Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 278: Shadow Conference (1)

“If,”

Aileen parted her rosy lips and asked,

“If I were to ignore your warning and use force...”

“......”

“What do you think would happen?”

Ludger took a moment to consider before giving his answer.

“Your Highness. How large is the Dvalk Imperial Castle?”

“Why are you asking that?”

“Because only if I know that, I can give a precise answer—whether the entire castle will be blown away, or if it’ll only be half.”

“......”

The two exchanged silence, each taking their turn.

Ludger quietly observed Aileen, the First Imperial Princess.

If it had been the usual her, she would have responded with a smirk or taken direct action.

But now, she sat motionless, not reacting in the slightest.

It seemed she was trying to determine whether Ludger’s words were genuine—or just bluster laced with arrogance.

Outwardly, he had spoken casually, but in truth, Ludger also had something to lose.

He needed to collect the fragments of the Relic.

That wasn’t the goal in itself—he had plans set in motion for what would happen afterward.

But if anything went wrong here in the Imperial Palace, he had no idea how much his plans would be delayed.

Originally, he had expected it to take no more than three years, but since becoming a teacher at Seorn, even that timeline had grown uncertain.

And if things escalated with Aileen here, it wouldn’t be surprising if the rest of the process took more than ten years.

‘That’s why I bluffed a bit—to avoid being dragged around.’

He had threatened to blow up the entire palace, but that was only half true.

Could he really destroy the Imperial Castle?

Yes—but not by his own hand. That would be his master, Grander.

‘Since Master is in the capital now, if something were to happen to me, she’d act immediately.’

Of course, knowing how Grander usually treated him, it seemed unlikely she’d intervene even if his life was in danger.

But that’s a conclusion only someone unfamiliar with Grander would draw.

Having lived with her for so long, Ludger knew better.

If his life were truly on the line, Grander would not hesitate to act.

‘She’s basically a walking time bomb... no, in modern terms, she’s comparable to a tactical nuke. If she starts rampaging, not even the full force of the Imperial Palace could stop her.’

But Ludger didn’t want things to go that far.

The upside of a tactical nuke is overwhelming power.

The downside was... that it was too overwhelming.

If Grander rampaged, even Ludger would likely not escape unscathed.

Rather than seizing control of the situation, it would become a total collapse—and he’d be swept up in it too.

It was a last resort, to be considered only in the event of mutual assured destruction.

‘Honestly, I’d rather never have to use that option.’

Even if he had no other choice in a crisis, he didn’t want to burden his master.

Despite their constant bickering, Grander was more like family to Ludger than anyone else.

He still remembered, even now, that day twenty years ago—

The day he met her.

Heathcliff von Bretus.

At the time, he was a seven-year-old boy who had fallen down a deep, dry well, waiting for someone to rescue him.

But the boy already knew.

No one was coming to save him.

He had been pushed in—deliberately. Someone wanted him dead.

And he knew there were many people involved in that decision.

But even so, the boy had not died in the bottom of the well. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Whether that was a blessing or a curse—not even the boy, nor the one who orchestrated it, could °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° have known.

But this was the end.

There was no food, no water, nothing at the bottom of the well.

It was only a matter of time until he died.

The boy stared up at the sliver of moonlight visible above the narrow opening.

He knew he was slowly dying beneath that faint light—but remained motionless.

To be honest, the boy had already half given up.

He had grown utterly tired of life after enduring seven years of constant assassination attempts.

—Ho. I didn’t expect to find anyone down here.

But had fate not yet permitted his death?

A sudden voice made the boy open his eyes wide.

Someone was peering down at him from above the well.

It was a girl.

A girl with long blonde hair and crimson eyes.

Backlit by the blue full moon, the girl’s appearance felt completely disconnected from reality.

The boy stared up at her in a daze.

The vampire girl looked down at him, her lips curling into a curious smile.

—Hmm. That hair color... and the scent of your blood. You’re from that damned Theocracy, aren’t you? And not just anyone, either.

At her words, the boy snapped to his senses.

Something was strange about both her manner of speech and behavior.

—And yet here you are, abandoned, left all alone. Ah... I see. So that’s what happened.

The girl instantly understood what the boy had been through.

And because she understood, she laughed joyfully.

