아카데미에 위장취업당했다

– STORY –

He became a teacher at the best magic academy in the

empire.
…For being mistaken for someone else.

– GENRE –

Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy School Life

Supernatural
When most parents dream of their children’s future jobs, they would recommend
higher-level jobs such as doctors or judges since all jobs that end in the letter ‘sa’ are
well-recognized. Or at least a civil servant called a stable iron rice bowl. No parent
wants their children to go down a difficult and difficult path.

However, in my case it was a little different.

“Son. You become a shaman.”

“Yes?”

It was the words my mother told me when my father passed away early and I was
growing up together with my ferocious little sister.

Although my family wasn’t very lean or poor, I still wanted to earn money by
studying hard and becoming a doctor, a scientist or a developer.

However, what my mother recommended to me, who had meticulously crafted such
a scientific route, was not a liberal arts route, nor even an artistic or physical
education, but a path on a completely different level.

What should I say about this Theology major?

“Uh, what?”

“You didn’t hear me well, so I’ll say it again. You have to become a shaman.”

“I don’t like it.”

My answer was adamant.

I’m not going to be a shaman. Why all of a sudden in the first place?
In response to my bold answer, my mother raised her eyebrows once, and spoke in a
strong tone.

“You have the qualities of a shaman. All kinds of spirits are watching over you. There
is no other way for you than a shaman.”

Hearing that, I was stunned. Do you have such talent? Beyond the absurdity, I just
didn’t think about it.

From then on, my mother mostly said things that shouldn’t be said to her son, such
as that I have unique qualities, that I am destined to be harmed if I don’t become a
shaman and do not receive divine guidance.

What did I reply back then?

“Never, I won’t.”

“You will get hurt one day. They are all worried about you.”

“If it’s for me, you should support me on the way I go!”

I remember saying so firmly and locked up in my room.

To be honest, it just made me sad and angry. You can’t make a child who has properly
designed his life since middle school to give up everything and become a shaman.

At that point, I studied even harder with a sense of repulsion.

My mother constantly bothered me and forced me to do religious things, and she

taught me all kinds of bizarre knowledge such as poetry, magic, and witchcraft. But I
didn’t give up. The more I did it, the more I acquired all kinds of rational knowledge
to make my head stronger.

When more than 10 years passed like that, and as an adult, I finally settled down as a
member of society but I died in a car accident.

‘It was really absurd.’

Was this what my mother said about getting hurt? And what was even more
surprising was what happened after that.
‘I’m alive.’

To be precise, I died once, but it would be correct to say that I was born anew.

Does the afterlife exist? I thought everything my mother said was a lie, but it was all
the truth. Through the experience of death, I felt deeply that human beings do not
fully realize what they have not experienced until they experience it.

What am I doing now?

“Open the textbook. Continuing from last time, I will teach you how to draw a magic
circle.”

“I am a teacher at the Magic Academy.”

……How did this happen?

***

A mechanical engineering locomotive emitting pure white steam arrived at the

station. The sound of compressed steam spewing out as iron reverberated.

The passengers waiting at the station got on the train one by one, and watching the
scene, I took a deep breath before boarding the train. It felt like my body was
becoming clearer as the fresh air seeped into my lungs.

The sky was clear without clouds, and in the cold air of winter that was just coming
to an end, I could even feel a pleasant refreshing feeling.

The departure time of the train to the Exilion Empire was short.

I raised my hand and lightly brushed my face. A strange sense of alienation felt
between the gloved hand and the skin.

‘The mask is firmly attached.’

I had to hide my identity, so it was unavoidable.

I got on the train at a natural pace so as not to cause suspicion.

“I will check the ticket.”

As I got on the train, the conductor spoke to me.

I took the ticket out of the pocket of the frock coat I was wearing and handed it over.

“It has been confirmed. Mr. Gerard. Have a nice trip.”

After receiving a courtesy greeting from the conductor, I responded with a light nod
of my head.

When I checked the ticket that was handed over to me, there was a number 403
written on it. In other words, it was the 3rd room of the 4th wagon

The hallway was narrow but long enough for only one person to walk through, and
there were large gaps in the door on one side. The magic engineering train I was on
was not called a luxury train for nothing, so all the seats in the long corridor were
divided into rooms.

401.

402.

403.

‘Here it is.’

After checking the nameplate, I opened the door and entered. The moment I opened
the door, I could smell the old wood.

The inside wasn’t that fancy, but it had everything. The soft seats are divided on the
left and right and the storage space where luggage can be put. And even a signal bell
installed so passengers can call the staff if they need anything.

‘Not bad.’

I didn’t have a heavy luggage bag, so I moved my body and sat down lightly. Even the
seats were soft because it was a luxurious train.

As I looked out the window, the vast landscape of the northern mountains caught my
eye. The peaks of the soaring steep mountain range are covered with pure white
snow, like giants wearing white cone hats. The train will soon pass through the
crevices of that mountain range.

‘Now that I’m here, I can relax.’

My name is Gerard. I was once an ordinary member of society living in Korea. Of

course, it was my previous life, and I died in a car accident.

After that I woke up in the present world, a mysterious world where magic and
science coexist, completely different from Earth. Here I was starting a new second
life.

‘I’m on the train for the Empire, so I can rest until I get there.’

Exilion Empire, the largest and most powerful country on the continent. It is the
birthplace of magic engineering, where magic and machinery coexisted equally, and
where wizards and magic towers exist.

I am heading to the empire now.

‘Is the stop in the middle of a big city Leathervelk?’

I pulled out an informational pamphlet stuck next to my seat and checked the
contents. The final destination of the Magical Engineering Train, which is currently
scheduled to depart, is the capital of the empire. However, there is no way that there
is a train going directly from the border of a country to the capital of another
country.

There are two stops along the way. Leathervelk is the first of them, and in some
respects it can be seen as a more famous city than the capital. It is the place where
the magic academy, the dream of all aspiring wizards, is located.

‘A magic academy? What an amazing world.’

Decades have passed since I started living a second life, but there are still many
things I can’t adjust to. There must be a sense of separation from my previous life but
the academy has nothing to do with me anyway. I don’t need to worry about it.

Rumble.
While thinking that, the train vibrated slightly.

’Are you going to start slowly?’

Paaaang!!!

As expected, the train honked its horn to signal its imminent departure. In as little as
a minute, the train will run through the vast northern mountains.

‘Am I going alone in this room? I hope it’s comfortable.’

The moment I had such a futile thought, the door of room 403 creaked open as if it
had been waiting.

The one who came in was a well-dressed man in his mid-20s. He’s tall and wears a
brown frock coat similar to the one I’m wearing. There is no way the train staff
would wear such clothes, so it was obvious that he was a passenger in the same
room as me. Even a tiger comes to me when I say it.

As I was sighing inwardly, the other person looked at me and greeted me.

“Hello.”

“……”

The other side greeted me first, so I nodded my head slightly and accepted it. I didn’t
want to talk for a long time, so I responded as if I had a quiet personality.

The man didn’t care too much about my behavior and sat down on the seat opposite
me.

Paaaaaaaang───!!!

The train departed with a loud horn. At first, it was the locomotive that rattled and
swayed, but as the speed started to increase, the shaking disappeared.

It was not for nothing that the tickets were expensive. The common people could not
even afford to pay such a high price, the speed and convenience were different from
the general steam locomotive.
The scenery outside the transparent window passed by quickly and the appearance
of the pure white snowy mountain that covered everything was so beautiful that it
automatically took your eyes off it. But after 10 minutes or 20 minutes, if you keep
watching it, you’ll get tired of it because it’s monotonous.

