Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 338: Traces of the Theocracy (3)

Ludger had met Catherine purely by chance.

It was in the dead of night.

As usual, Ludger couldn’t sleep and was wandering the palace grounds in secret.

Back then, assassination attempts were a constant threat, and he spent more nights avoiding his bed than lying in it.

On such nights, he would slip into a remote courtyard where no one else ventured, curling up quietly in the shadows.

But that night, the starlight was especially brilliant—and someone had already taken up residence in his secret spot.

At first, he assumed it was an assassin.

But the figure wasn’t hiding—just sitting there, curled up—and their small frame and the faint sound of sobbing didn’t match that of a trained killer.

Still, he couldn’t afford to lower his guard. That vulnerability could be part of the ploy.

Ludger kept his wariness up as he approached the girl.

She was rubbing her reddened calves, tears streaming down her face.

And just like that, Ludger understood exactly who she was.

A child taken in by the Holy Nation.

The Theocracy of Bretus brought in children under the guise of charity—raising them through the Church and turning them into tools.

Most were orphans, but some had been sold by their own parents.

Others were taken under pressure, the Church citing doctrine to override any parental resistance.

Ludger hadn’t seen the full extent of that process, but he knew it was far from humane.

Even in the Holy Capital—where the Sovereign resided—the air reeked of conspiracy and corruption.

An organization, no, a nation led by such people... there was no way they were genuinely helping orphans.

The children were brought in, trained, and conditioned under strict rules and discipline.

This girl was undoubtedly one of them.

Still... what was she doing here, alone, at this hour?

Was she trying to run away?

Or did she just want to cry somewhere no one could see her?

Either way, she was an uninvited guest in Ludger’s private refuge.

— ...Who?

The girl looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen with tears.

Ludger gave her a greeting.

—Get lost. That’s my spot.

Her eyes widened in shock.

Then she lunged and grabbed him by the hair.

That was how Ludger met Catherine.

* * *

Looking back on it... yeah, I guess our first meeting wasn’t the greatest.

He’d thought she was a timid child because she was crying, but the moment he spoke to her, she’d yanked his hair.

She hadn’t been hiding her tears because she was afraid of others.

She just didn’t want anyone to see her weakness.

She wasn’t just proud—she was resolute.

After that night, they grew close and started meeting often, talking deep into the night.

Strangely, Catherine never showed fear or reverence despite knowing Ludger bore the blood of the Holy Sovereign.

She neither favored him nor despised him.

Maybe that’s why Ludger found it so easy to be around her.

Even though he’d reincarnated into this world, and she was much younger than him, her innocence allowed him to form a sincere connection.

Whenever Catherine was scolded by her assigned priest and came back dejected, Ludger would comfort and encourage her.

At the same time, ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) he himself found comfort in her presence.

In that prison-like palace where everyone wanted him dead, she was the only one who treated him like a friend.

Sometimes, Ludger wondered—

Twenty years ago, when his master found him and offered a way out...

What if he’d asked to bring one person with him?

Or at the very least, what if he’d taken the time to say goodbye?

No... that’s foolish.

If he’d escaped with Catherine, she would’ve been hunted down by every assassin the Holy Nation could muster.

Staying behind and living a normal life as a priestess was the better path—for both of them.

I hope she’s doing well.

With her tenacity, she must have at least made it to priesthood.

Even though it had been long ago, Ludger had never forgotten the one year they spent together.

“Oi, disciple. Are you getting all sentimental over old memories?”

Grander’s sharp remark snapped Ludger out of his thoughts.

Right. This wasn’t the time for nostalgic detours.

“...No. I was just thinking about what might happen next.”

“Hmm. If the Holy Nation is active again, then that long, drawn-out succession crisis must be over. Who do you think took the throne?”

“I don’t know. They all wanted me dead.”

“Well, keep an eye on it. That person will be your enemy before long.”

“Yes. That much is certain.”

“Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet because they might be your siblings or something?”

The Holy Nation would be Ludger’s greatest obstacle.

