Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 339: Summoning a Magibeast (1)

Early morning.

It had been a while since Ludger last reported to his personal office at Seorn Academy.

Following the terrorist incident, he had spent nearly ten days stationed at the Imperial Castle.

Now that Seorn had issued an official recall, the students had no choice but to leave behind their sweet vacation in the capital and return to their regular school life.

Ludger sipped his steaming coffee as he opened the morning newspaper.

‘Still quiet... for now.’

The capital, Lindebrune, was still abuzz with reports of the terrorist attack.

However, the most important detail remained that the reports were still referring to the incident as a “terrorist attack” in bold black lettering.

There had been no leaks regarding the existence of demons.

‘I figured the priest from the Holy Nation of Bretus might’ve sensed something, though.’

The delegation from Bretus had conducted multiple investigations while stationed in the capital.

But so far, they hadn’t produced any concrete conclusions.

‘Credit to the Empire for shutting things down quickly.’

The Bretus delegation had come under the pretense of searching for traces of unholy beings.

But in reality, the Empire had far greater justification.

A terrorist attack had occurred in their very own capital, their backyard.

Naturally, the Empire insisted that the investigation fall under their jurisdiction.

Using that argument, they had effectively restricted the Bretus delegation’s movements.

Of course, to avoid pushing too hard, they still left a few avenues open for limited observation.

‘They’ve likely completely blocked off the core zone where the dead World Tree’s roots were.’

Still, no one knew how long this status quo would last.

News of the Empire’s brush with terrorism had already begun to spread to other nations across the continent.

It was fine for now—but the moment the truth got out, it could shake the geopolitical balance of the world.

‘I still don’t know what that priest is scheming.’

If the priest really wanted to press the issue, nothing was stopping them from doing so.

Yet oddly enough, High Priestess Remria and the delegation under her had remained unusually docile.

But the calm behavior of a ticking time bomb was not necessarily a good sign.

If anything, it was worse—because who knew what they were plotting in the shadows?

Frankly, it was more comfortable when your opponent moved openly.

‘There’s a mountain of things to do.’

Ludger folded the newspaper and began mentally organizing his upcoming tasks.

‘The Geheimnisnacht summit is coming soon. I hadn’t planned to attend, but if a First Order is involved, that changes things. And the Zero Order mentioned convening a Synod soon. I also need to prepare for the elf kingdom’s inevitable pursuit.’

On top of that, there were smaller matters to keep track of.

He had to monitor the conditions of students like Flora and Leo, and even Aidan—just in case.

The Royal Street project also needed continued supervision.

It was mostly running on its own now, but in the event of any major incident, Owens would have to step in directly.

‘And then there’s that damned brute from the Pablo Family who caused that ruckus in the shop...’

Albert Pablo, was it?

Ludger had already instilled enough fear in him that he didn’t think Albert would act on his own.

The real concern was the Pablo Family.

Even if they’d half-written him off as a failure, no noble family would sit idly by if one of their own got beaten in public.

‘Especially since the Pablo Family’s heir holds a Title of Color.’

As expected from a house specializing in fire, Albert’s older brother—heir to the family—had received the Title of Red.

That meant he could wield natural flames, and among single-element users who possessed a Title of Color, he was among those with the most devastating firepower.

Of course, someone like that wouldn’t go around leveling streets like a madman.

People of such high status typically cared deeply about face and justification.

‘Although, Casey Selmore’s an exception to that. Then again, that’s probably because she’s the second child of her house.’

If Casey had been the eldest daughter, she might’ve turned out much more composed and proper.

Thinking about that brought his thoughts back to Casey again.

‘Passius said she’s not doing well. If it were just an act, he would’ve noticed—but since he didn’t, maybe she’s actually in bad shape.’

Maybe she’d suffered serious aftereffects from Basara’s mental assault.

Honestly, it wasn’t his problem... but for some reason, he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Casey had joined the battle as a mage.

No one had forced her—she’d made that decision of her own accord.

She likely hadn’t expected any reward for it either.

She simply acted because it was the right thing to do—because, from her perspective, justice and principle couldn’t be ignored.