I took out the newspaper that was placed next to the pamphlet and unfolded it.
Because there are no laptops or smartphones in this world, there is nothing other
than books and newspapers that can kill time.

[End of Civil War in the Utah Kingdom]

[It ends with the victory of the princess faction]

On the front page of the newspaper, such an article was published in a wide open
space.

Not long ago, a civil war broke out and the Utah Kingdom was recruiting mercenaries
from all over the world. It is also the country where the train station that this magic
train departed from a while ago was located.

Black and white photos were embedded between the articles printed in black letter
font. It was a picture of the princess group announcing their victory in the war.

“The civil war in the Utah Kingdom is over.”

A voice came through the newspaper. I pulled down the newspaper that covered my
face and faced the man opposite. Since he spoke to me directly like this I couldn’t
ignore him.

“Yes, it seemed to have ended unexpectedly, so I’m glad.”

“It’s been a while since the Prince’s faction gathered forces from all over the world,
but I’m glad it ended early.”

“Still, it is not without damage.”

“Is that so? Ah. My introduction is late. I am Rudger Chelici.”

“Are you an aristocrat?”

However, he does not show the arrogance or arrogance characteristic of aristocrats.

“I am Gerard.”

No last name, this shows that I’m a commoner.

“Ah. It’s okay you don’t need to feel too uncomfortable because I am from the Fallen
Nobility.”

“Oh.”

If you’re a fallen nobleman, it’s understandable because they are nobles but not
nobles.

“Where are you going, Mr. Gerard?”

“I am going to Lindebrugne, the capital of the empire. I have business to do there.”

“If someone like Mr. Gerard has a business, it must be a big deal, right?”

I laughed and shook my head at Mr. Rudger joke.

“It’s not a job, it’s just a visit.”

“That’s good too. I was just listening, but I heard that the Exilion Empire has a lot to
see because of its advanced mage engineering.”

“Where are you going, Mr. Rudger?”

“I’m going to Leathervelk.”

“Leathervelk is where the academy is. Do you have anything to see there?”

“Yes. Well, I’m not proud of it, but I’ve been appointed as a teacher at Theon
Academy.”

“Hoo.”

I was purely amazed.

The Empire’s largest magic academy <Theon> it’s the place where all the talents that
exist on the continent gather and is a hotbed of the future where the gemstones that
will carry this world are carved into jewels.

Naturally, the students who gather there are made up of only the most talented
children, and the teachers who teach them are strictly selected.

The man in front of me was also said to be one of them.

“You seem young, but you have great skills.”

“No. It’s just that the public gave me a high rating. In fact, I narrowly passed the
selection.”

“I heard that there are a lot of people who fall, you should be proud of yourself.”

“Thank you for such a rating. Oh, more than that, it’s because of the civil war in the
Utah Kingdom, did you hear the rumor?”

“What rumor?”

“It is said that there was a protagonist who made this civil war lead to the victory of
the princess faction.”

“Hmm… What protagonist?”

“But surprisingly, it was said that he was a wandering mercenary, not a high-ranking
wizard or a high-ranking knight.”

A wandering mercenary who made a significant contribution to ending a nation’s

civil war. It hasn’t been revealed in the newspaper yet, but word of mouth was
spreading among people.

“His name was mercenary Machiavelli.”

“I see.”

I answered him in a slightly sarcastic tone.

“Aren’t you very surprised?”

“Haha. I thought it was just a rumor.”

I said I didn’t know, but it’s actually a lie.

The name of the mercenary Machiavelli is familiar to me because it was the identity
that I was using before I became Gerard.
But why did the man in front of me ask about the existence of Machiavelli? Is he
doing it on purpose?

‘What do you mean?’

For a moment, I wondered if he was a pursuer sent by the Princess faction of the
Utah Kingdom, but it doesn’t seem like that.

Except for asking, Rudger took no action. Rather, his eyes and actions were closer to
those of pure curiosity. So, is it just a coincidence?

‘You are a Theon’s teacher… ’

Theon Academy is so famous that word-of-mouth spreads among people even when
they are staying in a faraway foreign country. The fact that such a young man became
a teacher there means that he is a person with great talent.

I didn’t know for sure when I first saw him, but I knew that this person was a bit
unusual but instead of raising my alert, I shook my head inwardly.

‘Let’s call it a coincidence for now.’

I naturally turned to the next page of the newspaper and accepted his words.

“If such a person existed, it would have been in the newspaper.”

“Haha, there are some things that are not easily revealed to the public.”

“Can you say that to a person you met for the first time today?”

“There is nothing wrong with it, is there? And Gerard, it’s the first time I’ve seen you
today, but I think we’re on a good note.”
“I’m thankful that Theon’s renowned teacher took such good care of an old man.”

Perhaps in the current situation he’s trying to project the image of being kind to
others but Rudger didn’t seem to want to turn off the interest he had in me.

Since this has happened, I have decided to respond appropriately. Still, having a
companion isn’t a bad thing.

“Mr. Rudger, if you go to Theon, are you going to teach right away?”

“Not right away, I will have to wait.”

“First year?”

“No, I will be in charge of the second year.”

“Don’t new teachers usually teach first-year freshmen? You are more impressive than
I thought.”

I heard that Theon is similar to universities on Earth even though it’s a magic
academy.

All kinds of buildings were built on a huge site, and there were only thousands living
and working there. Although it is adjacent to a large city, Theon itself is literally close
to a small city, so the saying goes that it is a city next to the city.

Theon students are divided from 1st to 5th grade. Usually, the higher the grade, the
smarter the children, so it would be basic to have a competent teacher in the upper
grades and new teachers for the first graders.

‘It’s not like he became a Theon’s teacher for nothing.’

Although this world achieved the industrial revolution of iron and steam, if there is
one thing that sets it apart from the Earth, it must be the presence of magic.

‘I’ve only seen it in fantasy novels.’

The existence of magic was inseparable from this world, and of course, of course,
such magic has always been reserved for a select few.
But unlike in the past where only aristocrats of noble bloodlines could learn magic,
these days, there is a growing trend towards the supremacy of skill, in which
commoners can learn magic if they have talent.

Theon is the number one magic academy that anyone can enter if they have that skill.

‘I’m curious about what kind of place it is.’

When it comes to the magic academy, I have no choice but to think of a famous book
from Earth. Students fly on broomsticks and use magic wands…… Perhaps the
children who had been exposed to movies or books in childhood had dreams of such
a magic school.

In this world, academies where students can learn magic and enjoy their youth
actually exist.

‘Youth…… is it.’

In my previous life, my father died early, so I didn’t have time to enjoy such things
because I studied frantically out of a sense of duty to support my family, and was
compelled to succeed.

The second life, the present life, was not much different from the previous life. No, on
the contrary, it was even worse. There is a reason why I hide my identity as I do now.

After living for 27 years in this world I was no longer a hot-blooded youth. The magic
academy and stuff like that are just otherworldly stories. The same goes for the man
named Rudger, who is closely related to it.

The man who stands on the shining stage called Theon and me, who lives with a false
identity and hides his identity, are very different. Still, since he became a teacher at
Theon at a young age, I should congratulate him.

‘Because he is a fallen aristocrat.’

This world is still a hierarchical society and the nobles are, of course, those who
belong to the apex of such a class society.

