Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 329: Obelli (1)
The artifact's description read: [Flowing Silver].
The name made it sound like mercury, but in truth, it was something entirely different.
‘Liquid metal, huh. It reminds me of the Liquid Golem Victor Dreadful once used.’
The Liquid Golem was also an artificial construct, forged through an extreme fusion of magic and science.
In that context, the existence of this silvery artifact wasn’t so strange.
Ludger lightly reached out toward Flowing Silver.
The silver substance, which had been quietly resting atop its pedestal, sprang to life the moment it touched Ludger’s fingertips.
It flowed up his hand, wrapping around him as if drawn by instinct.
It felt like water running backward through time—or like a living silver serpent.
Ludger looked down at the small pool of silver that had gathered in his palm.
Upon contact, he instantly grasped how to use it.
Shhhaak!
In a flash, Flowing Silver expanded and transformed into a sharp rapier.
Ludger held the rapier and examined it from every angle.
From the tip of the blade to the hilt, it was completely silver.
But the razor-edged aura and solid feel in his hand clearly testified: this metal was not as soft as silver at all.
Ludger reverted the rapier back into its liquid form, then turned his palm over.
Flowing Silver dripped down in a thick strand, like a massive blob of viscous slime clinging to his hand.
When Ludger imagined a new shape in his mind, the silver squirmed, then bloomed into countless metallic flowers.
‘It can manifest larger and more varied forms than its visible volume suggests.’
Ludger clapped his left hand over his right as if sandwiching something between them, then spread his hands wide.
The silver unraveled into fine threads, fluttering like strands of silk in the air.
As Ludger tugged at them with his fingertips, the silver threads went taut, resonating with a shimmering tension.
He quietly stared at the threadlike strands.
They sparkled—each one sharp enough to be called a blade in itself.
He was certain that if he held a sheet of paper against it, it would be shredded to ribbons like it had gone through a paper shredder.
Yet the strands wound around his fingers brought no pain or tightness.
“Excellent.”
This would be his second pick.
Ludger conjured an image in his mind.
Flowing Silver wrapped around his right wrist and transformed into a simple, elegant bracelet.
He looked down at it with satisfaction, then moved on.
Though he’d already acquired more than enough, he had one final pick left—and didn’t want to waste it.
Click. Clack.
The sound of Ludger’s shoes echoed softly in the silent space.
Wandering alone through such a vast, empty place evoked a strange sense of reflection.
‘I wonder if there are any elixirs around here.’
He shook his head at the thought.
There was no way a place like this would be used to store something like elixirs.
If he truly wanted one, he’d have to ask Aileen directly.
‘...Let’s not.’
Aileen would likely be more than happy to hand over an elixir.
Of course, accepting it would mean taking full responsibility for whatever came afterward.
He’d probably be locked into a slave contract for at least five years.
Though she treated talent appropriately, Aileen couldn’t tolerate skilled individuals lazing around.
If she got her hands on him, Ludger would never have a day’s rest—forced to do every sort of work under the sun.
Just like a graduate student.
‘That’s not happening.’
Ludger let go of his desire for an elixir.
It wasn’t something he absolutely needed. Nice to have, but unnecessary.
Besides, he could rely on temporary boosters instead.
Especially since Bellaruna’s latest experimental product had been a roaring success.
As he continued walking, Ludger couldn’t quite find anything that suited his taste.
‘Should I go deeper in?’
Then again, he didn’t have to pick something for himself.
If he found something that matched one of the Owens members, he could give it as a gift.
With that thought, he wandered further—until something made him stop in his tracks.
‘A monocle?’
A golden-rimmed, gold-wired ring.
At first glance, it looked like a regular monocle, but there was no way something ordinary would be sitting here.
As he read the description plaque next to it, Ludger’s eyes filled with intrigue.
‘The Eye of Potential. A device that measures a person’s potential—or current capabilities.’
Amazingly, the artifact had been created by Seorn’s first headmaster.
After his death, it was said he donated the item to the imperial family—hence, its presence here.
Ludger picked up the monocle.
