Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 23: The Hunter of the Clockwork City (2)

'Tch. Ugh. Seriously, I almost got arrested myself for looking suspicious.’

Hans, carrying Ludger’s suit case, slowly walked through a dark alley to avoid the attention of the police who had suddenly stormed the scene.

Today was his first day arriving in the city, but Hans had already memorized the map of Rederbelk, so he didn’t lose his way.

‘But still, he went off to hunt a werewolf. When the hell is he coming back?’

Just as he was thinking that, something suddenly dropped from the air and landed right in front of Hans.

It rolled to his feet—it was the severed head of a giant wolf.

“Gah!”

Hans flinched, shoulders jolting, and barely suppressed the scream rising in his throat.

“Startled?”

From the shadows of the opposite alley, Ludger slowly emerged.

Polished shoes and leather pants. A stark white shirt tucked under a brown leather vest. A dark, weathered long coat draped over it all, topped with a hat.

Had they met unexpectedly, the sheer pressure from his appearance alone might have dropped Hans to his knees.

With trembling lips, Hans burst out,

“Damn it! Boss! Can’t you say something before showing up like that?! I nearly dropped your case!”

“You didn’t, though.”

“Ugh, still! Is that the werewolf? I’m not doubting your skills or anything, but it’s still hard to believe you took down that monster in that situation.”

Clicking his tongue, Hans inspected the lifeless werewolf’s head, shuddering as he handed Ludger the black suit case.

Ludger accepted it and turned around, taking the lead.

Hans followed behind him.

“You’re just gonna leave the head there like that?”

“Yeah. Don’t need it anymore.”

“Then why bring it?”

“To scare you.”

“......You’re still holding a grudge over that prank I pulled back in the alley?”

Ludger didn’t answer. Hans sighed deeply and raised his hands.

“Alright, alright. You win. Let’s just agree to never do that again.”

“Depends on your behavior.”

Once out of the alley, the two emerged onto a more populated street with a decent flow of pedestrians.

“So, who—or what—was that werewolf, exactly? A real cryptid?”

“No. It was an artificially created specimen.”

“A specimen? That’s insane. Guess I better watch myself while I’m in this city. If someone’s out there making monsters, they’re probably nearby.”

“I was going to talk to you about that.”

“Talk? You’re making me real uneasy all of a sudden. Can I choose not to hear this?”

“......”

“Alright, alright! Just say it already.”

“I’m moving the plan forward a little.”

“The plan? Don’t tell me...”

“I’m thinking this city might be better than the capital.”

Ludger tossed two small pouches to Hans.

When Hans opened them to check the contents, one was full of gold coins and the other contained his beast-transformation suppressant.

“Boss... this is...?”

“Time for us to settle down a bit.”

“You mean here in Rederbelk? The city that’s directly linked to Seorn? The same city where the Black Dawn Society might be lurking? Not to mention all the gangs in the back alleys?”

“Yeah.”

“You’ve lost it.”

“There’s plenty of funding. So get to work.”

“What about you?”

“I’m still officially a professor at the academy. I can’t move recklessly. The Headmaster is still suspicious of me.”

“So you want me to do all the dirty work?”

Ludger shook his head.

“Not everything. Just start by gathering the critical information. Who runs the gangs in this city, whether there’s a mafia presence, how the underworld operates. And whether we can secure a foothold there. Figure that out and report back to me.”

And when that time comes, I’ll step in myself.

Understanding the unspoken meaning in Ludger’s tone, Hans swallowed hard—then smirked and gave a confident nod.

“Ha. Now that’s my specialty.”

* * *

After returning to the academy dorms, I unpacked all the belongings I had brought.

I had left the information gathering to Hans for now, but I wasn’t worried.

He might not look the part, but when it came to gathering intel, he was second to none.

There was a reason I kept him around.

‘I should start building a force of my own—just in case.’

I couldn’t act openly for now, so I’d focus on preparations instead.

The Headmaster still suspected me, and I still didn’t know exactly what the Black Dawn Society was plotting.

Moving recklessly would only backfire.

After quickly finishing my unpacking, I sank into the plush sofa and reflected on the day’s events.

‘That werewolf... it wasn’t a natural cryptid. It was a man-made specimen.’

The existence of werewolves wasn’t surprising.

Monsters did exist in this world, even if they’d been driven beyond the Shadow Barrier at the edges of the continent. Their traces remained.

Cryptids were the clearest examples.

As subspecies of monsters, cryptids were now more akin to urban legends or magical anomalies than actual creatures.

The werewolf I had taken down was technically a cryptid, but to be precise, it was a fake.

‘There have always been rumors of experiments and rituals to create werewolves.’

There’s an infamous cursed potion—crafted by mixing various herbs into water with wolf tracks, then adding strands of wolf fur.

Even ordinary humans could transform into beasts by drinking it.