However, there are those who fell to the abyss after being in such a place. Either they
revolted against the state, or they hated the people of higher rank, or they owed a lot
of money. Anyway, there are nobles who fell to the abyss for various reasons.

Considering that the fallen aristocrats are more despised by the same nobles than
the commoners, the man named Rudger in front of me must have put in a lot of effort
to become a teacher at Theon.

As I was thinking I heard something strange from the outside.

‘What?’

I threw my gaze out the window, and I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of
anxiety. The atmosphere is strange, as if something was about to happen.

“What is it?”

Rudger asked, as if puzzled by my reaction.

I did not answer and focused my five senses… Something is coming.

“Now……”

That was the moment when Rudger was about to open his mouth.

───────!!!

A huge explosion shook the train wildly. The cabin shook, and the train running on
the railroad staggered sideways.

I held onto the handle of the chair strongly to balance my body.

“What is this……? Did the engine explode?”

Rudger asked, but I shook my head in disbelief. The engine does not appear to have
exploded because there’s no way the entire train will shake from one exploding
engine.

───!

As if my anxious imagination was not wrong, a thumping sound was heard from the
ceiling of the train, and something began to run busily. At the same time, a loud noise
was heard from the vehicle in front.

After hearing the sound of something breaking and people screaming I realized
exactly what happened.

“It’s an attack.”

“An attack on this train?”

“Most of the guests of the Magic Train are wealthy merchants and nobles. It must
have been the robbers of the Northern Mountains who were aiming for them.”

Most of the guests on this expensive train are rich people. Naturally, there were
many people who were aiming for their money and valuables, so robbers’ targeting
the trains was not something unusual.

‘Even so, doing this at the border to the Empire.’

The ones who attacked now are also not regular robbers.

‘The explosion that shook the train just before was not an ordinary power.’

I narrowed my eyes because there was a part that I could guess.

‘Is it magic?’

There is a wizard among the raiders.

If a wizard is involved, it will be easy to rob the train and escape quickly in the
mountains.

There’s no way big organizations that possessed wizards who could produce this
level of firepower and attacked the train on which there were nobles were regular
robbers.

Since it is a world where magic exists, there are people who do bad things with
magic.

“Mr. Rudger. I think we should hide for now.”

Rudger nodded at my words and packed his luggage.

Why are you trying to pack your bag in this situation? Looks like there’s something
important inside. I was not in a position to worry about anyone else, so I got up but
Rudger who took the lead.

“I’ll go in first just in case.”

“Yes.”

First of all, it is because I am a commoner in my 40s who has only a lot of money and
this guy who became an academy teacher in his mid-20s would fight better.

Rudger took out a small wooden staff in his right hand and held it up. The two of us
opened the door to the room and looked at the corridor of the 4th vehicle. It was
empty, I think the passengers were waiting quietly in the safe rooms now.

‘It’s the wrong choice.’

The rooms are protected by magic, but the robbers who have attacked are not
ordinary people. To sit still inside in such a situation it’s like waiting to get caught.

In this case, it is best to stay away from them as much as possible.

‘Even so, those who entered Vehicle No. 3 haven’t come here yet.’

I thought that they would immediately disperse and extort money from the guests
but maybe they are aiming for the first vehicle in front.

Car No. 1 is a first class seat for nobles.

It was a special room that was so strictly protected, but in other words, it was the
golden egg with the most money.

‘I’m happy if that’s the case.’

As long as their eyes are drawn to the No. 1 car it’s good for us. These magic
engineering trains are equipped to send a rescue signal in case of an emergency, like
an unexpected attack.
Reinforcement troops will probably come rushing in sooner or later. I just have to
hold on until then.

At that moment, a man broke the window in the hallway, the snow he had not
brushed from his shoulder flew down. Sensing our presence, he turned his head and
stared at us, there was a lot of blood in those eyes.

‘Did you take any medicine?’

His appearance, dripping with hatred and anger, seemed different from a robber.
Waiting for the train in this cold, maybe he succumbed to evil?

“What…”

But before I could even reveal my doubts, he started yelling at us. At the same time,
Rudger’s magic was manifested.

As if drawing a three dimensional picture in the air, the engraved formula soon
sublimated into a single magic.

‘Crazy!’

I thought a as blue lightning bolt formed, and then in a single flash of light pierced
the intruder’s chest.

“Aww!”

The robber, who was running towards this side, fell to the floor and trembled.

I looked at Rudger and asked.

“You killed him?”

“No, I just stunned him.”

Rudger, who answered that, slowly approached the fallen robber with a cautious
expression on his face while keeping his wand pointed at him.

“Wait Mr. Rudger. It is dangerous.”

“I’m only going to do a light interrogation to find their purpose for attacking this
train.”

“No……”

I tried to say more, but Rudger didn’t listen and moved. He pushed the robber, who
had fallen to the floor, with his feet.

“Say it. For what purpose did you raid this train?”

“Hehehe…”

“Laughing in a situation like this…?”

“Everyone, everyone, must die.”

In the stuttering voice, there was a cold madness that made my skin tremble. The
robber laughed as his body convulsed and bled from his nose. At the same time, the
shirt he had tightly wrapped around was unraveled, revealing what was hidden
inside.

It was a huge bomb.

“……!”

When Rudger saw it, his eyes widened and he activated his magic and the robber
pressed the detonator he was holding in his hand.

“Boooom!”

A huge explosion swept the No. 4 vehicle.

The cloud of dust from the explosion settled.

“Okay.”

I got up, wiping the shattered debris that covered my body. Fortunately, there were
no injuries because even the shattered shards couldn’t penetrate the coat I was
wearing.

‘It was good to wear sturdy clothes.’

The hallways and vehicle walls that had been intact until a moment ago were
completely blown away. The cold wind blew through the open cracks and scratched
my face like a knife.

“……I thought he was just an ordinary robber.”

Detonating a bomb wrapped around his body while being suppressed by magic, this
is by no means the behavior of a train robber. He was more like a fanatic, with a
mindset of dying together with the enemy.

‘A remnant of the prince faction from the Utah kingdom? No, they’re busy hiding
now. These people belong to another organization.’

As I wiped my face with my hands in frustration, I sighed as I felt my skin sagging.

For some reason, I felt the cold wind blowing straight into my face.

“It was expensive, but it’s a pity.”

I took off the mask I was wearing on my face. There was no point in keeping it on my
face since it was broken. The face of a man in his 40s with wrinkles and a beard
couldn’t do his part anymore, so I threw it out of the train.

‘By the way, where is that man?’

Rudger, who was appointed as a teacher at Theon Academy, was nowhere to be seen.

Immediately after, I realized that when the explosion occurred, the man did not react
and he was swept away. A wall was blown away and Rudger was gone without a
trace.

I leaned my head out slightly and looked down to see a distant cliff. A blizzard still
raged below the cliff, and it was covered with foggy snow clouds.

‘…… He must have died.’

If he had known in advance, he could have prepared for it with magic, but
unexpected situations always happen. He is a pitiful man, dying on the day he
became a teacher at Theon Academy.

I silently prayed for Rudger’s well-being.

‘It’s not the time for me to relax either.’

Knowing that these guys are not ordinary robbers, the risk has increased a few
times. If all of them use bombs even this sturdy train, protected by magic, might
derail.

‘Maybe derailing the train might be their goal.’

Having made a decision, I headed back to the car. At that moment, the door of Car No.
5 opened and the conductor with a very nervous face appeared.

