Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 3: The Great Train Heist (1)
The cloud of dust stirred up by the explosion began to settle.
“Ugh...”
Rustle.
I rose, brushing off the shattered debris that had fallen over me.
Thankfully, I wasn’t injured. The flying shards hadn’t pierced the coat I was wearing.
<Good thing I wore something sturdy just in case.>
The corridor and the car wall that had been intact just moments ago were now completely blown apart.
Cold air, once blocked out, now poured in through the gaping breach. The wind, laced with snow, slashed across my face like blades.
“...I thought they were just ordinary bandits.”
To detonate a body full of explosives even after being stunned by electric magic?
That’s not something any run-of-the-mill train robber would do.
No, this was something far more dangerous—closer to a fanatic.
A mindset that says, if I die, you’re dying with me.
<Could it be remnants of the prince’s faction from the Yuta Kingdom? No. Those guys are busy hiding right now. This is someone else.>
Frustrated, I wiped a hand across my face—only to feel loose skin dangling.
No wonder the wind was hitting my face so directly.
“Damn. That thing was expensive.”
Ssshhhrrk.
I pulled off the mimic mask I’d been wearing.
It had been torn from the shockwave and flying debris—no point in keeping it on now.
The face of a bearded man in his 40s could no longer do its job, so I chucked the mask out through the open side of the train.
Just when things were going smoothly, something completely unexpected had to blow up.
<Now that I think about it—where did that man go?>
Ludger—the one who said he was newly appointed as an instructor at Seorn Academy—was nowhere to be seen.
And then it hit me.
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When the explosion went off, he hadn’t had time to react and had been caught in the blast.
The wall beside us had been completely ripped apart. There was no trace of Ludger.
I leaned out slightly and looked over the edge—there was a sheer cliff below.
Blizzards still raged beneath us, the sky choked with thick snow clouds.
<...He’s probably dead.>
Anyone would freeze if a guy who looked like a bandit suddenly blew himself up with explosives.
Had he known in advance, Ludger could’ve protected himself with magic. But that was the thing about unexpected events—they always caught you off guard.
A pitiful end.
To die on the very day he was appointed as an instructor at the famed Seorn Academy... I offered a brief moment of silence in his honor.
<But I don’t have time to be sentimental.>
Now that I knew these weren’t ordinary bandits, the level of danger had escalated by several notches.
If these bastards were all planning on suicide bombings, then even a solid magitech train with magical reinforcement could end up derailing.
<Judging by how extreme their actions are, that might even be their real goal.>
I need to get out.
With that decision, I headed toward the rear cars.
Click.
Just then, the door to Car 5 opened, and the visibly tense face of a train attendant appeared.
“Ah—sir? Are you all right? Wh-what in the world is going on...?”
He looked shaken as he took in the demolished corridor and me standing alone amid the wreckage.
I replied calmly.
“The train was attacked. The assailants are armed with dangerous explosives. I nearly got caught in the blast.”
“I-I see...”
“It looks like they’re focused on Car 1. I suggest we move toward the back for safety.”
“Ah, actually, I was just in the middle of helping evacuate the other passengers.”
“That’s good to hear.”
With a look of relief, I approached the attendant.
Then, just as I closed the distance enough to reach him with my arm—I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him straight into the ground.
Boom!
“Gah! W-why are you doing this?!”
“Did you really think that cheap little act would work on me?”
“W-what...?”
He looked up at me in utter confusion.
Someone else might’ve been fooled by his expression and let their guard down—but not me.
“Something felt off. This magitech train is reinforced with magic stones and powerful protection spells. And we’re speeding through the treacherous Arret Mountains—so how did the attackers appear as if they’d been waiting for us?”
“Wh-what are you talking about...?”
“There’s no way this could happen unless someone inside the train helped them. Unless someone intentionally disabled the magic defenses.”
“...”
His face changed in an instant.
The moment he started to move, reaching for something, I was already prepared.
I pressed a sharp knife beneath his jaw.
“Don’t move.”
“Kh...”
“You’re quick. Definitely not an ordinary thug. Speak—where are you from?”
“...”
“Silent, huh? That’s fine too.”
Not like I cared that much anyway. I hoisted him up with the blade still pressed to his neck.
If I was right, something must have already happened in Car 5, where this guy came from.
“Move.”
With the knife still under his chin, I twisted his arms behind his back and gave him a few nudges with my foot.
“Grrgh...”
He grit his teeth, clearly resisting—but the moment I applied more pressure to the hold on his arms, he started walking.
Should’ve just done that from the start.
“How many of your friends are waiting in the next car?”
“...”
“Still not talking, huh? Then I guess I’ll just make you.”
At that moment—
A faint sound came from Car 5.
It was too small to hear under normal circumstances, especially in Car 4, where the wall had blown out and cold wind was howling through the breach.
But with my senses heightened from all the tension, I caught it clearly.
Click.
A sound I knew all too well—the unmistakable noise of metal locking into place.
...The cocking of a gun.
Having recognized it, I immediately shoved the attendant forward and dropped flat to the floor.
Tatatatatatatatata!
A hail of bullets tore through the doorway, roaring above my head.
───!
The attendant I’d shoved ahead didn’t have time to react. His body was shredded in an instant, riddled with bullets.
Splinters and dust flew everywhere. I covered my head and peered beyond the shredded door.
The gunfire showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.
<Submachine gun. These guys came well prepared.>
That meant I had no choice but to act too.
Just as I reached that decision, the attackers must have felt they’d done enough, because the barrage of bullets finally stopped.
<They didn’t hesitate to shoot their own guy. And they didn’t even wait for a signal.>
Which meant that bastard of a “train attendant” had already told them in advance.