—I was planning to tear it all down. They kept pestering me, calling me the devil’s spawn, a monster... So I was going to clean house for once. But now, I’ve changed my mind.

As she said that, the girl descended into the deep well.

Unfurling red wings behind her.

They were wings of blood, not feathers—like a bat’s. They should have looked grotesque.

But to the boy, they looked beautiful.

—You’re not afraid of me, are you? Even now, you refuse to give up on life.

—Me...?

—You think you’ve given up. But I can tell. You don’t smell of death. You reek of desperation for life.

The girl—Grander—said this as she grabbed the boy and soared into the sky.

The boy instinctively clung tightly to her.

A natural reaction for someone who had never flown before.

The wind buffeted him so violently he couldn’t open his eyes, and his ears ached.

Even so, her voice rang clearly.

—I’ve made up my mind.

Eventually, Grander landed somewhere far away and set the boy down on solid ground.

—Kid. I’m going to raise you.

—......

—I’ll feed you, give you shelter, and make you strong.

—......Why?

It was a question only a child like him—who was no ordinary child—could ask.

Why would someone like her rescue him, raise him?

At the time, the boy could not understand.

—Just think of it as a whim.

—A whim?

—When you’ve lived as long as I have, sometimes you just want to do something selfish.

—Still, you must want something from me.

The boy, wary, asked with suspicion.

Grander burst into laughter, as if it were absurd.

—Hah! You’re already sharp for someone so young. You’re right. I didn’t help you for nothing.

—Then what do you want from me?

—Don’t worry. I won’t ask you to repay me, or to live your life in servitude to me.

And just as the boy was about to ask what she did want—

Grander cut off his doubts with a single sentence.

—I just want you, when the time comes, to kill me.

—Me?

—Yes. You don’t know it yet, but you will have the power to do it. And if you master it, I believe you’ll be able to end me.

Her vivid red eyes locked onto the boy’s.

—So? Will you promise me?

......

That was how Ludger and Grander first met in his childhood.

It was not a servant of God who saved the abandoned boy.

It was the devil’s offspring—a vampire.

From that day forward, Ludger wandered the world with Grander for thirteen years.

He inherited her knowledge, learned from her, and absorbed her wisdom.

Because of Grander’s volatile personality, they had all sorts of experiences—some fights, some silence.

And yet Grander was Ludger’s teacher—no, more than that. She was the one who helped him survive in this world. A mother.

That fact would never change, even if eons passed.

‘Which is why... I’d rather not burden her.’

The slight change in Ludger’s aura did not escape the eyes of Aileen, the First Imperial Princess.

She noticed immediately.

And with a small laugh, she shook her head.

“You shouldn’t stare at me like that. Beauty is an eternal truth, so I suppose it’s an unavoidable reaction.”

“I didn’t say a word.”

“But your eyes spoke plenty.”

Though lightly deflecting, Aileen was offering her version of a peace gesture—her attempt to change the mood.

Which meant she was offering to avoid further conflict.

‘This is where I should back down.’

Aileen felt a considerable blow to her pride, but she knew when it was time to back down.

As the highest authority of the current Empire, being outmaneuvered by a mere teacher with a hidden identity was something unthinkable.

However, Aileen was different from the fools who relied solely on their status to act recklessly.

She had discernment.

The ability to read the times, to see her opponent, to grasp the flow of events.

And not just that.

She also possessed a natural instinct for detecting danger and a rational mind that could analyze precisely when to strike and when to retreat.

All of that had brought her to where she stood today.

And now, that very instinct of Aileen’s was telling her:

─Stop here.

Aileen never took such warnings lightly.

It was just a fleeting moment, but the instant she sensed Ludger’s discomfort, she felt a chill run down her spine without realizing it.

‘He wasn’t joking when he said he’d blow up the imperial palace.’

Aileen casually brushed her forearm.

Goosebumps had risen beneath the soft silver-colored sleeve.

She felt regret.

She had finally found someone who met her standards, yet he still showed no sign of allowing himself to be caught.

A man like a mirage—visible to the eye but liable to disappear the moment she reached for him.

‘Which only makes him more desirable.’

If that man stood by her side, the millennial Empire would reach an unparalleled golden age.

Knowing that, she could not give up, even if she had to retreat for now.

For the moment, she would content herself with the satisfaction of finally meeting in person the man she had been chasing for the past seven years. Aileen opened her mouth.