“What? Customer, are you okay? Gee, what is this……”

He was a little perplexed as he saw me standing alone in the hallway next to the wall
that had been blown off and stuttered.

I answered calmly.

“A robber attacked. He was armed with a dangerous bomb and I was almost swept
away by the explosion.”

“I see.”
“They seem to be mainly targeting Vehicle No. 1, so I think it would be better for us
to step back.”

“Most passengers have been evacuated to the back of the train.”

“That’s good.”

I approached the conductor with a relieved face and as soon as the distance was
narrowed enough I stretched out my arm and grabbed the conductor by the collar.

“Why, why do you do that?”

“Did you think that such fake acting would work in front of me?”

“Yes, yes?”

The conductor looked at me with a puzzled face. If it had been someone else, this
would have erased their doubts, but not me.

“I thought something was strange. How can a magic train, which is equipped with
magic crystals and protected by strong defensive magic, be infiltrated so easily?
Besides we’re going at high speed through the rugged Arete Mountains, how could
those people know exactly when to attack?”

“That……”

“It’s virtually impossible without having someone on the inside of the train that
could turn off the magic that should work.”

“……”

At that moment, the conductor’s face changed. He moved his hand and tried to get
something out, but I knew he would and prepared for it.

I thrust a sharp knife under his chin.

“Stay still.”

“Ugh.”
“You act fast, that means you’re no ordinary robber. Where do you guys come from?”

“……”

“Are you going to keep your mouth shut? Well, that’s good too.”

I wasn’t even curious about it anyway.

If my prediction is correct, something might have happened to the 5th vehicle that
this guy passed over.

“Move!”

I held the knife in my right hand at the guy’s neck but the bastard refused to move so
twisted his arm a little until he obeyed.

“How many comrades do you have on the train?”

“……”

“Are you not going to tell me? Then I’ll have to make you talk.”

At that moment a sound was heard from Vehicle No. 5, which the conductor came
from.

It was a small sound that could not be heard from Vehicle No. 4, where the bulkhead
was blown away and the cold gust of wind outside the train blew but my ears we’re
extremely alert and caught the sound properly.

It’s something I’ve heard a lot of times, metal meets metal.

Having reached that point, I threw the conductor forward and immediately fell flat
on my seat.

Tutatattattattattatta!

Shortly afterward, a blast of bullets shot through the door and passed over my head.

───!
The conductor that I pushed out became a beehive. Scattering the debris and powder
I covered my head with my hands and looked out the door but the bullets showed no
sign of stopping.

‘Is it a submachine gun? They are very well prepared.’

If that’s the case, I’ll have to deal with this one as well.

They thought that this was enough, so they stopped shooting.

‘They shoot without mercy even though their comrade was there and didn’t even let
him send any signals.’

That means that if they don’t hear from him after a certain time they’ll open fire.

‘The suicide bombers and now this, it’s obvious these people are crazy.’

Why did this happen when I got on this train… I sighed and stood up.

After wiping off the powder and dust from my body, I looked over the door. Soon
after, the door was smashed, and three tall men rushed into the hallway.

“Someone is still alive?”

“Didn’t you say that anyone would die after that?”

“Why don’t you just kill yourself so I don’t have to hear you talking?”

I looked at them chattering amongst themselves and said with an annoyed voice.

They exchanged glances and then began to approach me. The hallway was narrow
enough for only one person to come, so I had to deal with only one person at a time
but the other side it’s plump and a lot taller than me. To be honest I didn’t want to
fight here because I’m at a disadvantage.

‘Even if I surrender now they won’t accept it.’

Seeing them, it looks like they have no intention to keep me alive.

“……There is one thing I want to ask you.”

“What? You want to beg for your life now?”

No way.

“With what guts did you attack this train? Is it worth it to throw your lives away?
Besides the rescue team will be here soon.”

“Do you think your threat will work on us?”

The guy who took the lead at my warning snorted and drew his sword.

“I’ll kill you with a single strike.”

He came towards me but I slowly retreated back. However, space was limited and I
had to stop. If I go back anymore I’ll fall from the train.

“You have nowhere to go.”

“Right.”

If I jump out of the train here, I will be following Rudger’s.

“I’m busy, so I’ll finish it as soon as possible!”

The moment he spit those words out and tried to attack me I activated the magic I
had prepared in advance.

With the sound of the air exploding, the body of the guy who was about to slam his
sword at me bounced back like a cannonball. The ones standing behind him didn’t
react in time so they we’re thrown to the floor together.

“Ouch. uh, what…”

“Wizard?!”

They didn’t show any signs of being greatly distressed, perhaps because they were
quite strong. No, they were wearing something under their clothes. Is it like a
protective suit?

I released the magical energy I had accumulated and engraved the runes. The three-
dimensional figure drawn in the air eventually turned into magic, and in an instant, it
became a huge wind and lifted up the guys in the air. It was like an invisible hand
was holding them.

“Uh, huh?”

“Let me go! Put me down!”

“As you wish.”

I used the wind to move them and threw them out of the train.

“Save me! Please!”

They are the ones who attacked the train with the intention to kill everyone so I
won’t spare them. After throwing them out of the train their screams echoed and
slowly moved away.

After dealing with them I pulled out a string from my pocket, tidying up my slightly
messy hair. I don’t pay much attention to my appearance, so my hair is quite long,
and if I don’t tidy it up in time, it becomes quite cumbersome.

“It’s better now.”

I was thinking of running away now, but this time the door of the 3rd car opened and
new guys appeared. When you deal with one, another one keeps coming out. There
seems to be no end, that’s why I wanted to leave quickly.

“What is this……”

The guys who came over from Car No. 3 looked at the inside of Car No. 4, which was
half-destroyed, and me standing alone, and their faces became cold.

“Kill him!”

The guy who seemed to be the captain gave the order. At the same time, the guys
who were waiting pointed their rifles at me.

Seeing that scene, I desperately wanted to let out a sigh. What can I do? If I’ve come
this far, I have to see the end.
“Shoot!”

The captain gives orders and his men pull the trigger but the bullets didn’t go out.

Clap! Clap!

“Huh?”

“What are you doing?”

“Second, the gun is broken!”

“What?”

While they were confused I prepared my next magic. However, there was one thing
that I overlooked, there was a magician among them too.

Paah!

The magic I cast is canceled in the air.

The wizard, who pointed his wand towards this side, looked at me with a wary gaze.

“He is a wizard.”

“……”

“It doesn’t matter he must die as well.”

What’s wrong with this? You were trying to kill me from the beginning.

I’m sure these guys are terrorists, and whatever I say here won’t work. I took the
watch out of my pocket and checked the time. Less than 10 minutes had passed since
the attack started.

‘Time is…… still a little lacking.’

The scenery passing by outside is still cold and airy. I thought it was very beautiful
when I looked through the window, but it became terrifying since a wall was
destroyed.
There was still time before the train left the Arete Mountains and it will be difficult
for the reinforcements to come right away.

‘I can’t help it.’

Considering the location and the time, reinforcements will need at least 5 minutes to
arrive.

‘I have no choice but to persevere.’

“Move!”

Pushing the people blocking the entrance, the wizards lined up. They stared at the
man left alone in car No. 4 with slightly nervous faces.

A black frock coat with gold stitching over a neat suit that clings to the body, long
black hair tied at the nape of the neck, those sharp eyes that felt colder than the cold
wind blowing outside.

His appearance and momentum were unusual. In fact, in his hands, their compatriots
who rushed in from the rear of the train were killed.

