Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 326: The Elven Household (2)

“The Elven family, huh.”

Ludger calmly rearranged the story Aileen had told him in his mind.

In the past, the Elven Kingdom had housed another great family besides the Lifre family.

He didn’t know the name of the family. Very little about them had been passed down.

Most likely, after the incident, all records pertaining to that family had been destroyed within the Elven Kingdom.

“The family that managed the World Tree back then had an exceptionally progressive disposition—very unlike the Elves today.”

They allied themselves with a certain kingdom.

That kingdom was what would later become known as the Exilion Empire.

The Elves took a sapling from the World Tree and secretly began growing it underground within the kingdom.

Whatever it was they hoped to achieve by doing so remains unknown—but the attempt itself wasn’t inherently wrong.

They had nearly succeeded.

But everything was ruined when the demon Basara intervened.

In the end, they did succeed in sealing Basara within the underground World Tree, but the tree itself died as a result.

And the chaos Basara caused became a problem.

Those hostile to the presence of demons caught wind of it and began to act.

The Theocracy of Bretus.

They interfered in the affairs of the kingdom and the Elves, and from that day on, the upper echelons of the kingdom’s leadership were replaced.

However, the change was so discreet that even the common people failed to notice it at the time.

“Their monarch changed, and yet the people had no idea. That’s strange in itself.”

It felt as if some great, unknown force had acted on a national scale.

Ludger continued organizing his thoughts.

The family currently guarding the World Tree was said to be the Lifre family.

Which meant the previous family, the one that once managed the World Tree, had likely been exiled on the charge of leaking the sapling to humans.

If the Elves had become more conservative and withdrawn into their kingdom after that event, it would make sense.

They even waged war against humans a hundred years ago.

But what happened after that—Ludger couldn’t say for sure.

“I need more information on the Elves...”

He considered whether to ask Bellaruna about it.

The event had occurred at least 500 years ago, and Bellaruna hadn’t lived that long.

There was one Elf, however, who might know.

Vierno Dentis.

The instructor in charge of fourth-year Spirit Studies at Seorn.

He looked like a young boy on the outside, but he was clearly an Elf who had lived longer than anyone.

Ludger wondered if he should invite him for tea sometime and try to strike up a conversation.

It was just then that Aileen asked,

“So? What do you plan to do now?”

The incident had concluded, but Ludger had passed all credit for it onto Passius.

He simply didn’t want to attract attention.

“I’ll need to resume my duties as an instructor. This incident completely threw off the academic schedule. Just correcting that will take no small amount of time.”

“You’re such a diligent teacher. Though, that’s not quite what I was asking.”

“I figured.”

Ludger stared directly at Aileen as he spoke.

“The imperial treasury we agreed upon beforehand—I’d like to go there now.”

* * *

Ludger walked down a long corridor in the imperial palace, guided by Aileen and Passius.

Every detail of the interior was a work of art. He’d noticed it before, but it still took his breath away.

Still, even that overwhelming beauty couldn’t hold Ludger’s attention right now.

Where he was headed wasn’t some gallery of admired masterpieces.

It was the imperial treasury of the Exilion Empire—an archive of ancient artifacts and mysterious treasures with unknown functions.

“You may rejoice.”

It was then that Aileen, walking confidently ahead of him, opened her mouth.

“The treasury is not a place easily opened—not even to members of the royal family. Other than my father, the reigning Emperor, no one else has been granted access.”

“You’re saying that like it’s nothing, even though you’re accompanying me without hesitation.”

“Well, that’s because I’m the next Emperor.”

The next Emperor.

That meant Aileen had pushed aside all other heirs and claimed the victor’s crown.

Ludger thought of two other people.

Second Prince Ivelon and Third Princess Erendir.

Erendir had no real interest in power, so that was understandable—but the other one was a different story.

“The Second Prince... Ivelon.”

On the surface, he appeared quiet and delicate. But Ludger knew better.

He knew the Second Prince was harboring something entirely different beneath the surface.

That gentle demeanor was merely a mask.

He had been concealing himself with absolute precision.

“The question is whether the First Princess realizes that.”

Ludger hesitated about asking Aileen.

No matter what, Ivelon was her blood relative.

For an outsider like himself to cast suspicion on the Second Prince wouldn’t look good.

Besides, Aileen was proud and self-assured—but she was surprisingly considerate toward her family.

Just look at how she treated Erendir.