If he didn’t return or make contact within a certain time, assume he was dead and open fire without hesitation.
<Suicide bombings, shooting their own men—these guys are completely insane.>
Why the hell did this have to happen when I was on this train...?
Sighing at the misfortune that was my life, I stood up.
I brushed the dust and debris off myself and fixed my eyes beyond the broken door.
The door burst open—and three burly men stormed into the corridor.
“Well, look at that. Someone’s still alive?”
“After all that shooting, he’s still kicking?”
“What’s with the chatter like you get to decide who lives or dies?”
I growled with an annoyed voice as I looked at the thugs casually chatting among themselves.
They exchanged glances—then began advancing toward me with murderous intent.
The corridor was narrow—only one person could come at a time, meaning I could take them on one-by-one if needed.
Still, they were clearly more heavily built than me. Just looking at them told me they outweighed me by quite a bit.
Honestly, I didn’t want to fight.
I’d rather not waste my strength on something this pointless.
<But if I tried to surrender now, they’d never accept it.>
The way they were closing in, ready to kill, made it clear—there was no room for negotiation.
They had no intention of letting me live.
“...I’ve got just one question.”
One of the thugs twitched an eyebrow, irritated by my flat tone—but it couldn’t be helped. This was just the way I talked.
“What, you begging for your life now?”
As if.
“What makes you think you’ll get away with this train attack? You really don’t care if you die? The rescue squad will be here soon.”
“Pfft! I thought you had something serious to say, and it’s just an empty threat?”
The thug at the front snorted and drew a blade that matched his massive build.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
I’d asked a serious question, but apparently, it wasn’t even worth an answer.
“I’ll slice you in one stroke.”
The brute began approaching me slowly, and I took cautious steps backward.
But there was only so far I could retreat in the shattered train car—before long, my feet came to a halt on their own.
Any further, and I’d be falling straight out of the wrecked train.
“Heh. Nowhere left to run, huh?”
“So it seems.”
If I jumped now, I’d just be following Ludger to his death.
But with that mountain of muscle blocking the way forward, there was only one option if I wanted to get past him—straight through.
“No time to waste. I’ll finish you fast!”
Just as he shouted and lunged at me, blade raised—
I activated the spell I’d prepared beforehand.
Boom!
A sharp crack of air echoed out as the brute, just about to swing his sword, was blasted backward like a cannonball.
Crash!
The goons standing behind him didn’t even have time to react. They were thrown back as well, tumbling to the floor.
“Grrh... Wh-what the hell...?”
“A mage?!”
I’d hit them with a pretty strong burst of mana, but they didn’t seem all that hurt. Tough guys.
No—looking closer, I could see they were wearing something under their clothes. Protective gear, perhaps.
In that case, I’d just have to go harder.
I channeled my mana, weaving another spell. A 3D magic formation formed in the air, then rapidly took shape and transformed into a spell. A powerful gust surged forth, lifting the men back into the air.
That must have shaken them. It probably felt like a giant invisible hand was grabbing them.
“Wha—what the—?!”
“Put us down! Put us down right now!”
“As you wish.”
I guided the wind, carrying them myself.
Right through the gaping hole in the train.
“P-please! Have mercy!”
They screamed and begged for their lives, but I didn’t hesitate. These were the ones who attacked the train with intent to kill everyone aboard. Showing them mercy would only earn me a ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) dagger in the back.
I tossed them out one by one.
Their screams echoed as they vanished into the storm.
“Tch.”
With the attackers cleared, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a string, straightening my slightly tousled hair.
I never paid much attention to appearances, so my hair had grown quite long. If I didn’t keep it tied, it became a hassle.
I gathered the hair falling down my back and tied it into a neat bundle at the nape of my neck.
“That’s better.”
Just as I was about to think about making my escape, the door to Car 3 opened, and more figures stepped into view.
One after another. Deal with one group, and another shows up.
This really was starting to feel endless.
It’s why I’d wanted to retreat early in the first place.
<What now...?>
The ones stepping in from Car 3 looked around the ruined Car 4, then spotted me still standing there—completely unharmed.
Their faces froze.
“Kill him!”
The one who seemed to be their leader shouted, veins bulging at his neck.
Immediately, the others raised their rifles at me.
I resisted the urge to sigh.
Fine. It’s come this far. May as well see it through.
“Fire!”
The leader gave the order. His subordinates pulled their triggers—
But no bullets came.
Click! Click!
“H-huh?!”
“What the hell are you doing?!”
“M-my gun’s jammed!”
“What?!”
As they descended into confusion, I was already preparing my next spell.
With them bunched up like that, they’d be easier to deal with.
But there was one thing I hadn’t accounted for.
They had a mage too.
Fwoom!
The magic I launched was dispelled midair.
One of the attackers had stepped forward, staff in hand, and was now aiming it directly at me, a wary look in his eyes.
“Never thought there’d be a mage among the passengers.”
“...”
“Whatever the case, now that it’s come to this—you’ll have to die with the rest of them.”
<Don’t act like this is a new decision. You’ve been trying to kill me since the start.>
Judging by how organized and ruthless they were, these people weren’t just bandits. They were terrorists.
And no matter what I said, they wouldn’t listen.
I pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time.
Not even ten minutes had passed since the attack began.
<Still not enough time.>
The scenery flying past the broken train wall was as bitter and lifeless as ever.
When I looked through the window earlier, I’d thought it was beautiful—but now, with the wall between me and it gone, it just felt terrifying.
There was still a while to go before we made it out of the Arret Mountains.
Reinforcements wouldn’t be arriving anytime soon.
<No choice, then.>
Considering our current location and the time passed, I had at most five minutes left.
<All I can do is hold out.>