When he placed it on his face, it adjusted perfectly to fit.
‘Not bad.’
He glanced around.
The moment the enchanted lens caught sight of another artifact, a blue shimmer appeared, revealing the mana embedded within it.
“...Hoh.”
Ludger murmured in admiration as he examined the nearby artifacts.
The monocle’s claim to measure things was no bluff—it visually displayed the strength each artifact held.
Using the Eye of Potential, Ludger conducted a trial by scanning multiple items on display.
He realized a few things.
‘It can read inherent mana levels—but it’s not absolute.’
For example, one artifact might show a mana value of 5, while another shows 10.
Naturally, the one reading 10 appeared far more powerful.
But if the one marked 5 were pushed to its limit, its output could potentially reach 20.
Yet the monocle only revealed the visible 5.
‘If someone deliberately hides their true power, the Eye of Potential can’t see through it.’
Even so, the artifact’s performance was more than satisfactory.
‘Just being able to measure someone’s surface-level power is a huge advantage. What’s left now is whether it can show someone’s potential or talent.’
Artifacts were objects—they didn’t possess “potential.” To test that function, he’d need to use it on a person.
Unfortunately, he had no test subjects nearby.
‘Still, it’s incredibly useful just as it is.’
To think he’d find an artifact used by Seorn’s first headmaster in a place like this.
Was it simple coincidence—or fate?
Either way, Ludger found it amusing how the situation was unfolding as he made his way to the exit.
* * *
With a rumbling grrrrrrrk, the massive stone door opened, and Ludger stepped outside.
“You’re late.”
Aileen, clearly having waited the entire time, immediately barked at him as soon as she saw him.
“How dare you make a princess of the Empire wait this long? I could have you arrested for lèse-majesté.”
“What a gracious welcome.”
“So? What did you pick?”
“Can’t you tell by looking?”
“No. How would I know what’s in that vault? Maybe once I ascend to the throne—but not yet.”
“I see. Well, I think you’ll recognize one of them.”
“That bizarre lump, you mean?”
“Yes. And the other is...”
“The monocle, huh? Well, it does suit you.”
As Ludger placed the [Eye of Potential] on his face, Aileen crossed her arms and muttered like an appraiser.
Instead of answering, Ludger turned the monocle on Aileen and Passius.
‘Hmm. Just as I thought.’
Through the Eye of Potential, Aileen appeared as a blinding, radiant gem.
A supreme treasure—so brilliant that no jewel on earth could compare.
A masterpiece whose value couldn’t be estimated with any currency.
To even try would be an insult.
When he turned the monocle on Passius, the result was impressive, but not quite the same.
His power was well-contained and hidden, but as a Royal Guard, his potential overflowed.
Even so, Passius paled in comparison to Aileen’s brilliance.
Her light wrapped around him, threatening to engulf him.
It was impossible to ignore the way it slithered and shimmered—reaching toward Ludger as if licking its lips.
“......”
Feeling a sudden dizziness, Ludger quietly removed the monocle and tucked it away into his inner pocket.
Aileen narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“...What was that? You looked like you just peeked at something you shouldn’t have.”
“It’s a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding, is it? That monocle you just put on was taken from inside, wasn’t it? It must be some kind of artifact. Isn’t it meant for seeing something? Answer me. What exactly did you see?”
“It really wasn’t anything important.”
“I told you to answer.”
Was it that she was fine with scrutinizing others, but couldn’t tolerate being scrutinized herself?
No, perhaps Aileen simply wasn’t used to such things—because she’d never experienced them herself.
Regardless of how she felt, she had no sincere way of expressing it.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Ludger replied.
“I merely saw the most beautiful jewel in the world.”
“Wha...?”
Whatever she thought of that answer, a faint blush crept across Aileen’s cheeks.
“Ohh.”
Beside them, Passius let out a genuine murmur of admiration.
Aileen cleared her throat and sharply turned her head away.
“Hmph. Fine. So then, what else did you take?”
Instead of answering, Ludger held out his right wrist, showing the silver bracelet, then immediately transformed it into the shape of a long rapier.