She hadn’t done it for praise.

At least, that was the Casey Ludger knew now.

Unlike three years ago, she’d matured significantly.

Even Ludger, who had little room in his heart, couldn’t help but respect the woman she’d become.

And if such a person was now suffering and in pain from the aftermath...

Then maybe, just maybe, as someone who shared similar burdens, he could offer a bit of help.

‘But if I go in person, she might hate that... Maybe I should help her secretly instead?’

Secret support, huh.

It was starting to sound like he was playing the role of Daddy Long Legs to “Jerusha Judy Abbott.”

‘Speaking of which... that reminds me.’

Ludger picked up the <Akashic Record> for instructors, resting on the table.

He opened the only existing conversation record—and saw that the other party had already greeted him first.

[Long time no see.]

[Indeed. How have you been? Looks like you’ve been busy lately.]

[Yeah. Had some things going on.]

The two of them had continued chatting regularly ever since their first matching.

They still didn’t know each other’s real names.

They’d chosen nicknames from the beginning and kept using them.

They didn’t want to lose the enjoyment of this little roleplay by revealing their true identities.

Once their real names were known, there’d be no way to go back.

And Ludger was certain “Judy” on the other side of the Akashic Record felt the same.

[If you were busy, I’m guessing it was the field study?]

It wasn’t hard to figure out, judging by the days Judy had been absent.

She clearly knew he’d figured it out too and didn’t bother denying it.

[Yes, that’s right.]

[Must’ve been tough. Did you get hurt or anything?]

[Ah, no. I got help, actually.]

[Help?]

[Let’s just say something like that happened.]

Oops. Maybe he was prying a little too much.

He hadn’t meant to—but when she mentioned she was on the field study, curiosity got the better of him.

He had gone as a chaperone and supervisor himself, after all.

‘Which means... Judy is either a first-year or second-year student.’

It was even possible they’d already crossed paths without knowing it.

[Sorry. Maybe I pushed too hard.]

[No, no. It’s not that. It’s just... a bit personal.]

So that’s what it was.

Ludger stroked his chin once and typed another message.

[If it’s something you’re struggling with, I can listen.]

A subtle sentiment crept into him after sending that message.

For some reason, chatting with Judy always reminded him of the past and loosened something in his chest.

He had lived his whole life running forward, never once looking back.

To Ludger, the concept of “rest” didn’t really exist.

These small conversations with an anonymous stranger—whose face and name he didn’t even know—were the closest thing he had to peace.

That’s why he felt compelled to help, even just a little.

Especially since she was a younger student. As an adult, at the very least, he could offer a bit of advice.

[You really mean that?]

[I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.]

But the moment he hit send, Ludger realized his mistake.

‘Wait a second. What if it’s about romance? I have zero experience with that.’

From his past life to this one, Ludger had built a fortress between himself and anything related to love.

And most first-year students’ worries... tended to revolve around romantic matters.

[Um, there’s someone I’ve been thinking about lately.]

Ah, hell.

Judging by how she phrased that, it was definitely about romance.

‘Can’t back out now, though.’

Ludger decided to at least hear her out first.

He could always decide what to do after that.

[And?]

[That person just... keeps popping into my head. They're kind of unusual, you know?]

[Unusual how?]

[Every time I see him, I get this strange sense of déjà vu, like we’ve met somewhere before. Logically, I know that doesn’t make any sense, but I just can’t shake the feeling. I must be weird, right?]

Hmm.

Ludger paid close attention to Judy’s message.

From the tone alone, it was a textbook example of a student quietly wrestling with thoughts about someone they liked.

Even in an anonymous chat, the fact that she phrased it so indirectly suggested she still felt embarrassed.

So it is about romance.

There was no rule at Seorn that prohibited dating.

In fact, if you wandered through the campus gardens or cafeteria, you could often see young couples smiling # Nоvеlight # and enjoying themselves.

But as a teacher, Ludger found it hard to accept such behavior.

What’s the point of dating if you’re not even keeping up with your studies?

He had yet to meet a student who managed to maintain excellent grades while wrapped up in romance.