“Let’s end the jokes here.”

As her demeanor shifted abruptly, Ludger calmly looked at her.

“The reason I summoned you is because of something happening in the capital recently.”

“Does it have to do with the Cold Steel Knights and the Nightcrawler Knights being summoned?”

Aileen nodded.

He must have seen them on the way here, so there was no need for further explanation.

“As you know, we received a report that a suspicious group infiltrated the capital. It hasn’t been long. So I ordered a search of the surrounding areas to preemptively deal with them, but something was strange.”

“What was?”

“There was a report that they entered the capital, but no trace of them can be found anywhere within it.”

“......”

Not only had a suspicious group appeared, but they vanished within just a few days.

It was hard to understand, just from hearing it.

“Isn’t there a chance they left the capital again?”

“The moment we heard they had entered, we strengthened security at all gates leading out.”

“If they had escaped, there’s no way it would’ve gone unnoticed.”

“Exactly.”

“And the fact that there’s still been no word...”

Ludger trailed off in thought, and Aileen finished the sentence for him.

“Yes. They’re still somewhere inside the capital.”

“That’s why you summoned the knight orders. To prepare for the worst-case scenario.”

“Correct.”

“And the reason you summoned me separately...”

“I did want to talk since it’s been a while, but I also need your help.”

Aileen looked straight at Ludger with unwavering eyes.

Her clear amber eyes burned with strong will.

Ludger closed his eyes, as if he had expected this, then opened them again.

“You’re hiring me.”

“Yes. A request—just like the one I made to you seven years ago.”

“What’s the payment?”

“I’ll open the Imperial Vault for you. You’ll be allowed to take up to three items of your choice.”

“The Imperial Vault?”

Ludger asked, as if to confirm, not having expected such a grand offer.

Aileen didn’t answer. She simply gave a firm nod, signaling her resolute intent.

The Imperial Vault was a forbidden place, said to have never been entered by anyone without authority.

No one knew what was inside, and since no outsiders had ever gone in, almost nothing was known about it.

It was shrouded in mystery.

Rumors even said that the sacred sword from five hundred years ago was stored there.

Aileen had just said she would open that place and allow him to take what he wanted.

That alone showed how highly she valued Ludger’s abilities.

‘It also means this request is dangerous enough to warrant such a reward.’

Ludger knew Aileen well.

She clearly separated public and private matters.

If someone performed according to their capabilities, she rewarded them accordingly. The reward was always so precise—nothing more, nothing less.

With that perfect calculation, she had decided to open the Imperial Vault.

‘It seems the enemy has dug deep into the capital of Lindebrune. So deep the Imperial family can’t even reach them.’

Even if he refused this request, Ludger would inevitably be caught up in it anyway.

If he was going to do it regardless, he might as well receive proper compensation.

And this was also a legitimate way to obtain one of the relic fragments stored in the Imperial Vault.

‘Honestly, accepting this immediately is a bit...’

Ludger glanced at Aileen.

She probably thought she was hiding it well, but Ludger could tell.

Aileen was a little anxious.

She was worried he might refuse.

Pretending to be so confident—yet she was no different from seven years ago.

Ludger smirked faintly to himself.

“I’ll accept.”

At Ludger’s response, Aileen’s expression softened slightly with relief.

Maybe it wouldn’t have meant much if it were someone else, but knowing that Ludger had accepted made her feel like she had gained an entire army.

“Now that you’ve accepted the request, I can breathe easier.”

“So, is there any additional intel?”

“My loyal subordinate should be bringing news shortly.”

“Your loyal subordinate?”

“Speak of the devil—there she is.”

As Aileen spoke, Ludger sensed a presence approaching from the direction of the garden observatory.

Ludger turned toward the approaching figure, and the woman who hurried over spotted him standing with the princess.

“Your Highness, I’ve arri— Eek?!”

“......Mandelina?”

Ludger narrowed his eyes and stared at the woman from his memory.

Mandelina also turned pale and trembled as she recognized Ludger.

“W-Why are you here?!”

“I should be asking you that.”

Ludger’s gaze sharpened with suspicion.

And with good reason.

Mandelina had once been a member of the Black Ops Alpha Team—an elite unit involved in a coup.

The very same Alpha Team that Ludger had completely dismantled.