Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 294: The Unshared Secret (2)

While Ludger was lost in anxious thoughts, the meeting steadily continued.

Once Princess Aileen stepped up and began leading the discussion in earnest, everyone naturally started aligning with her decisions.

“So we’re agreed, then. We’ll eliminate the enemy forces underground.”

Between defense and offense—

They ultimately chose offense.

They all understood the risk of traps laid by the enemy, but even so, they couldn’t sit back and wait.

Everyone present sensed it:

The Liberation Army and the black mages were stalling for time.

The chimera horde was nothing but a diversion—just a way to delay.

What they were truly after lay elsewhere.

There was something—some trump card that made them believe they could win even with Sixth-Circle mages, imperial knights, and master-level warriors all gathered in one place.

No one knew what that was yet—but it was undoubtedly meant to recreate hell on earth.

They had to act now to stop it.

“The important question is—who do we send?”

At that, the room fell into silence.

The most crucial part of this mission was selecting who would enter the enemy-occupied underground facility filled with Liberation Army forces and black mages.

They couldn’t just throw in a bunch of soldiers.

Even if ten enemies died, if a single imperial soldier fell, the Empire still suffered a net loss.

And these enemies were the kind who wouldn’t hesitate to use suicide tactics. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Caution was essential. They had to be extremely careful in choosing who to send in, minimizing potential casualties.

Veronica spoke.

“We need people whose strength is absolutely guaranteed.”

“Not just °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° ‘guaranteed’. We need strong ones,” Caroline cut in.

“If someone’s going down there, they’d better be able to take on dozens at once. We’re not dealing with grunts—the enemy has elite forces too. If we send in anyone half-baked, we’ll just rack up the losses.”

“Well, that makes it easy to choose. Most of us here are already top-tier,” Phyron said with a hearty laugh.

More than half the key figures gathered in the command tent were renowned names in the Empire.

Sixth-Circle mages, master-level knights.

If they moved together, it would be akin to deploying an entire army.

“Can’t we just charge in with everyone and flatten the place?” whispered a voice beside Terrina.

Ludger recognized her—Enya Joinas. A knight, and one of Alex’s former classmates. They hadn’t parted on good terms.

Enya probably thought she was whispering quietly, but the room was too quiet and everyone here had sharp hearing.

Everyone heard her.

Realizing too late, Enya clasped both hands over her mouth.

Beside her, Lloyd grimaced, and Terrina sighed.

As the commanding officer, she had no choice but to clean up her subordinate’s misstep.

“If we all went in, yes, it would be easy. But we can’t overlook the fact that might be exactly what they want. With the Empire’s top forces underground, who knows what else they could pull aboveground?”

To prevent that kind of feint or diversion, at least half the power gathered here would have to remain on the surface.

“Besides, with the level of power gathered here, smaller teams are probably more effective. Two to three members per unit would be ideal.”

This also took into account the terrain they’d be fighting in.

If they were battling in a wide-open plain, then moving as one would be best.

But their target was a tangled, maze-like underground facility.

Narrow, dark, full of unknown traps.

In a space like that, a large group might end up hindering each other instead of helping.

“Then how about one close-range fighter and one ranged?”

“With the talent in this room, that division doesn’t mean much. It’s not like mages are weak in close combat.”

“Even so, we’ll still need someone up front.”

“Too much firepower could also be a problem. The underground tunnels are narrow—it’s not an ideal environment for large-scale magic.”

“So magic output will have to be limited. That’s not great.”

Through continued discussion, the plan began to take shape—slowly but with clarity.

“We’re narrowing it down. Two-person teams, divided into vanguard and rear guard roles. The question now is how many of these units we’ll need.”

“We’ll need analysis teams, not just combat teams. Now that we know they’re using the World Tree, we need a way to counter that.”

“If anything, we might even turn the World Tree against them.”

Combat teams were necessary, of course—but they weren’t just planning to fight head-on.

The enemy’s greatest weapon at the moment was the World Tree.

So they’d need people who could understand and counteract that.

“But finding someone who understands the World Tree won’t be easy.”

That was the biggest issue—finding someone knowledgeable about the ancient species.

The World Tree wasn’t widely studied or documented, and experts on the subject were scarce.

Ludger saw an opportunity.

‘Hmm. In that case, Bellaruna might be useful.’

Bellaruna was eccentric, yes—but she was a pure-blooded elf.