‘Who the hell is he?’

The terrorist who led the train raid frowned at the man in front of him. He couldn’t
understand how such a wizard could be at the board of the train.

‘No, it doesn’t matter who he is. We have five wizards here.’

They recruited a large number of people who learned magic. Even if there is an
unknown internal security manpower, it can be wiped out with overwhelming force.

He didn’t expect that there would be a wizard, but even if it was, there was only one
opponent. They had 5 wizards and their leader, Mayhem, was a 4th-rank wizard.

‘Unless the opponent is at least a 5th-rank wizard there will be no problem.’

There aren’t many wizards on this continent with that much skill and if he had
achieved 5th rank or higher at such a young age, rumors would have already spread.
At most he could be at the 4th-rank like Mayhem. Maybe the man in front of him
knew about it, so he didn’t want to use magic.

“Hmm… 5 wizards.”
“It’s too late for you now.”

“Then, I have no choice but to change my method a little.”

After saying that, the man fluttered the hem of his frock coat and threw himself out
of the wrecked train.

“Uh, huh? Did he jump?”

“Did you choose to commit suicide because you thought you couldn’t win?”

One of them, one of the wizards, stuck his head out over the broken bulkhead, but he
couldn’t see anything under the distant cliff.

“He must have fallen down and died!”

“I thought he would do something, but he was just a coward.”

The moment everyone was about to come to that conclusion.

Pussack!

A flash of light pierced the head of the wizard, who was looking down. His body,
which lost balance, leaned forward and fell out of the train.

“What?!”

“Hanson is dead!”

“Where did the flash just come from?”

While everyone was puzzled, Mayhem, the leader of the wizards, twisted his face and
looked up.

“He’s on the roof!”

“On the train? But didn’t he jumped down a little while ago?”

“Did he use flying magic?”

“Is it possible to catch up and get on a moving train with flying magic?!”

“Hurry up and chase him!”

***

‘I was going to eliminate another one while they were distracted.’

Loud noises came from below. Now that they realized I’m alive they will try to kill me
with all their might.

I pretended to jump, hung from the wall, and then climbed right up to make them
lose their vigilance.

I can’t help but be satisfied with taking one of the five wizards.

“Go up!”

“Kill him!”

A voice echoed through the car, and then one by one they started climbing up the
ladder to the roof, but it won’t be that easy.

I fired a magical energy at them, turned my back and ran towards the vehicle behind
me. Those who tried to climb up had no choice but to descend again due to an attack
passing overhead.

Thump thump thump.

As I ran and made noise on purpose the people waiting in the vehicle heard the
sound and followed me.

“He’s going to the back of the train!”

“Chase!”

They easily followed me. I guess getting rid of one wizard seemed to have a pretty
big effect.

Even if they risk their lives and commit suicide, does it mean that it is unacceptable
for a colleague to die at the hands of others? It is indeed a contradictory attitude.

‘If you become emotional like this, I will be more grateful.’

***

The terrorists split in half to catch the wizard who escaped to the rear of the train.
After all, even if the opponent is a wizard he’s not their target.

Except for a few who will assist the wizards, the rest decided to aim for the first class
of the first vehicle that has not yet been penetrated. The wizards headed to the rear
and the other group to the front.

“Damn! Where is he?”

“Is anyone on the roof? Why don’t you say anything?”

“Let’s go back!”

They opened the door in a hurry.

‘Quaaang!’

The door exploded and a bright red flame engulfed the terrorists. In an instant, the
five of them turned into black charcoal and fell to the ground.

The magical flame went out like a candle after it had faithfully performed its role.

“Wicked bastard!”

“To set a trap in front of the door!”

The wizard’s leader, Mayhem, wept as he looked at the corpses of his dead
compatriots.

‘Did you magically set up a trap in front of the door in that short time?’

His swiftness was astounding, but what made him even more nervous was his
opponent’s behavior. Usually, the wizards from noble families he knows are
extremely reluctant to move because of their arrogance since birth.
When they use magic, they always stand in the open as if to show off their magic. But
the man he’s following now didn’t.

‘I feel like the situation is unfavorable, so I immediately run away, and then, after
arousing the other person’s carelessness, I attack. There is no way this is the way of a
normal wizard.’

Rather than being a wizard, this move was closer to a mercenary or hunter.

‘What the hell is this guy…… ’

At first, he thought that a sorcerer who killed his compatriots. After all, most of the
people on this train were either nobles or wealthy merchants. They are all sucking
the blood of poor commoners and standing on it.

‘But he’s different.’

Mayhem, who was worried, opened his mouth with a more heavy expression on his
face.

“Everyone be careful. From now on, we take the lead. We don’t know what trap he
may have placed, so move as carefully as possible.”

“Yes!”

With Mayhem in the lead, the wizards took the lead and moved while checking if
there were any traps installed in the hallways or walls. As a result, a considerable
amount of time was consumed.

“Don’t be in a hurry. After all, he can’t get off the end of the train.”

The wizard’s leader, Mayhem, was walking slowly and suddenly stopped. She felt a
sense of alienation that could not be described in words and quickly realized the
reason.

Rumble!

A loud noise echoed from the end of the train. The slow-moving terrorists
instinctively knew something was wrong the moment they heard the sound.
“Ah! He disconnected the train and ran away!”

It was too late to stop him. In the first place, the opponent did not have to fight them.
It was enough to just run away and waste their time after deliberately he raised their
awareness with his trap.

“Chase! Don’t let him run away!”

They are now in a hurry, and have no choice but to chase and kill the sorcerer who
has fled.

They hurriedly ran through the train, and eventually arrived at the nose of the last
vehicle, No. 12. When they opened the door, all they saw was the snow-capped
mountain range and railroad tracks, not the scene of Vehicle 12, which should have
been there.

Mayhem clenched his teeth.

‘I made a mistake. He kept reminding us that he didn’t have to fight us.’

He overlooked an important fact.

Who would have expected that the opponent would run away with such a
determination?

“Damn, did I miss it?”

“I will definitely find you and kill you.”

While everyone was clenching their teeth and stared outside Mayhem felt a surge of
powerful magic behind his back.

“What is this……”

He hurriedly turned his head and looked back and saw the figure of the man who
should have disappeared with the detached vehicle No. 12.

“Why are you here……”

But it wasn’t the man’s existence that mattered. The most important thing to pay
attention to is the magic that was completed in front of him, almost before it was
activated. It was a very ferocious and dangerous type of elemental magic.

“Avoid it!”

Mayhem cried out and raised his magic power as much as possible to create a barrier
of strong magical power.

Immediately afterward, a huge magic engulfed the entire vehicle No. 11 and swept
the interior like a storm. The pure white flame swept away all the terrorists who had
not yet evacuated or responded.

***

“Is it over?”

I muttered as I watched the magical flames gradually disappear.

They thought I was going to run away in Vehicle 12, and they were focused on it.
Everyone would have thought so since I used a trap to buy time and detached vehicle
12.

In the end, running away was nothing more than a deceptive tactic to deceive them.
Thanks to that, I was able to gather them all in one place and deal with them at once.

‘It seems that there are still guys left in the leading vehicle, but it doesn’t matter
since I’ve dealt with all the wizards.’

As I was thinking, something rose from the rubble.

“You were still alive.”

”Boy……”

It was the leader who led the wizards who got up. At that moment, perhaps he had
defended himself with a barrier and escaped the explosion but his physical condition
was so disastrous that he was barely alive.