Its leader now—whoever took the throne—was his blood kin. But also his ultimate target.

“Do I look like the type?” Ludger asked, locking eyes with Grander.

There was no fear of fratricide, no sorrow.

He had never formed bonds with those people. They had never shown him kindness.

“I have a job to do. I won’t stop. If my so-called siblings stand in the way—I'll crush them like I’ve always done.”

“Hah! That’s the face I like to see. Good. That takes a weight off my shoulders.”

Satisfied, Grander glanced toward the door.

Ludger followed her gaze.

So they’ve been waiting all this time.

“You can come in now.”

Two faint presences outside the door flinched.

Still hesitating, still reading the room.

So Ludger repeated himself, more firmly this time.

“Come in.”

Only then did the door creak open, and Hans and Bellaruna stepped inside.

Hans had returned to his usual form, probably thanks to an antidote.

With Hans, it was understandable—he always shrank under Grander’s presence.

But Bellaruna’s cautious attitude was unexpected.

Ludger glanced at her bowed head and quickly realized why.

“You certainly helped yourself to a generous number of samples from the chimeras and the test subjects.”

“H-hehe...”

Bellaruna let out an awkward laugh, but when she saw Ludger’s expression, she immediately lowered her head again.

Ludger pressed his fingers against his temple.

Even with the seal on his Tianmen fully intact, it had been a long time since he’d felt such a headache.

Still, he supposed this timing wasn’t so bad after all.

“Bellaruna.”

“Y-yes!”

“What do you know about the elven families?”

Most elves wouldn’t know much—that was normal.

But Bellaruna had hacked into the World Tree’s data. There was no way she didn’t know.

“I want to know about the families who once protected the World Tree.”

“Wh-why are you asking me...?”

“If you had access to the World Tree’s inner systems, you must’ve seen at least something.”

Ludger’s eyes sharpened.

“Right?”

“U-uh... well, yes, but...”

“That’s a rather unconvincing answer.”

Bellaruna looked genuinely hesitant.

“Is the Penata family one of the high elders of the Elven Kingdom or something? Are you staying quiet because it’s classified?”

“No, not at all. I come from a totally normal family.”

“Then what—do you have a death oath placed on you? A taboo against speaking? Some ancient elven curse?”

“No curses, no oaths.”

“......”

Ludger clenched his jaw.

“Then what. Is. The damn. Problem?”

Wow.

Hans, watching from the side, couldn’t help but gape in awe.

It was the first time he’d ever seen Ludger genuinely lose his temper.

And Bellaruna, somehow, had pulled it off effortlessly.

And the wild part is... she’s not even doing it on purpose. She’s just... like that.

What an incredible, terrifying talent.

And then, inevitably, Hans began to worry.

Hans could tell—Ludger wasn’t just irritated. He was furious.

And judging by her expression, Bellaruna realized it too, because she hastily began to speak.

“S-so, um... remember how I hacked the World Tree down in the underground sewer?”

“I do.”

“Well, back then, I couldn’t read anything because of the demonic energy. But after the fight, I was the first one to wake up, and...”

“Go on.”

Ludger’s anger finally began to subside as a more interesting topic came up. He motioned for her to continue.

“I happened to spot one of the World Tree’s roots nearby, so I tried making contact again just in case... and it connected.”

“Connected? What exactly was connected?”

“I mean... this sapling’s source—the original World Tree. The moment the demonic energy vanished, some kind of link formed between them.”

“And?”

“It only lasted a second... but during that moment... someone noticed me.”

The words she had been too scared to admit finally tumbled out.

Bellaluna shut her eyes and confessed.

“Someone monitoring the World Tree in my homeland sensed me.”

“......”

She cracked one eye open to peek at Ludger, expecting a blast of fury.

But Ludger didn’t explode.

Instead, he sat quietly, digesting her words with a serious expression.

Bellaruna nervously waited for his response.

“I have one question.”

“Y-yes?”

“The one managing the World Tree must belong to one of the guardian families, right?”

