Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 340: Summoning a Magibeast (2)

“Well then, I’ll be counting on you.”

The Headmaster left behind those deeply burdensome words and exited.

Left alone, Ludger replayed the conversation in his mind.

So I’m teaching a Magibeast summoning class, huh.

Headmaster Elisa had kindly explained that she thought Ludger would be perfect for teaching the students how to summon Magibeasts.

Of course, saying she “thought it’d be good” was just a polite way of saying the decision was already made.

Naturally, Elisa had provided a detailed justification.

—Professor Ludger, you’re aware that Magibeast summoning classes typically begin in the third year, right?

—Then shouldn’t we leave the class to a third-year instructor?

—They’re all busy.

—I’m busy too.

—You were... but due to the recent curriculum changes, you’ve ended up with far fewer classes.

And she was right.

Theoretical subjects that Ludger taught had been reduced under the revised academic schedule.

Ludger’s lectures, though theoretical in name, were often praised for their practical application, which made them popular.

Still, on paper, his classes were firmly grounded in “theory.”

As a result, Ludger now had an unexpectedly open schedule—and Elisa saw it as the perfect opportunity not to let that time go to waste.

—I still have my duties as Director of Planning, you know.

—Of course. But don’t worry! We’ve hired more staff for that office!

That explained how everything had continued running smoothly in his absence.

—Wouldn’t it have been better to use those hiring efforts to recruit a new instructor instead?

—You’re joking, right? You could hire a hundred office workers, but it’s nearly impossible to find even one person qualified to teach Magibeast summoning. It’s far better to reassign someone suitable who’s already on staff.

Seorn didn’t just hire instructors on a whim.

There were specific hiring periods, and the vetting process was extremely thorough.

That was part of why Seorn Academy’s teaching positions were held in such high regard in the wider magical world.

Though even then, it’s not like they can weed out people who deliberately hide their identities... or are just rotten to the core.

Even after posting a job opening, the recruitment process took ages—and there was always a chance some shady person would slip through.

Considering that, reassigning available personnel from within was often the safest option.

Of course, instructors all had their own specialties, so you couldn’t just throw anyone into any class.

—But you, Professor Ludger, can do it.

Elisa’s eyes had sparkled with devious expectation when she said that.

She clearly already knew the answer and was just waiting for him to give in.

How could I say no at that point?

In fact, it had been Ludger himself who originally proposed the idea of bringing Magibeast summoning to lower-year students.

So in the end, he had no one to blame but himself.

And he couldn’t exactly hold it against the Headmaster, either.

Elisa was simply doing her job—and doing it well.

She was a capable administrator, extracting maximum efficiency from her staff by allocating manpower in the most productive way.

At this point, I’m not sure how she’s any different from the First Princess.

Holding a high position didn’t make the job easier—it just meant more work.

It was a bit ironic, but Ludger didn’t entirely dislike the situation.

At the very least, he had one condition of his own.

—How do you expect me to conduct the class?

Elisa had responded immediately, as if she’d been waiting for the question.

—That’s entirely up to you.

An irresponsible answer on the surface—shifting all the burden onto him.

But for Ludger, it was the best possible gift.

—I like that.

With that final exchange, the Headmaster had left, and Ludger’s thoughts returned to the present.

A Magibeast summoning class.

It hadn’t been part of his original schedule, but it wasn’t too demanding in terms of time.

Elisa had no doubt calculated that when she approached him.

She’s a hard boss to serve under.

Whereas Princess Aileen used her charisma to dominate with overwhelming force, Elisa used a gentler but more suffocating strategy—shutting off all escape routes before applying subtle pressure.

At least she gave me complete control over the class structure.

Ludger had been considering the need to teach more practical magic anyway.

If the academy had tried to dictate how the class should be run, that would’ve been a deal-breaker.

Some instructors might be fine with that, but Ludger believed that anything class-related should be defined by the teacher.

The Headmaster understood that, which was why she had left that part entirely to him.

Three days remained until the next class.

And since the task had already landed on his lap, Ludger resolved to do it properly.

* * *

“Uuugh... I’m gonna die.”

Hans had returned to Rederbelk and collapsed on his bed for more than half a day.

Even after finally dragging himself into the operations office, he was still groggy with exhaustion.

He felt slightly better after resting—but the source of his stress was still here, in the same hideout. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

At least she’s behaving for once.

Since their return, Grander had quietly remained in her room.

She hadn’t demanded they bring her anything, nor had she bared her teeth and insisted Hans transform into some kind of animal.

Well... compared to that hastily prepared safe house in the capital, this place is basically a palace.

Grander’s current room was on the top floor of the hideout—the most luxurious quarters available.

Spacious and filled with all manner of elegant furnishings, it left little room for boredom or complaint.

Hans figured she’d have fewer reasons to throw a tantrum now.

Just then, the office door opened, and someone stepped in.

Hans immediately ducked behind his desk.

“...What are you doing?”

The one who walked in was Violetta, dressed casually for mobility.

Codename [Mary Poppins], and the manager of <House of Verdi>.

She stared, blinking, at Hans’ very visible attempt to hide.

It was so blatantly obvious that it somehow made it even more ridiculous.

Hans, realizing it wasn’t Grander who’d entered, let out an awkward cough.

Ahem. “Just... stretching my back. So, what brings you here?”

“Before you left for the capital, you asked me to investigate the people secretly watching our street, remember?”