When she saw [Flowing Silver] revert to its bracelet form, Aileen nodded in understanding.
“You picked items that suit you perfectly. So, what do you plan to do now?”
“Now that everything’s settled, I intend to return to my duties as an instructor.”
“There shouldn’t be any urgent work to handle here in the palace, should there? Considering the students and even the injured, you’ll need to stay a few more days.”
Aileen was right.
For Ludger, as the Planning Director, there was nothing much he could do until Seorn contacted him.
Most of the major matters had already been handled by the imperial family.
“You’ve been through a lot yourself. Taking a proper rest for once wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“That’s...”
“From the looks of it, you seem like someone who’s constantly ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) glued to work. But if a person doesn’t take a break once in a while, they’ll break down.”
“...!” 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
It wasn’t Ludger who was shocked by Aileen’s attempt to persuade—it was Passius.
He had been quietly listening from the side, but now his eyes widened as he glanced sideways at Aileen.
As if to say, ‘Did Her Highness just say that?’
After all, Aileen was famous for working her subordinates to the bone—down to their very souls.
For someone like her to speak of the importance of rest? From Passius’s perspective, it was enough to make his jaw drop.
Of course, if he said that out loud, he wouldn’t live to regret it.
Fortunately, Passius was quick-witted when it came to such things, so he kept his mouth tightly shut.
Ludger quietly observed the exchange.
In his gaze, there was a faint glimmer of sympathy and pity.
* * *
Aidan and his friends eagerly explored the imperial palace.
The usual formation: Taishy Friad took the lead, eagerly pulling them around, with Aidan, Leo, and Iona trailing behind.
Taishy had been especially disgruntled about the cancellation of their much-anticipated field trip.
After collapsing under the aftershock of Basara’s psychic wave and fully recovering, she had dragged her friends out, determined to make good use of the remaining time.
“...I just want to rest a little longer.”
Leo, who had been through quite a lot lately, sighed and grumbled. Still, he followed without protest.
“More importantly, Aidan. Are you okay?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“No, it’s just... never mind.”
Leo started to say something, then stopped.
When everyone who had fainted came to, Aidan had been the only one still standing, completely fine.
He hadn’t clutched his head in pain or looked confused like the others.
His expression had been one of someone who knew what had just happened.
Others might have missed it, but Leo—who had spent so much time by Aidan’s side—picked up on it immediately.
Of course, when he asked about it, Aidan just brushed it off, saying he didn’t know either.
That alone had been telling, but Leo chose to let it go.
‘It’s not like this guy would ever do anything bad.’
More than anything, he was grateful.
Despite Leo having been involved—albeit unwillingly—with the Liberation Army and working as one of their informants...
Aidan had helped him without saying a single word of blame.
‘And Ludger-sensei too.’
Until recently, Leo had just called him Ludger Cherish by name.
But now, he could finally add “-sensei” to the end.
It still felt a little awkward, but with time, it would come naturally.
From what he’d heard, the Liberation Army had taken a serious hit.
They’d tried one final desperate move, but even that had failed.
Sir Passius, Royal Guard and Swordmaster, had stepped in to finish things off.
‘It’s really all over, huh.’
It had been a truly eventful field trip.
Some students from Seorn were injured—but miraculously, none had died.
It was almost too good to be true.
‘...Not that it really matters what happens to the rest of the world. As long as these idiots are safe, that’s all I care about.’
Thinking that, Leo glanced sideways at Iona.
Something about her seemed off.
“...Iona?”
“Yes.”
Iona, who always quietly followed along with them, had suddenly stopped walking and was staring into the distance.
It was the forest beyond the palace’s large promenade—but there was nothing visible.
“Is there something over there?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“I’ll be back in a bit.”
With only those words, Iona dashed toward the forest.
Leaving a very confused Leo behind, she entered the woods, following the gaze that had been watching her.
“Come out. I know you’re here.”
Rustle.
At her words, the figure—apparently never intending to hide—immediately revealed himself.
“...Mage Roteron?”
Iona’s eyes widened in recognition.