“Yes, definitely. No one can access the World Tree without permission. Even among the family, only those with high rank can touch it.”

Ludger chose not to ask the obvious Then how the hell did YOU access it?

“For now, let’s assume the one who sensed you is high-ranking. Do you think they figured out who you were?”

“I... I don’t think so. The connection was too brief. I couldn’t identify them, and I doubt they identified me.”

So it was only a moment of mutual awareness—no full recognition.

“But they probably did figure out where you accessed the World Tree from, right?”

“...Yes.”

Her voice dropped to a guilty whisper.

If they hadn’t, she wouldn’t be this tense.

Ludger crossed his arms and tapped his bicep with a finger.

“Bellaruna. What do you think?”

“Th-think about what?”

“How they’ll respond. You know elves better than I do.”

That’s when Hans cautiously chimed in.

“Wouldn’t they send an envoy? They must realize this is the Imperial capital, after all...”

“N-no, I really don’t think so.”

Bellaluna immediately shot down his idea.

“The Elven Kingdom is extremely isolationist. They’d never engage in ‘diplomacy’ with humans. Especially not with a human Empire.”

“Then what, they’ll just let someone trespass on their precious World Tree?”

“They would never let that slide. The World Tree is sacred to them—they’ll absolutely take action.”

“So they’ll respond, but not publicly.”

“Exactly. The Kingdom will probably dispatch trackers. Not many, but powerful ones.”

Ludger scoffed.

“Elven assassins, huh.”

“K-kind of like your special ops.”

“Their black ops unit, then.”

“They hunt down elven traitors. You can’t underestimate them—they’re skilled in magic, swordsmanship, and spirit arts.”

“Well, they’d need to be, if they’re going to roam the outside world like it’s their backyard.”

Ludger’s gaze sharpened.

“Any idea who might come? I doubt the family managing the World Tree would dirty their hands directly.” 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

“...There’s a subordinate family that swore absolute loyalty to the main one.”

The elven families were rooted in seven branches—but not all branches were equal.

“There’s a minor clan under the guardians of the Central Root. They handle matters outside the forest. Unlike the Dentis family, who’s friendly with other races, this group exists solely to eliminate external threats to elves. We call them the Shadewardens.”

“So the Shadewardens might come here—specifically for you.”

“P-probably.”

“Wouldn’t it be fine if you just went back to Redeverk?”

“T-that might not work. Once they get a lock on your trace... it doesn’t matter where you run. I don’t know the details, but they can apparently track people across the continent using spirits.”

“How delightful. Still, they probably won’t move right away, will they?”

“No, they won’t. The Shadewardens only act when ordered by the Head of the Root Family. There’s a delay—until word reaches them, and the decision is made.”

Bellaluna tried to smile reassuringly.

“It’ll take a while, I’m sure!”

* * *

The Elven Kingdom of Renar Tyrone.

Centered around the towering World Tree, the kingdom was a natural fortress guarded by dense forests and ancient magic.

Among the many noble houses there, none held more power than the Lifret family—the ones who directly managed the World Tree.

And recently, the Lifret estate had grown unusually tense.

In a grand council chamber, long white wood tables stretched before the gathered elders—members of the Lifret household and their most trusted vassals.

And soon, the very person who summoned them entered.

A stunning elf with hair as golden as the sun.

Yet her beauty was marred by an unmistakable intensity—one that twisted her face with sharp, bitter anger.

Even on normal days, she wasn’t the warmest of personalities.

But today, her expression was entirely consumed by fury.

“Do you all know why I called you here?”

The silence that followed her voice was deep and fearful.

“While tending to the World Tree, some lunatic dared to try connecting with it.”

Gasps of shock rang throughout the chamber.

She was the head of the Lifret family.

Ventmin Lifret spoke in a voice colder than winter steel.

“Now you understand why you’ve been summoned. As Head of House, I give my command—summon the Shadewardens.”

“Y-you mean right now?”

“Yes. Immediately.”