendir was just as nervous.

Despite appearances, Loina was a 6th-circle mage, a peerless theoretical genius, and her mentor.

Even though Erendir bore royal blood, her skills in theory were severely lacking—so to her, Loina was a brilliant talent who had reached the highest levels through everything she lacked.

Rine, watching the two women uncomfortably eye each other, wondered how she could defuse this awkward tension.

‘If I try to force them to bond, it might just make it worse.’

Just then, her gaze fell on the magic exhibitions nearby.

“Mentor Loina, what kind of magic is that?”

Inside a large glass case, a magical formation was displayed, rendered in illusion magic for visual clarity.

A brief description was written below it, but Rine already knew what it was—she was simply asking to break the ice.

“Oh, that one?”

Loina, glad for the question, launched into an explanation.

Rine listened attentively, and Erendir naturally joined in, listening along.

Thanks to that, the stiffness in the air gradually dissolved, and Erendir regained some of her composure.

“Shall we move a little further inside?”

With Rine’s natural suggestion, the three of them began exploring the inner section of the Crystal Palace.

At this point, it was hard to tell who was the mentor and who was being led—but none of them minded.

“Hmm... I think it’s this way. The [Unusual] category magic should be over here.”

Loina pointed to a section of magic displays tucked behind the crowd.

They weren’t real spells, of course—just illusions simulating how the spells worked.

But they were rendered so realistically that the spectators couldn’t help but be amazed.

“Magic is usually grouped by school and specialization. Those that don’t fall under modern classifications are categorized as [Unusual] magic.”

“There are more [Unusual] spells than I thought,” Erendir noted.

“In fact, when it comes to variety, the [Unusual] category is far broader than the other four schools combined.”

Rine stopped in front of one display case.

Inside, an image showed a person sleeping, while a magician entered the dreamscape.

“<Dream Walk> magic,” she murmured. “It’s used by magicians from the School of Reverie. Fairly well-known, even for an [Unusual] spell.”

At that, Rine thought of Julia.

Come to think of it, she was also participating in today’s field trip.

Just then, another spell caught Rine’s eye.

As if sensing her gaze, Loina also turned to look at the same display and softly gasped.

“Oh, that one’s divine ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) magic.”

“Divine magic?”

“It’s considered [Unusual] class, but it’s actually one of the most commonly used. Paladins, inquisitors, and priests from the Lumenis Church use it.”

“What’s an inquisitor?”

“They’re also called heretic hunters. It’s an outdated title these days, but the Lumenis Church still employs them.”

“I see. I didn’t know they used magic.”

“They call it divine miracles, not magic—but according to modern theory, it’s essentially half-magic.”

Rine looked into the divine magic exhibit. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Inside, an image showed a woman in gleaming white vestments, clasping her hands in prayer.

Around her, radiant light shimmered and pulsed—as though alive.

Even knowing it was an illusion, Rine couldn’t help but marvel at the sight.

But something about it tugged unusually at her attention.

‘What... is this?’

The light made it hard to clearly see the woman’s face.

And yet, for some reason, Rine felt strangely drawn to her.