He couldn’t completely block the explosion and his face was half melted, while his
whole body was burnt, even one of his arms was missing.
“Why the hell did you kill them? Isn’t it pitiful for our compatriots who are working
hard for the world?”

“What?”

What the heck did he say, isn’t this a very naive bullshit? When I shut my mouth in
bewilderment, he looked at me with angry eyes.

“Don’t you feel sorry for the people who died at your hands?”

“I thought that you were crazy from the beginning, but you were crazier than I
thought.”

“What?”

“What are you talking about when you attack the train and kill all the passengers?”

These guys raided the train and killed the passengers there on sight. Now they treat
me like a bad guy because their co-workers are dead, honestly, it’s just annoying.

“Even if they died, they were cheap!”

“Aren’t you the one who tried to kill me in the first place? We already have to kill
each other, so what are you talking about now?”

“That……”

“If I couldn’t kill you, I would have to die.”

“You boy…… Who the hell are you?”

He gave up arguing and asked about my identity but I couldn’t answer because I saw
countless shadows flying towards me from the outside.

Even in the midst of a raging blizzard, the sound of drawing a sword is eerily heard.
A white light flashed through the wide open back door and cut the wizard in half.

A solid line is drawn from the head to the groin and the moment the pure white
shadow jumped over the wizard and landed on the ground, his body split apart and
he fell to the side.
No blood flowed from his body because the cut section was frozen with pure white
ice. Behind the fallen corpse a knight with a white cloak fluttering appeared.

“Are you okay?”

I answered with a nod of my head.

The pattern on the shoulder strap is in the shape of a pure white eagle. It was a mark
of the Border Guard Knights in charge of protecting the empire.

“Don’t worry we will deal with them.”

I saw the sight of knights in pure white armor running on the snow and jumping on
the train one by one. They are powerful enough to catch up with a running horse on
two legs and crush rocks with their leg strength.

They were the knights in charge of the most rugged section of the Exilion Empire.

“Aaaah!”

“The Empire’s Border Guard! Everyone run away!”

“Help me!”

The terrorist’s screams echoed everywhere, they stood no chance against the border
guards.

***

‘Is it over?’

The Cold Steel Knights under the Border Guard Corps.

It may not seem like a big deal just by hearing the name, but as it is made up of those
who work in this rugged and cold Arete Mountains, meaning that every member is
an elite.

I returned to room 403, which was still intact and stumped in my seat. The inside of
the train was full of cuts and marks that remained from the fierce battle.

Fortunately, a defensive magic circle was engraved on them; if it had been an

ordinary train, it would have already derailed and fell down the cliff.

“We have subjugated all the thieves, so please rest assured. The train will arrive
soon, so please wait for a while.”
Knights were seen walking around the inside of the train, calming the survivors. In
fact, even if they were survivors, they were all first-class people who were protected
in the safest place.

It was hard to find survivors except for the 1st cabin, everyone else was practically
annihilated.

It was unfortunate even considering the small number of people on the train.

‘I’m glad they got rid of all the terrorists though.’

All those who attacked the train were killed by the knights. For bringing so many
wizards, it was truly a vain result.

‘Ah. I’m the one who killed the wizards.’

Now is not the time for me to worry about that.

Soon the train will arrive at its destination. As it passed the mountain range covered
in pure white snow, fresh vegetation began to appear sporadically. The icy mountain
range disappeared and was replaced by a wide plain.

What was visible beyond the horizon was Leathervelk, one of the major cities of the
Exilion Empire.

‘Big.’

Even though it is far away, the majesty of the city is enough to be seen at a glance.
Buildings soaring high like towers towards the sky, factory chimneys constantly
spewing white smoke and even large flying boats fluttering among the clouds dyed
with light.

Mechanical boats made of windmills and brass are lined up above the river that runs
through the city, and steamships move quickly between them.

Magical engineering created by combining advanced mechanical engineering with

magic. The civilization it has achieved is very similar to the so-called ‘Steam Punk’.

‘Now that I’m here, it’s not really surprising.’

Still, I couldn’t erase the strange feeling that the sense of disparity created by the
memories of my previous life disappeared.

I died in an accident in my previous life, and when I woke up, I was shocked to find
out that I was reborn as a baby in this world but that was already 27 years ago.

The years have gone by so quickly.

This world is a unique world of the Victorian era and what is commonly called the
Belle Epoque, where magic, sub-races and monsters exist.

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve entered the world of a game or a novel I liked…… This
is a different world that doesn’t even exist in my memory, literally without any
connection.

“Are you okay?”

Someone spoke to me as I sat still and stared at the approaching destination. When I
turned my head, I noticed neat black hair at the entrance to the half-broken room.
Was it the woman who saved me?

She was looking at this with worried eyes.

“Was it possible that some kind of harm was done to you by the terrorists a while
ago?”

I immediately shook my head.

“No. Thanks to the knights’ help nothing happened to me. I was just thinking about
something.”

“Ah. If so, I’m glad.”

It was like a rose blossomed when she smiled.

She was quite a beauty, pure white skin and white armor without blemishes.
Contrasting black hair further accentuated her strong image. She is a good person
with no ambiguity in her personality. Otherwise she wouldn’t have been worried for
someone like me.
Being a member of the Cold Steel Knights at such a young age means she is a genius.
I felt like I was living in a different world.

“My name is Veronica Deville. What about you?”

Deville.

I’ve heard of it. It’s said to be a prestigious company that produced many famous
knights in the empire.

“I am……”

Paaaaang—!!!

As I was about to say my name, the train blew his horn to signal its arrival.

I shut my mouth, and Veronica turned her head to look outside.

“We have finally arrived at Leathervelk.”

The train, which slowed down slowly, came to a complete stop at the train station.

The station seen through the window was crowded with people. It seems that people
had come to take a look after hearing the news that the train had been attacked.
When they saw the appearance of the broken train, they started talking among
themselves.

The police stepped forward and built a wall to prevent people from approaching, and
there were also reporters trying to get a scoop through the cracks.

Like a big city, Leathervelk was crowded from the start.

“There are so many people. It seems that the news has already spread.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Because it has nothing to do with me anyway.

If there is one thing I regret now, it’s that this train, which was originally supposed to
go to the capital, had to stop at Leathervelk due to the attack. However, there was no
way to get a refund for the tickets I had already paid, so I had no choice but to get off
here.

Swoosh.

At that moment, the closed door swung open and police officers in uniform rushed
in.

What happened all of a sudden?

“Passengers, please do not leave and wait in your seat. I have something to check.”

“What is this?”

When Veronica asked, one of the cops asked.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Veronica from the Cold Steel Knights. I’d like to ask how the hell this
happened.”

“Ah, you were a Knight of the Cold Steel Knights. Nice to meet you, I am Officer
Remlus from the Leathervelk Metropolitan Police Agency.”

“Yes, Officer Remlus, nice to meet you. So what is this?”

“I heard the train was attacked in the Arete mountains.”

“Yes, that is correct. We took care of all the raiders.”

“Thank you for your hard work but there’s something suspicious in the report we
received.”

“Suspicious”

At those words, I became anxious, but then something caught my eye.

“Even though there were wizards among the raiders, there was no way that a magic
train protected by magic would be so easily attacked.”
“Yes.”

“It is clear that there was someone from the inside involved as well.”

“That…”

Veronica’s eyes widened in surprise but she nodded her head and agreed with the
officer’s words.