“Oh, right.”

The founder and leader of Owens was, of course, Ludger.

In this identity, he went by the name [Oliver].

But given how many roles Ludger juggled, he couldn’t always maintain his persona as the general manager.

So Hans had to act as his proxy during those absences.

And before heading ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) to the capital, Hans had asked Violetta—his most capable colleague in terms of administrative work—to handle an investigation.

“Hm. Looks like you gathered everything I needed.”

Hans quickly skimmed through the documents Violetta handed him.

He hadn’t expected much, but she’d compiled a surprisingly detailed and thorough report.

That was thanks to the dense intelligence network Ludger had been developing behind the scenes.

The two core factions were:

—[The Old Kids], a network of children and the elderly.

—[The Women of the Black Rose], an all-female group specialized in intelligence.

Now united under Owens, they had become even more structured and efficient.

Street beggars.

Factory workers.

Waitstaff at diners.

Shopgirls at clothing stores.

Old folks rocking in chairs.

Struggling artists.

Even the laundress at the corner dry cleaner.

The web of information that began on a single street had spread like a spiderweb across the entire city of Rederbelk.

Now, every whisper of the city passed through their ears and into their hands.

“Just as I thought—plenty of rats crawling in.”

Hans clicked his tongue as he flipped through the intel Violetta had gathered.

With Royal Street expanding, more and more shady types had started sniffing around, looking to stir up trouble.

Those kinds of pests were still manageable. They could be crushed with force and money.

“It’s only when noble houses get involved that things start getting annoying.”

At that, Violetta glanced at him with a trace of concern.

“You think we’ll be okay?”

“Hmm? Ah, yeah. It’s fine. I can handle it.”

“But the opponent is...”

She trailed off.

Some of the figures recently settling around Royal Street were people dispatched by the Pablo Family.

Hans, well aware of how Violetta was personally entangled with that family, responded without much concern.

“Did you forget?”

“Forget what?”

“What the boss said. He told us he’d turn this place into his fortress. You were there when he said that, weren’t you?”

“I was. I remember every word.”

“Then why are you worried now?”

“Well... because the enemy is a noble family...”

Violetta was grateful that Ludger had stepped in to utterly humiliate Albert Pablo on her behalf.

But looking back on it now, she couldn’t help but wonder if it had been too risky.

Hans gave a short, derisive snort, as if he could read her thoughts perfectly.

“Hmph. You must still feel like the newest recruit, but listen closely.”

“...What?”

“Even a third-rate scumbag like me gets a little respect in his own home turf. Now think about the boss. He didn’t just say this place is his fortress—he named it as such. Do you understand what that means?”

Violetta had no response.

Hans continued, as if expecting her silence.

“It means that here, on this street—this street—we don’t fear anyone. Pablo Family or whoever else, it doesn’t matter. This place is an impenetrable citadel. If the boss said so, then all we have to do is uphold that promise.”

Hans’s voice was laced with absolute trust in Ludger.

And beneath that, a quiet pride in his own role and responsibilities.

“You came here because you’re curious what we’re going to do about the people listed in these reports, right?”

Without realizing it, Violetta gave a small nod.

Gone was the casual, tired Hans from earlier. Now, he spoke with solemnity and resolve.

“Then I’ll show you. What this place was built for.”

Hans turned to the rats scurrying nearby and issued a silent command.

It was time to show them.

Just how terrifying this Golden Street could be.

* * *

The agents dispatched by the Pablo Family were divided into multiple teams.

Team 1 gathered at a nearby pub, seated in a quiet corner booth, conversing in hushed tones.

“Any sign of the ringleader? This man called Oliver.”

“Not yet. They say he always wears a mask, keeps his identity hidden—it’s not easy.”

“Keep digging. He may have messed with a rotten branch of the Pablo line, but he still touched noble blood. He needs to learn what that means.”

“Yes, sir.”

At that moment, their food and drinks arrived, the beer sloshing in fresh mugs.

Despite their ominous conversation, they smiled with ease, even tipping the server politely.

Just like ordinary customers.

And then, they all raised their mugs to drink.

“Pffft!”

“Gah!”

They collapsed with a sickening sound, choking and spraying beer tinged with blood.

“S-somebody help...!”

One of the men who had only sipped a little managed to stay conscious, gasping and scrambling for help.

But then his eyes widened in dread.

The noisy patrons all around them had gone completely silent.

Not because they were shocked.

But because they were staring—expressionless, unmoving—waiting.

Waiting to see when he would die.

“Th-this... goddamn it...”

That was all he managed before his head slumped forward.

The other patrons calmly stood up.

They wrapped the corpses in burlap and dragged them out.

The bloodstains on the floor were wiped away without a trace.

In minutes, the pub was back to normal.

So perfectly cleaned, no one would’ve guessed that people had just died here.

And this was only the beginning.

Across the city, similar incidents began to unfold one after another.

A knife embedded itself in a sleeping man’s blanket at a hotel.

Another was skewered by crossbow bolts flying out of alleys from all directions.

A third, trying to flee in panic, drowned in the Ramgier River.

But no word of these incidents spread to the public.

On the contrary—Royal Street sparkled brighter than ever.

Visitors flocked to its shops in endless waves, flooding the golden district with laughter and life.

And behind the mountain of curtains and scenery that made up the show...

A quiet death settled across the stage.