Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 327: The Parallel Lines of Friendship (1)

The Dvalk Imperial Castle was renowned for its immense size.

Architects couldn’t praise it enough—though not merely because of its massive scale or breathtaking design.

What earned the most praise was its practicality.

The Dvalk Imperial Castle was famously efficient, wasting not a single inch of its expansive grounds.

Naturally, accommodations for external guests were provided within the palace grounds.

These guest lodgings were so extensive they could easily house hundreds of people at once.

Currently, that very place was where Seorn’s students were staying.

“Wow, this place is insane!”

“Look at this statue! It’s one of Gavid’s famous sculptures! I read about it in a book!”

“Check out the paintings too. They say they’re all authentic. How is that even possible—how does something like this exist?”

The students roamed the halls of the palace, letting out constant gasps of wonder.

Although their access within the palace was limited, Dvalk was so vast they hardly felt restricted.

“As expected of the Empire’s imperial palace. It has everything.”

“Honestly, I was worried when we were forced to stay here, but it might actually be better this way.”

“Ahh, I really want to live here forever.”

The guest lodgings were not only enormous, but so well-equipped they could rival a five-star hotel.

Thanks to that, none of the students had any complaints about staying in the palace.

The food was delicious, the beds soft, and every aspect of daily life was comfortable.

In truth, they all secretly wished they could stay longer.

“...Still, we’ll have to go back eventually.”

“Yeah. And then it’s going to be a rain of exams and assignments... ugh. I don’t even want to think about it.”

Once they returned to Seorn, a mountain of classes and coursework awaited them.

Just remembering the cruel wall of reality they’d shoved to the back of their minds made it hard to breathe.

So, the students decided to thoroughly enjoy the present moment.

Their field trip was supposed to end on a high note—but terrorists had turned it into a disaster. The emotional toll had been immense.

That’s why the Imperial Household stepped in to provide them with one final joyful [N O V E L I G H T] experience.

The most luxurious accommodations, a magnificent banquet, even permission to tour the palace interior.

Of course, the Empire wasn’t doing this out of pure kindness.

All of it was a calculated gesture.

Seorn was an autonomous institution—free from Imperial intervention.

Indebting such a place, even slightly, gave the Imperial family leverage in future dealings.

Besides, Seorn’s students were exceptionally gifted.

Once they graduated, many would become pillars of the Empire.

Instilling a positive image of the Imperial family in their minds was an investment in the future.

And it was already working. Many students staying in the palace were expressing interest in joining the Imperial forces after graduation.

The plan orchestrated by First Princess Aileen was working perfectly.

The students, unaware of the Empire’s ulterior motives, were too busy enjoying themselves.

Even Sedina Roschen had decided to let go of her duties and indulge in some rest.

She made her way to a garden styled after a natural park.

Being half-elf, Sedina always preferred places with plants when she needed to relax.

After all, hadn’t she turned her private assistant room into a miniature greenhouse?

‘Any other professor would’ve shut it down immediately. It’s all thanks to Professor Ludger.’

As always, Sedina walked through the park, silently expressing gratitude to Ludger.

Beyond the trail, the foliage grew so thick it practically formed a dense forest.

Most students would have found the place daunting, but for Sedina, it felt more comforting than home.

She crouched at the base of a large willow tree near the lake and leaned back against it.

Closing her eyes, she let the breeze rustle the ears hidden beneath her hair.

Ah... this is nice.

Adjusting to a more comfortable position, she let go of her knees and stretched out her hand.

Tap.

At her fingertips, she felt something and opened her eyes.

It was a willow branch that had fallen to the ground.

She picked it up and examined it carefully.

Perhaps because it was near the lake, the branch was moist and soft to the touch.

Naturally, Sedina snapped off a portion, removed the inner core, and used magic to bore a hole through it.

“There.”

Bringing the makeshift flute to her lips, she blew into it. A soft, warbling note echoed through the air.

Her pale, slender fingers began to play a tune on the willow flute.

She didn’t even know what song it was.

She was simply mimicking the melody her mother used to hum long ago, before she passed away.

For Sedina, it was one of her few remaining memories of her mother.

As she played the flute, Sedina sensed someone approaching and removed the flute from her lips.

“Who’s th—...”

She froze the moment she saw who it was.

What stood out first was the stark white hair—utterly out of place in the lush green of the forest.

Julia Plumehart.

A girl who, unlike Sedina, seemed mature, dignified, and carried a faintly mystical air.

Sedina hurriedly stood up, trying to flee.

“Running away again?”

But Julia’s one remark made her stop in place.

Sedina slowly turned back toward her.

* * *

The Imperial Vault.

Also known as the Treasury of History, it was a place where human footsteps had not been allowed for centuries.

As Erendir had said, only one person had entered and left the vault in the past hundred years—

Commander Lutus, head of the Royal Guard and the greatest knight of the era.

And now, Ludger had entered that very place.

That fact alone would be enough to make generations of descendants boast for a lifetime.

Even glimpsing the entrance would bring some people to their knees in gratitude.

But Ludger himself didn’t seem particularly impressed.

‘Sure, it’s impressive that it’s filled with so many valuables...’

Just because he’d entered the vault didn’t mean he was awestruck by it.

He was inside. So what?

Ludger quickly scanned the interior.

The first thing that caught his eye was a dazzling golden light.

It came from the glow of gold coins reflecting the palace’s yellow illumination.

Jewels sparkled from every direction, their brilliance almost painful to the eyes.