His assumption was correct, I actually ran into a guy who disguised himself as a train
employee and dispelled the magical veil from the inside. It made it easy for the
terrorists to get into the train, and the passengers inside were killed.

“Some of the survivors might be working with the terrorists so we’re just trying to
verify their identities. Don’t worry too much. Those whose identities have been
verified will be sent back immediately.”

“I see.”

Veronica said and looked back at this side with a smile. Her smile was full of relief,
but a cold sweat ran down my back.

They’re verifying identities but my mask is gone. I gently stroked my face with my
fingertips.

‘This is a big deal…!’

I was on this train as a wealthy merchant in his mid-40s named Gerard. Naturally, a
person named Gerard would be listed on the list of passengers. That’s fine, but the
problem is my face right now.

How can this face without a beard or wrinkles belong to someone in their mid-
forties?

‘…What should I do?’

I did not lead the terrorist attack and I was a passenger who was unfairly involved,
but I couldn’t be proud of it either.

Gerard is a fake identity to hide my identity and fake identity is a felony in any
country.

If I’m lucky enough I might be hanged, but there’s a high possibility that I would be
subjected to severe torture since I’m suspected of terrorism. If I was a normal person
there would be no need to change my identity.

Should I run away?

‘No.’

Now, there are Cold Steel Knights on this train, and even the Imperial soldiers are
spread outside the train just in case. The moment I try to run away from here, I’ll be
dead in less than a minute.

Running away is the worst option. But if I stand still, my identity will be revealed.

I tried not to show my anxiety.

Meanwhile, the police brought documents and were trying to compare them with the
people in the train.

I was asked.

“In what room were you staying?”

“Number 403, here’s my ticket.”

I calmly took out a train ticket from my inner pocket and showed it to the officer.
After confirming that the ticket was not a fake, he shuffled through the documents
immediately.

…”403, here it is. Two guests stayed in the room. Rudger Chelici, a man in his mid
20’s and Gerard, a man in his 40s.”

Then he lifts his head and glances at me. It was like asking why you are alone when
there are two of you.

“Why are you alone?”

“Gerard was swept away by an explosion during and fell down a remote cliff in the
Arete Mountains.”

He fell down the cliff of that rugged mountain range, so even his body would not be
found.

My words made the police even more suspicious. I clenched my fists, and desperately
kept my expressionless face.

If I go on like this I’ll be caught. But that doesn’t mean there’s no way out of this
situation.

‘Escape? It’s impossible in the first place.’

And another problem is Veronica, the woman with a fluttering white cloak in front of
me. She is the woman who, not long ago, had split in half a terrorist.

She had no hesitation in killing people.

She’s smiling at me now, but when it turns out that I’m suspicious, she’ll be the first
to draw her sword. Considering her ability to join the Cold Steel Knights at a young
age, she must be much more intimidating than the police outside the train.

All sorts of thoughts were swirling around in my head.

Veronica, who had been silently watching the situation, stepped forward.

“Wait. He was not a suspect in the first place.”

“Yes?”

“Because he was fighting terrorists before our Cold Steel Knights arrived. I saw it
with my own two eyes.”

“Did you fight?”

The officer mumbled in disbelief and looked over the list again. Then he nodded his
head as if he had understood something, and looked back at me with a changed face.

“Then it means that Mr. Rudger Chelici is alive, and Mr. Gerard died in the explosion.”
…uh?

No wait. What now?

The face of the officer, who was checking the list more closely, was astonished.

“Huh? You are a new teacher who has been assigned to the Theon Academy?!”

“Theon teacher? Really?”

At the cry of Officer Remlus, Veronica also widened her eyes.

Watching the two people’s reactions, like a scene from a comedy, I realized how
things were going. It was really unbelievable, but…… They believed I was Rudger. It
was so sudden, but I made a quick decision.

I immediately regained my composure and nodded.

“Yes. That’s right.”

I picked up the suitcase that Rudger had dropped before he died. It was a good idea
to have it ready in advance, just in case.

“I am Rudger Chelici.”
Photography is not yet popular in this world. Most of the photos exist only in black
and white and the quality is not very good, so detailed comparison is impossible.

When comparing people, in the end, they have no choice but to rely on clothes, age,
and overall physique. It was not unreasonable that they were mistaken.

‘I’m sorry. Mr. Rudger.’

It’s a pity for the dead, but that doesn’t mean I can die too, right? The living must live.

Rudger’s status was very helpful in escaping this situation.

“Unbelievable. You were a new teacher at Theon Academy. The magic I saw back
then……”

The moment the name Theon appeared, Veronica’s voice toward me changed.

Did she see me using magic? Maybe that’s why I gained her trust even more.

Even the officer who was half-doubting me and who was about to interrogate me
immediately nodded his head.

“Please forgive me for being rude because of the circumstances.”

“It’s fine.”

Even as I said that, I thought to myself that the name Theon was really great.

The only magic academy that exists in the Empire, and even on the continent, the
best academy is Theon.

The name ‘Theon’ was never taken lightly, and it was natural for them to be
surprised when they heard that I was a teacher there.
“You’re a Theon teacher.”

“At such a young age, that’s great.”

The other guards and the police also whispered among themselves.

Whatever happened, I decided to act more shamelessly. From this moment, I will
become Rudger Chelici.

“I, we will guide you to the exit.”

“Fine.”

“You are one of those who will nurture the future of the empire, how could we let it
go? You were wasting your time because of us.”

“It’s fine.”

“It is because we are sorry.”

No, moving with you guys is inconvenient!

I couldn’t say those words, so I accepted with a blunt face.

“Ms. Veronica, it was a short meeting, but it was nice.”

It was a short meeting, but I don’t think it was bad. She smiled and waved her hand
at me, perhaps thinking the same thing.

“Yes, Mr. Rudger! See you later if you have time!”

“Yes.”

I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’ll see each other again in the future.

Guided by the guards, I was able to safely escape the crowd to the exit of the train
station. It was a train station with a lot of people coming and going, so the exit was
also crowded with people.

I opened my mouth thinking that this was it.

“It is enough to have come this far. From here on, I will move on my own. More than
that, I feel burdened.”

“Ah yes!”

The guard saluted me and then disappeared back into the station.

I greeted him with a light bow, and let out a sigh.

Seriously, it would have been a big mess. I’m glad the other side misunderstood me
for a moment, otherwise, my fake identity would have been exposed and I would
have been accused of being an accomplice in terrorism.

Now that the emergency is over, I’ll be fine.

“Are you Mr. Rudger Chelici?”

At that moment, I could feel my blood freezing coldly at the sound of a voice coming
from behind me.

When I slowly turned my head to look back, I saw an old gentleman with a rather
stern posture looking at me.

I calmed my startled heart and answered calmly.

“Yes. That’s right. Who are you?”

“Hello. My name is Wilford, a user of Theon Academy. I came to meet Mr. Rudger.”

“…Do you mean pick up? Me?”

“Yes. I heard that the train was attacked. I came to see you in a hurry to see if
something had happened, but I’m really glad that you seem to be okay.”

Wilford said so, and he opened the door of the carriage next to him.

“Get in.”

“……”
I rolled my eyes. Can I say that I’m the wrong person?

I don’t know when that old man named Wilford got here but I’m sure he saw me with
the officer. It is practically impossible to pretend that I’m someone else and refuse.
Above all else, there was no sign of presence when he first appeared, this man is no
ordinary user.

“…Yes.”

I had no choice but to get into the carriage.