“Even though Erendir seems exhausted by her sister’s behavior.”

Whether to call it twisted affection or a failure to express herself honestly—

The way Aileen showed love toward her siblings was... unconventional.

“But from another perspective, it means Aileen does, in her own way, care about her siblings.”

And to ask that kind of question to someone like her—to ask if she suspected her own little brother of being suspicious?

That was bound to come with consequences.

“...Sister?”

A startled voice came from ahead.

It was Erendir, accompanied by her handmaids.

Her gem-like, translucent eyes stared at them in disbelief.

“Sister, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, just walking. What brings you here?”

“I, I was on my way back to where the students are staying. After all, I am a student at Seorn.”

“You came all the way home. Couldn’t you rest a bit longer? Talk with Father and Mother a little more?”

“I actually just saw them a short while ago.”

“For someone who supposedly just saw them, you seem awfully eager to return to your friends. You must have made a lot of good friends at Seorn.”

“Uh, well...”

At the mention of friends, Erendir visibly panicked.

Friends?

It had already been nearly a year and a half since she’d enrolled at Seorn.

And in all that time, she had made exactly one friend.

Just one.

After going through so much, she had managed to make a single friend.

If her sister found out, she’d never hear the end of it.

“O-Of course! I’ve made plenty of friends, and I’m enjoying my school life!”

Even as she said it, Erendir shot Ludger a desperate look from behind Aileen’s shoulder.

Her eyes practically begged him to keep his mouth shut.

Ludger understood why she looked so desperate.

“Ah... poor thing.”

Feeling a bit sorry for her, Ludger decided to play dumb.

“Hm. Is that so?”

Aileen murmured, nodding slightly.

As if afraid her lie might be exposed at any moment, Erendir quickly changed the subject.

“S-So... where are you two going right now? Together, even...”

“As a reward for fulfilling my request, I promised to grant him a gift. We’re on our way to deliver that reward.”

“But if you’re headed that way, it can only mean the imperial treasury...”

No way—?

Seeing her expression, Aileen nodded matter-of-factly.

“That’s right. I intend to give him a gift from the imperial treasury.”

“W-Wait, Sister! No matter how you look at it...! I mean, I know Professor Ludger did something amazing, but the treasury is on a whole different level...”

“I said I’m giving it to him. What of it? I also have the authority to grant access.”

“But the treasury has only ever been opened for an outsider once in the past hundred years! That was during Commander Lutus’s inauguration!”

“Then this will be the second time.”

“You can’t just say it like it’s no big deal!”

Erendir couldn’t bring herself to argue with her sister outright and instead fidgeted in frustration.

From her reaction, Ludger realized again just how monumental it was to be granted access to the treasury.

Just then, Erendir looked between Aileen and Ludger.

“The treasury was always off-limits to anyone outside the royal family. And I don’t ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) see Professor Ludger joining the imperial bloodline anytime soon, so... Sister, don’t tell me...”

As the thought hit her, Erendir’s voice trailed off in dread.

After all, when Ludger and Aileen stood side by side, they did look surprisingly well-matched.

There was no need to even mention First Princess Aileen.

Innate leadership, charisma, political prowess, keen insight into people, stunning beauty, and a brilliant mind.

Though she was her older sister, Aileen was so perfect that Erendir could barely bring herself to look her in the eye.

And so, from time to time, a thought would cross her mind.

Who in the world could possibly marry someone like Aileen?

Whoever became her husband would have to be someone who wasn’t lacking in any way compared to Aileen.

And Aileen herself wasn’t the type to take a mediocre man as her partner.

But if it were Professor Ludger...

Erendir naturally began comparing Ludger with Aileen.

Truthfully, Erendir didn’t have a particularly favorable impression of Ludger.

Every time she looked at him, she thought of her sister.

Someone who looked calm and composed on the outside, but harbored something very different within.

And yet, standing next to Aileen, Ludger looked like a perfect match.

Appearance?

Need she even say it? With that icy, noble demeanor and statue-like handsomeness, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone like Ludger across the continent.

Ability?

Being a Seorn instructor alone wasn’t enough—he’d gone on to pioneer a new magical theory and had risen to the position of Planning Director in record time.

No one disputed his accomplishments.

Personality?

She wouldn’t go so far as to say he had a good one, but compared to Aileen’s... honestly, he seemed more bearable.

No—maybe that’s precisely why he did seem to suit her.

“...Sister. You’re not... right?”