The sheer value of the gold and gems on display was astronomical.

But that was only the beginning.

This was just the entryway to the massive secret vault.

Ludger took in the structure.

It resembled more of a grand museum exhibit than a warehouse.

Intricate carvings adorned the ceilings, walls, and pillars throughout.

These weren’t merely decorative.

They were magical constructs, designed to monitor intruders and detect any suspicious actions.

And it was absurdly vast.

Even the portion visible to the eye exceeded the size of Seorn’s magic stadium—and that wasn’t even the end of it.

‘There are magical protections everywhere. Even if I planned every possible scenario, I wouldn’t make it out.’

He briefly entertained the idea of sneaking in—but immediately shook his head.

With magical defenses this dense, even spatial magic would be useless.

Not only was it impossible to enter from the outside—it was just as impossible to leave from within.

‘Good thing I don’t have to steal anything.’

He’d made the right choice by accepting Aileen’s offer to enter the vault legitimately.

Ludger walked past the gallery of gold and jewels and ventured deeper inside.

The golden lighting grew dimmer, and the atmosphere turned heavier.

It was intentional—to highlight the objects on display.

Along the left side of the corridor, artifacts were placed at regular intervals, bathed in white spotlight.

Each one radiated an aura of unmistakable significance.

‘This is where the real treasures begin.’

Ludger scanned the artifact nearest to him with a discerning gaze.

It was a crown adorned with seven differently colored gemstones.

Judging by the immense magical energy it radiated, it was undoubtedly a high-grade artifact.

A pair of gloves for the hands, a cloak draped over the shoulders, even a full suit of armor that wasn’t currently worn—all of them appeared to be at least high-grade artifacts, or perhaps relics of equivalent value.

What Ludger sought here was a fragment of a relic.

The problem, however, was locating it in the first place.

This wasn’t an auction house where items were labeled for sale.

Naturally, there were no guideposts or catalogs indicating where specific items could be found.

The only way to locate what he wanted was to walk around and check each display one by one.

‘The only saving grace is that each exhibit has a nameplate and a short description in front of it.’

And even then, most of those were labeled “Name Unknown” or “Use Unknown.”

It seemed that, in their rush to collect valuable items, no one had bothered documenting their functions.

Still, their value was unquestionable, regardless of how they were used.

‘Considering the scale of this place, there might be other relic fragments besides the one I’m after.’

Ludger continued walking through the vault.

There had been no instructions on when he had to leave, so there was no need to rush.

With plenty of time, he decided to take his time exploring.

That’s when a faint light began to glow from inside Ludger’s chest.

‘This reaction...’

He had experienced this once before.

It meant that a relic fragment corresponding to his was nearby.

Ludger walked in the direction the light indicated.

He found what he was looking for shortly after.

Under a soft white light sat a small, nondescript fragment, with no listed name or known use.

‘Finally.’

Ludger reached out his hand toward the fragment.

There were no anti-theft spells guarding it.

After all, no one could enter the vault unauthorized.

Staring at the fragment in his hand for a moment, he slipped it into his inner pocket.

‘Only a few more left.’

He could leave now, having achieved his goal—but Ludger still had permission to choose two more items from the vault.

‘So I can select two more.’

Truth be told, the relic fragment was his only real objective; he hadn’t given any thought to which other artifacts he might take.

But it would be wasteful to let such an opportunity go unused.

Now that he was here, he might as well look around.

‘There are so many artifacts here—and all of them are exceptional. Even if I don’t need them now, taking something useful could come in handy later.’

Ludger examined the items calmly.

He immediately dismissed anything that looked too flashy.

If it glittered with gemstones or gleamed too brightly, he passed it over.

Such items drew too much attention.

And that didn’t suit Ludger, who always prioritized subtlety.

Owning something so gaudy would be like broadcasting to the enemy: Look, I’m carrying an artifact.

‘If the opponent is already wary of your artifact before the fight even begins, it won’t work as intended. For maximum efficiency, stealth is essential.’

At that thought, Ludger gave a faint, self-mocking laugh.

‘Even here, when picking a treasure, I’m only thinking about battle. Maybe there really is something wrong with me.’

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t picture using these things any other way. It was like walking blindly through fog.

His entire life had been shaped by conflict.

The place he lived in—his inner world—was something others would never understand.

A dark, cold, muddy domain, where the only law was violence.

That was the world Ludger inhabited.

From the moment he’d been taken in by his master—or perhaps even long before—he had lived there.

And likely would continue to do so.

He had goals to achieve, yes, but the road to reaching them was long and brutal. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

He couldn’t even be sure whether it was possible.

So he’d never thought beyond that end point.

‘Still... if, by some miracle, I do get the chance...’

If he could finally put all of this behind him and live in peace...

Having spent a lifetime in nothing but struggle—could he ever lead a normal life like other people?

Trying to prepare for a future that might never come was, to him, a luxury far too complacent.

He had always done his best to survive today.

Even looking ahead felt indulgent.

‘But if—just if—all of this ends peacefully, and I get to walk away from this life for good...’

Then...

What kind of life would I live?

‘It’s a pointless hypothetical.’

Being alone in a quiet place like this must’ve made him start thinking nonsense.

Ludger shook off the thought and turned his attention back to the vault, determined to find something useful.

That’s when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Something had caught his eye—something that drew his attention more strongly than anything else he’d seen so far.

He didn’t know whether it was a relic or a high-grade artifact.

‘Looks like I’ve found one of the two remaining.’