If they ran a grade comparison, he was sure those same happy couples outside would show a noticeable dip in their ranks.

Judy seems so driven and diligent, though.

She always talked about magic, class material, or concerns about her future.

Most students would grumble about wanting to slack off or hating homework—but she never did.

And now she was saying someone had caught her attention?

Who the hell is this punk?

It had to be a guy—Ludger was sure of that.

And just like that, he found himself thinking negatively about the mystery student.

I can’t just tell her to forget about it outright. Better to tread carefully.

Ludger typed a question.

[Does he get good grades?]

[Grades? I mean, yeah? No—definitely yes. There’s no way he wouldn’t.]

No way he wouldn’t? That was a bold endorsement.

[How about looks? Is he good-looking?]

[......Yes.]

A short, shy reply.

That one word was enough for Ludger to realize the guy’s appearance wasn’t ordinary either.

Smart and handsome?

That was dangerous. Guys like that usually had twisted personalities.

Not that he had evidence for it.

It was just a gut feeling.

Ludger quickly typed a reply.

[Even if he’s on your mind, it might be worth watching things a bit longer. That way you’ll know if it’s just a passing feeling.]

[You think so?]

[Yeah. In these situations, time’s usually the best way to find clarity.]

[I figured. Thanks for the advice. I’ve been keeping it to myself for a while, so just talking about it already helps.]

[Feel free to talk to me anytime.]

[You too, Mr. Smith!]

Her cheerful reply—so fitting for a student—made Ludger smile faintly as he logged out of the <Akashic Record>.

He could’ve continued the conversation, but the promised time had already arrived.

Knock knock. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

“Professor Ludger? May I come in?”

“Yes. Please, come in.”

As he answered, the door opened and Headmaster Elisa entered the room.

They had scheduled this meeting in advance, so Ludger wasn’t surprised.

“This is our first face-to-face since the field study, isn’t it?”

“I suppose I had an unexpected break.”

“It’s time to return to your busy routine. You’ll regret not resting while you had the chance, you know?”

“Honestly, I was just thinking I’d rather have work to focus on.”

“Oh my, such a commendable mindset.”

Elisa settled naturally into the plush sofa reserved for guests.

Ludger stepped away from his desk and took the seat across from her.

“So, Headmaster, may I ask the reason for your personal visit? You could’ve summoned me instead.”

“Professor Ludger, you’re the new Director of Planning at Seorn, remember? A man of high office deserves proper treatment. It wouldn’t be right for me to bark orders at the head of a department, now would it?”

“I wouldn’t have minded.”

“But others would. Especially in times like these.”

There was a hidden barb in Elisa’s words.

Clearly, she was under a lot of pressure regarding the terrorist incident during the field study.

Looking closely, Ludger noticed the faint shadows beneath her eyes, despite her pleasant smile.

Even someone who had risen to the headmaster’s position at such a young age couldn’t escape the stress of everything happening around them.

“Would you like some coffee?”

“Ah, I’ll have to pass. I’ve been drinking too much lately—trying to cut back.”

“I see. Then may I ask why you came? If it’s about the revised academic calendar, I assume that could’ve been handled through a formal notice.”

“Oh, it’s not about that. I actually came to make a personal request.”

“A request?”

“Yes. It’s about one of the changes to our new curriculum—the section on [Magibeasts]: their nature and summoning.”

“Yes, I remember. You mentioned it during our call back at the Imperial Castle.”

They had discussed giving first- and second-year students hands-on summoning experience to boost their practical skills.

“Well, I finally found someone to teach the course.”

“Is that so? Who?”

Teaching wide-eyed underclassmen how to summon magical creatures... whoever it was, they had a tough job ahead.

“You’re so funny. Why do you think I came to see you, Professor Ludger?”

“...”

At Elisa’s smiling reply, a cold sweat crept down Ludger’s spine.

“It’s me?”

“Yes.”

“So I’m the one.”

“Of course.”

“There’s no one else?”

“Obviously not.”

Her smile radiated with unshakable determination.

This time, even Ludger couldn’t hold back a weary sigh.