She likely possessed more knowledge of flora than anyone else here.

‘And as an elf, she should have solid knowledge of the World Tree.’

If Ludger casually introduced her as an external expert, that might work.

Just as he was thinking that—

“I’ll go.”

It was Chris Bennimore who spoke, raising his hand.

The fact that he, of all people, had spoken up was surprising enough.

But to volunteer for a dangerous mission?

Even Ludger’s eyes widened slightly.

The other Seorn instructors reacted with equal astonishment.

“M-Mr. Chris?”

“The Bennimore family has specialized in pharmacology for generations. I’m confident in my knowledge of herbs—and beyond that, plants in general.”

“But the World Tree isn’t exactly... ordinary.”

Someone voiced the obvious concern.

Chris, however, was ready.

“That’s fine. My family once acquired a specimen of the World Tree and studied it.”

“A... specimen?”

Gasps echoed through the tent.

No one had expected someone present to have actual knowledge of the World Tree.

Ludger studied Chris’s expression, trying to see if he was bluffing.

‘Doesn’t look like he’s lying.’

What Ludger did know about Chris was that he was temperamental and proud.

A noble to the bone.

But how deep his pharmacological knowledge truly ran—or how skilled he was in practice—Ludger couldn’t say.

‘Still, if he’s this confident, then he must have enough credentials. And if his family really did study a specimen of the World Tree, then he’s more than qualified.’

Naturally, Chris was selected as part of the analysis team.

The next question: who would accompany him?

Soon, all eyes turned to Ludger.

“...Why are you all looking at me like that?”

Wait. Were they seriously suggesting he should be paired with Chris?

As if answering that thought, Caroline spoke.

“Mr. Ludger Cherish. I think you’d be a perfect fit.”

Phyron nodded in agreement.

“...Why not you, Lady Caroline? Or you, Sir Phyron?”

“With others, maybe. But not us,” Caroline said with a self-deprecating smile.

“This big guy and I—we fight with brute force. Our magic is all output and destruction. If we fight down there, it’ll be hard to hold back.”

Caroline Monarch—the so-called “Tyrant.”

And Phyron, who crushed his enemies with muscle and overwhelming mana.

Neither of their styles suited the narrow, delicate tunnels of the underground sewers.

Even if they tried to hold back, one misstep and the whole structure could collapse.

And lives were on the line.

That’s why Ludger was the ideal choice.

He fought with precision, using minimal mana for maximum efficiency.

He had already proven himself by safely rescuing the survivors at the Crystal Palace.

“Besides, you two work in the same place, right? Wouldn’t it be better to send people who at least recognize each other?”

We’re not exactly close, you know.

Ludger bit back the words that nearly escaped his lips.

Especially since, surprisingly, Chris—who seemed the most likely to protest—was completely quiet.

What the hell? Did he eat something weird today? Why is he so docile?

Sure, they’d talked once during the closing moments of the Magic Festival while making herbs together.

But that hardly qualified as a reconciliation.

“I’m just a humble instructor.”

“The Princess already said it, remember? You’re one of the ‘skilled’ teachers. Honestly, I don’t think there’s anyone here who doesn’t acknowledge your strength.”

When Caroline looked around, no one stepped forward to contradict her.

Even those who didn’t know much about Ludger still kept silent.

The fact that Caroline Monarch and Phyron had acknowledged him was reason enough to believe in him.

Loina, who had personally witnessed Ludger’s divine might at the Crystal Palace, nodded in firm agreement.

With not one, not two, but three magicians of Lexer-tier vouching for him, there was virtually no suspicion left surrounding Ludger.

“Besides, you’re not part of the combat unit anyway, so relax. You’re assigned to analyze the World Tree, not jump into a death match.”

“Going into a sewer crawling with enemies is already far from safe.”

“Well, compared to the others in combat units, your odds of being in a full-on fight are much lower.”

Ludger knew he couldn’t refuse anymore.

And the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like him going was actually for the best.

It wasn’t that he doubted the strength gathered here—but just in case.

“Then the analysis team is officially decided.”

* * *

The sudden terrorist attack had left the capital’s citizens in fear.

But the Empire’s systems remained intact. There was no city-wide panic or chaos.

At the central plaza, people were moving busily.

Barricades were being reinforced, the wounded transported to hospitals, and rescue teams combed the area for anyone still stranded.

In one corner of the plaza, a group of Seorn students sat quietly.