Naturally, this was black magic.

Black magic was banned by the Empire at a national level—getting caught meant immediate execution, no questions asked.

You rarely even heard whispers about it in the underworld anymore.

‘But someone’s openly making werewolves now. And with signs of experimental markings, this wasn’t the work of some minor group.’

The collar around its neck—did they capture a wild wolf and infuse it with human genes?

The restraining harness, the surgical marks on the body—all were traces of experimentation.

It was clearly a result of science.

Potions that could corrupt a human into a beast were once the exclusive domain of extinct black mages.

But now, science had joined the equation.

‘Which means someone intentionally encouraged it.’

Then who?

Creating a specimen of that caliber couldn’t be done in just any facility.

You’d need a large, hidden lab, out of public view.

A proper space, secrecy, and real experimental backing.

Considering all that, this meant someone with serious money was involved.

A noble... or a millionaire.

‘So someone suspiciously wealthy must be lurking within the Empire.’

I shook my head.

I had no idea who to suspect, and for now, I had already taken care of the werewolf and extracted its serum.

I no longer needed to concern myself with it.

It was finally the weekend, and I didn’t want to be dragged into more annoying matters. Tomorrow was Sunday—I’d take a good rest.

‘More importantly, I need to plan my next lecture. Time to prep again.’

Too many things to deal with. My head’s starting to hurt.

* * *

After a peaceful Sunday, Monday morning arrived—the start of a new week.

After a simple breakfast of toast and coffee, I headed to my private faculty office in the main building.

Classes didn’t start until tomorrow, but as a newly appointed professor, I needed to show my face.

That’s just how society worked.

Once I sat down at my desk, I unfolded the morning paper I had brought from the dorm.

It was just a quick check to see if anything happened in Rederbelk or Seorn.

But then...

‘...What the hell is this?’

Splashed across the front page of today’s fresh morning edition was a massive headline.

[A Mysterious Killer Rampages Through Rederbelk – Still At Large!]

—This past Sunday, five more deaths were reported in Rederbelk. The ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ total body count now exceeds ten. The identity of the perpetrator remains unknown, but witnesses describe a terrifying beast with black fur. Authorities claim the killer is merely a deranged murderer and will be apprehended soon, but citizens remain gripped by fear.

‘What the...?’

I read the article over and over again.

No matter how I looked at it, it was referring to the werewolf I killed last Saturday.

But the newspaper said five more people died on Sunday.

Five more.

‘I’m sure I killed that thing. So how are there new victims? Was there more than one?’

A strange chill ran down my spine.

Beep! Beep!

The translucent crystal orb on my desk began flashing and emitting a strange sound.

I knew exactly what it was.

‘The Headmaster is calling.’

More precisely, it was an artifact used to summon teachers for a meeting.

Which meant—

There was something we needed to discuss.

‘Guess I’m going.’

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

I stood from my seat and shrugged on the coat hanging by the rack.

Suddenly, I remembered something Miss Selina had said during dinner last Friday.

Something about students claiming to have seen a werewolf inside the Academy.

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‘Victims in Rederbelk, sightings inside Seorn Academy...’

Even if I counted out the one I’d already hunted, that still meant there could be at least two more werewolves out there.

Maybe even more.

I pushed away the unsettling thoughts and made my way toward the faculty conference room.

Chatter, chatter.

The conference room, situated on the upper floors of the main building, was packed with faculty.

All of them were people with confirmed expertise in their respective fields.

As I walked in, heads turned toward me.

Most eyes brimmed with curiosity—but I knew that curiosity wasn’t directed at me, but rather the source code I had invented.

‘Professor Ludger! Over here!’

In a quiet corner, I saw a familiar head of pink hair bobbing.

Selina was waving me over, so I made my way toward her.

‘That’s Ludger Cherish?’

‘I heard he invented some incredible spell. Is it true?’

‘They say he’s from a fallen noble family. Look at him trying to act the part.’

A number of the professors seemed to look at me with subtle hostility, especially those from noble backgrounds.

Their prickly gazes, full of spite and jealousy, were sharp—but I brushed them off with ease.

As I sat in the empty seat beside Selina, she greeted me.

“Did you have a good weekend?”

“I rested well. I hope yours was relaxing too, Miss Selina.”

“Yes, it’s been ages since I had a proper break. But more importantly—did you hear the news?”

“You mean the reason we were all called here?”

“Last night, two first-year students were attacked by an unknown assailant. They were seriously injured.”

According to Selina’s explanation, this was what had happened:

Last night.

Two first-year students had been attacked inside Seorn after returning from an off-campus outing.

Their lives weren’t in danger, but the injuries were severe—and the fact that it happened inside the Academy sent a major shockwave.

One of the victims, after waking up this morning, said something chilling:

That a monstrous beast had attacked them.