Erendir asked, denying reality.

Aileen instantly caught on to whatever absurd misunderstanding her sister was entertaining and flashed a mischievous smile.

“My, my. How impressive. That clueless little sister of mine has gotten quite perceptive, hasn’t she? I suppose this is thanks to your time at Seorn?”

“...!”

The moment she heard those words, Erendir grew dizzy without realizing it.

She wobbled sideways, nearly collapsing, and her handmaids hurriedly rushed to support her.

“Your Highness!”

“Are you alright?!”

The maids clucked and fussed as they whisked Erendir away in a flash.

Ludger watched the brief farce unfold and turned to Aileen.

“Don’t you think you went a bit too far with your sister?”

“When she reacts that intensely, how could I possibly resist teasing her?”

“Well... fair point.”

“Look at that. The fact that you agree with me proves your personality’s not exactly nice either. Just like me.”

Aileen smiled as if she were thoroughly enjoying herself, and Passius, walking nearby, added his own thoughts.

“Still, I think he’s not quite as bad as Your Highness. At least the professor doesn’t tease people on purpose.”

When Aileen shot him a sharp glare, Passius promptly closed his mouth.

“In any case, shall we continue?”

“From what I just heard, it seems the treasury isn’t something that can be opened lightly. Is this truly alright?”

“And now you ask? I made the offer fully aware of that. With your level of skill, granting access to the treasury is more than a fair trade.”

As Aileen resumed walking, Ludger and Passius followed after her.

“Of course, had your results been underwhelming, I would’ve considered reducing the number of items you could take.”

“...I figured as much.”

“But you exceeded expectations. You saved lives, thwarted the terrorists, and even defeated a demon. With accomplishments like that, I see no reason to haggle over your reward.”

“Is that so.”

“This is how it should be. Rewards and punishment must be clear.”

Aileen was firm about things like that.

She had an almost obsessive compulsion to properly reward those with merit.

It wasn’t for nothing that the people under her displayed such unwavering loyalty.

Before long, the three of them arrived in a dark, deep part of the palace, where not even imperial servants were visible.

Aileen, leading the way, came to a halt in front of a massive stone gate.

She looked up at it.

The gate was carved with countless ornate patterns, and the overwhelming pressure it emitted could be felt just by standing near it.

It was similar in grandeur to the one Ludger had seen in the Dreamland during the Order Synod.

No—this was far more impressive.

That was a dream.

This gate was real.

“Stop. If you go any closer, a sword will fall on you immediately.”

Just as Aileen warned, there were guardians in lavish armor standing to either side of the entrance.

“Guardians, huh. Quite the intimidating setup.”

“It has to be.”

When Aileen stepped forward, a glow shone from within the black helmets of the guardians.

Then she pulled out a key.

She showed them a golden key that had been hanging around her neck, and the glow in the guardians’ helmets immediately went out.

It seemed like a simple gesture, but Ludger saw it clearly—the guardians had sensed the unique magical resonance within the key in that brief instant.

“You may go in now. As I said, you’re allowed to take only three items.”

“You’re not coming with me?”

“Only one person is permitted entry into the treasury. If more than one enters, the door won’t open.”

“Thoroughly strict, I see.”

“It has to be.”

Even the underground vault at the Kunst Auction wasn’t this intense. But this was the imperial palace, after all.

It was because of this level of security that the treasury truly lived up to its name.

“Step forward.”

As Ludger did as she said, the massive stone gate slowly began to open.

And yet, not a single sound accompanied its movement.

Like a giant moving through a silent world.

Inside the now-open door, all that could be seen was utter darkness.

Ludger recognized it immediately—it was the effect of some kind of magic.

“Even peeking inside through the open gate isn’t allowed, huh.”

That only made it all the more intriguing.

Ludger gave a faint chuckle and stepped forward.

“Try not to get lost.”

At Aileen’s voice behind him, Ludger waved his hand nonchalantly in response.

As Ludger disappeared into the darkness, the stone gate quietly shut once more.

Boom.

The door closed, and total darkness consumed everything.

There was no sense of up or down, left or right—it felt like he was suspended in space.

But even in that strange sensation, Ludger stood his ground without flinching.

He’d been through far too much in his life to be startled by something like this.

Sensing the presence of the visitor, the treasury suddenly cast away the darkness like a receding tide.

And in the next moment, a brilliant scene unfolded before Ludger’s eyes.

“...Oh.”