Their long-awaited field trip had been ruined by the terror incident, and their expressions reflected their disappointment.

Some were still shaken, having narrowly escaped death.

“Rine. Are you okay?”

Erendir walked over and sat beside Rine, who was crouched silently in a corner.

“Ah, senior. Did you see your family?”

“Yeah. They said they were relieved to see me in one piece.”

“I saw them from afar.”

“You did?”

“Yes. Not just His Majesty, but also the beautiful lady standing next to him. You seemed close.”

“‘Close,’ huh...”

At the mention of her older sister—the First Princess—Erendir’s face turned a shade paler.

“You don’t think so? It looked to me like she really cares about you.”

“...Are you sure you weren’t seeing things? I think she sees me as more of a toy than anything else.”

“Hmm... I wouldn’t know. I don’t have a family, after all.”

“Ah...”

Hearing Rine speak so casually about something so serious made Erendir wince.

But then a thought struck her.

Rine did have a mother—Erendir had seen glimpses of her past through the Memory Storming phenomenon.

But Rine doesn’t remember. Why not?

She thought of asking—but shook her head.

Now wasn’t the time to bring up something like that.

“Still, we’re lucky. None of the students died. Some are injured, sure, but...”

“By the way, I don’t see everyone here. Do you know where the rest went?”

“They’re probably in the Imperial Palace. This plaza was set up as an emergency shelter for people who couldn’t evacuate in time.”

As she answered, Erendir’s expression hardened as a memory of the Crystal Palace resurfaced.

“More importantly, Rine. Why did you do that earlier?”

“Pardon? Do what?”

“You ran out to block those spikes fired by the chimera.”

Ah.

Rine realized what she meant.

“It’s great that you blocked it, but you could’ve been seriously hurt. Why did you do that?”

“I... I moved before I could think.”

“Do you know how worried I was?”

“I’m sorry, senior.”

Rine lowered her head, voice filled with guilt.

Seeing her junior truly remorseful, Erendir couldn’t bring herself to keep scolding her.

The conversation naturally shifted.

“Still, what is with Flora Lumos? How can someone be so ungrateful? You saved her life, and she didn’t even say thank you. Don’t you agree, Rine?”

“Eh? Ah... Well, maybe she was just too shocked...”

Rine gave a vague, noncommittal answer.

“And then Mr. Ludger came to save us right after, too.”

“That’s true.”

“He looked really cool, didn’t he?”

Rine murmured the words as if lost in the memory.

Erendir couldn’t disagree.

The image of Ludger driving off the chimera horde, cloaked in radiant light and weaving magnificent spells...

Honestly, he’d looked just like a hero from a storybook.

But something about Rine's expression as she remembered him made Erendir uneasy.

No way...

A troubling thought crept into her mind.

The image of her kind, innocent junior getting wrapped up with the wrong kind of man.

“Rine.”

“Yes? Why the serious face all of a sudden, senior?”

“Rine. Just so you know—people like Mr. Ludger Cherish are the most dangerous in the world.”

“Mr. Ludger? Dangerous? He’s a good person.”

“You can’t tell what someone’s like just by looking at them. That’s why they’re dangerous. What if that nice face is just a mask? What if behind it he’s actually a terrible criminal or a murderer?”

“Isn’t that... kind of a stretch?”

“I’m just saying. You shouldn’t judge people by appearances.”

...Why was she saying all this to her, though?

Rine quickly realized that Erendir was once again letting her imagination run wild.

This wasn’t the first time.

And Rine knew exactly how to handle this kind of situation.

“Yes. I understand.”

She nodded obediently.

Only then did Erendir seem to relax and back off.

Rine gave a small, wry smile.

It felt like she’d just lied to soothe an overprotective older sister.

But what choice did I have?

Erendir, for whatever reason, seemed to deeply distrust Mr. Ludger.

She was convinced he was hiding something.

That even if others couldn’t see it, she could.

And maybe that was true.

But Rine still trusted Ludger Cherish.

If she didn’t, then—

Back at the Crystal Palace, when he came to save her—

He wouldn’t have called out to her with such a worried, trembling voice.

At that moment, Rine's gaze dropped to the ground.

Or more precisely, to something beneath it.

What is this? This strange feeling...

An eerie shimmer began to ripple in Rine's eyes.

Something incomprehensible had begun to stir—

and an immense, inexplicable sense of dread welled up inside her.