“So those werewolf rumors from last week were true after all. There’ve been victims in the nearby city of Rederbelk too, you know.”

“I see.”

It was hard to dismiss it as a mere hallucination when the wounds on the victims looked like they’d been slashed by a beast’s claws.

This must be why the faculty had been called together.

Seorn’s contract did state that in an emergency, even the instructors were expected to act with full force.

Which meant the internal security staff alone wasn’t enough to contain the situation.

‘If the enemy is a werewolf, it’s better to send elite instructors rather than waste manpower.’

Being a Seorn instructor didn’t mean you just taught classes like some average schoolteacher.

The prestige of the academy meant that the faculty’s capabilities were already acknowledged to be top tier.

“The Headmaster is arriving.”

When a woman in her mid-50s, her face lined with age, spoke up, the rest of the staff—who had been murmuring among themselves—fell silent.

Curious who she was, I glanced at Selina beside me.

“That’s Professor Marie Ross,” she whispered. “She’s been at Seorn for over twenty years. Teaches in the field of Alchemy and Pharmacology.”

“I see.”

To have served here for over twenty years meant she was a figure of considerable ability.

Now that she had taken charge of the atmosphere, the rest of the faculty stayed quiet.

“The Headmaster is entering.”

The doors opened, and the Headmaster walked in.

She was breathtaking as always—golden, enchanting eyes, two-toned hair of white and soft pink—naturally drawing everyone’s gaze.

“Good morning, everyone. I called this meeting on short notice because there’s something I need to inform you all of.”

Without wasting time, the Headmaster got straight to the point.

Every instructor in the room perked up to listen.

“A hostile entity has recently been sighted within Seorn. Just last night, two of our newly admitted first-year students were attacked and seriously injured.”

“Do we know who the perpetrator is?”

“We do not. But according to eyewitness testimony, it was a werewolf. In other words—a cryptid.”

The mention of a werewolf sent murmurs rippling through the staff.

“That’s impossible, Headmaster. You must be mistaken. A cryptid in Seorn?”

The one who loudly objected was a greasy, arrogant man in his fifties.

His slick, dirty-blond hair was parted 2:8, and he wore an exaggerated mustache. His face radiated meanness.

He looked exactly like one of those grumpy, old-fashioned senior teachers you’d expect to find in any institution.

Still, as soon as he opened his mouth, the atmosphere of the room subtly changed.

“Do you have something to say, Professor Hugo Burteg?”

“This is Seorn. We’re under the protection of the Exilion Empire. A werewolf in Seorn? I think some students got carried away by a baseless rumor.”

“Professor Hugo, I’m not sure you were listening—but I did say there were two victims.”

“I’m aware. And both of them were from noble families. Which is precisely why I believe this wasn’t the work of a werewolf.”

Hugo Burteg swept his gaze across the room.

“I believe the attacker was another student. A commoner, specifically.”

“What did you just say?”

“Think about it. Out of all the students, only nobles were targeted? And you want me to believe a werewolf did it? Far more likely that some students faked being a werewolf and staged this whole thing.”

While his words might’ve sounded logical on the surface, I felt a deep, instinctive revulsion at what he said.

No. That wasn’t the argument of someone seeking the truth.

It was someone trying to poke holes in the Headmaster’s statements and shift the blame onto a scapegoat.

As I watched the mood of the room, I nodded slightly to myself.

‘So that’s how it is.’

Seorn was still an organization—and like any organization, internal factions were inevitable.

If even the students were divided between nobles and commoners, the faculty couldn’t be any different.

There was already tension between professors from noble backgrounds and those from common stock.

Even Chris Bennimore, one of the new hires like me, had declined to dine with me on the basis that I was a fallen noble.

‘I thought the Black Dawn Society was our biggest problem... but maybe not.’

If Hugo were the only one spouting nonsense, it would’ve been one thing.

But the real issue was that quite a few others in the room seemed to silently agree with him.

A faction of noble-born professors had clearly banded together.

And it didn’t look like they were on good terms with the Headmaster’s faction.

Rather than working together, they were wasting time on internal politics.

So this was the real state of Seorn?

As I pondered that, a small insect crawled up the wall and onto my shoulder.

I reached to flick it away—but froze.

It wasn’t an insect.

It only looked like one. In truth, it was a thin, folded piece of paper.

Luckily, no one else had noticed it.

I casually cupped it in my hand and checked the contents without drawing attention.

Everyone’s focus remained on the standoff between Hugo and the Headmaster.

“......”

After reading the message, I pressed my fingers against my brow as a dull ache throbbed at my temples.

[Three specimens have escaped. Immediate capture required. Eliminate if necessary.]

I instantly knew who had sent this—and who was behind the creation of these werewolves.

But the most important part was the final line.

[If the specimens are compromised, our identities risk exposure.]

Ah, gods.

Why do you keep sending me trials like this?