***

Veronica, the deputy commander of the Knights of Cold Steel, remembered the
departed Rudger.

‘Rudger Chelici.’

From the first time I saw him, I thought he was unusual because I saw him sweeping
away all terrorists with pure white flames.

The other knights might not have been able to see well because they were far away,
but she was confident that she had better eyesight than the general.

In a situation where he was outnumbered Rudger defeated the opposing wizards

easily.

‘He’s not an ordinary person.’

A simple yet gorgeous black frock coat with a neat suit and golden thread over it, a
reticent impression and serious eyes, the long hair slightly pulled back, from the
nape of the neck into a ponytail.

Looking closely he seemed like a nobleman with a sharp impression but above all,
what stimulated her nerves the most was the spirit that subtly emanated from
Rudger.

‘At first I thought it was a royal family member who hid his identity.’

The elegance that emanated from Rudger was similar to what Veronica felt when she
faced the nobles in the imperial court. So when she was told that Rudger was going
to be a teacher at the Theon Academy, she was convinced of his identity.

No, she even thought that even the huge name of Theon would not be a medal for
this man. No one marvels at fish swimming well and birds flying through the sky. The
same was true for Rudger’s position as Theon.

Her strong sense of deja vu became certain when she heard his name.

‘Rudger Chelici, a young wizard with a lot of fame recently. He was the youngest to
achieve the fourth rank, submitted 12 papers to the Mato, and even redefined one of
the most difficult things: Langerister’s formula.’

Other than that, I heard that he had a history of serving as an officer in the military,
and it is said that he majored in cryptid hunting.

‘My younger brother is attending Thorn. I’ll have to ask him how are the classes he’s
teaching.’

***

My plan to run away as soon as I left the train station was thwarted from the start. I
didn’t expect the academy would send someone directly to pick me up here. I
thought it was too much of an exaggeration, but the fact that it was the Theon
Academy convinced me again.

If you are a teacher assigned to the best academy in the empire, you will be
welcomed wherever you go. Hearing that such high-quality manpower was involved
in the terrorist attack, Theon must have been worried.

‘It’s a big deal.’

I looked inside the carriage.

A soft red chair and colorful patterns around it. No matter how I look at it, it was a
carriage that could only be thought of as luxurious. There is almost no vibration even
when it’s going so fast.

Leading this black chariot was a golem in the form of a steaming horse. It was simply
amazing to see this vehicle, one of the latest magical engineering results, made with
a half-mix of machine and magic.

Knights don’t get old easily just because they age. Rather, the old knights are more
dangerous because they have superhuman bodies and years of experience.

‘If I try to leave here with an excuse, he’ll get suspicious. I can’t run away secretly,
and even if I succeed, I’ll be tracked down as soon as a report comes in.’

A number of other problems arose.

First of all, it is about the identity of Gerard that I used to use. Since this fake identity
was effectively treated as dead, it was necessary to create a new identity and that
would require a lot of time and money.

Usually I would find a place to stay until I gather information and create a new
identity since having lost my existing identity, means I am an illegal immigrant. The
absence of an identity is no different from the absence of human rights.

After considering all these possibilities, I decided to give up running away for now.

‘For now, I’ll not do anything that will make me suspicious.’

First, let’s go to Theon Academy. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to think about the future
there.

When the speed of the fast-moving carriage slowed down, I had a gut feeling that I
had finally arrived at the Theon Academy.

As if to prove that, the carriage’s front window swung open to the side, and Wilford
spoke up.

“Mr. Rudger, we’re here.”

At Wilford’s words, I glanced at the scenery outside the window. The first thing I saw
was a grand gate and beyond that was a vast expanse of land. The road for carriages
was paved neatly and green trees were evenly planted to the left and right, adding to
the refined beauty.

In the dazzling sunlight, the buildings of the Theon Academy shone white.
‘Are those the main building, the villa, the park, and the auditorium?’

Apart from the fact that each one was large in scale, it was not possible to estimate
exactly how wide the site was.

‘Isn’t this bigger than any other city?’

The security guard at the front gate opened it immediately and bowed lightly toward
us.

Passing through the front door, I could see how much magic was engraved in the
vicinity. The number of magic circles stacked on top of each other was so great that
the original shape could not be seen.

‘Crazy.’

There won’t be any big guys coming through the front gate, but if there’s really a guy
like that, it will turn to dust and disappear in a second.

The place where the steel horse leading the carriage stopped was a building further
inside than the main building. Soaring high like a crown, it was truly a magnificent
castle.

“It’s here. Get off.”

As I was about to get my bag, Wilford stopped me.

“We’ll come back, so you don’t have to carry your luggage with you.”

“…Yes.”

I got out of the carriage and followed Wilford past the fountain and the beautiful
statues into the building. The inside was just as spectacular as the outside.

The light from the glass window spreads like a soft reflection inside, creating a warm
color and gently wrapping the skin. A fragrant smell from somewhere tickles my
nose, and I hear the chirping of birds. It felt like a dream.

The interior has a refined and neat design, looking like the beautiful architecture of
medieval Europe. If the adjacent city Leathervelk has a steampunk atmosphere full
of steam, this one is much more focused on fantasy.

-Hahaha.

– Baby, don’t do it.

As I went up the stairs along Wilford, users and students in academy uniforms
passed me by. Every time they do that, I can hear them having a conversation behind
me, so I guess they’re gossiping because I look like a country peasant, right?

Eventually, I arrived in front of a large elevator.

“Come this way.”

I boarded the elevator with Wilford. I thought it was high from the outside, but
seeing it was almost 30 stories high, I was surprised once again.

When the elevator arrived and the door opened, there was a long hallway covered
with red carpet and a single door made of wood at the end.

“The President is inside. I will be waiting here.”

“Thanks for the guidance.”

“It’s my job.”

I crossed the hallway and stood in front of the door to the president’s office. Just as I
raised my hand to knock on the door, I heard a languid yet alluring voice from inside.

“Come in.”

“……”

I opened the door and went inside.

“Nice to meet you.”

A woman sitting at her desk with her back against the window greeted me.

Considering that she has to be a lexer who is at least a 6th rank among the existing
8th ranks to be able to sit in this position, she is an undisputed first-class wizard.

She had just been organizing papers, and was holding a fountain pen in her right
hand, put it down aloud and stared at me. Her white hair, flowing down like a
curtain, shines even more dazzlingly in the light of the glass window behind her. The
hair on the outside is white, but the inside is a two-tone hair that is subtly tinged
with pink.

‘What.’

The moment her golden eyes turned towards me, I felt an indescribable feeling.

I said in a hard voice, trying to ignore the strange sensation.

“This is Rudger Chelici. The president has called me.”

First of all, I am now Rudger Chelici.

The principal greeted me with a bright smile.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Rudger. Are you alright? I was told that you were involved in a
terrorist incident.”

“It was nothing special. I got help from the Cold Steel Knights at a dangerous
moment.”

“That’s really nice. I was pretty terrified too. You’re a new teacher I’ve been looking
for with a lot of effort, but I was wondering what to do if you got hurt. If that
happens, our face won’t stand up, right?”

Seeing her openly commenting on the school face, she certainly doesn’t seem like an
ordinary person.

Everyone who has ascended to a high position is bound to be twisted somewhere,

especially if you’re a member of a wizard’s family.

My master was the same and so it’s this woman in front of me. It wasn’t too
surprising.

“Are you not feeling well?”

Seeing the president staring at me with a soft smile in her eyes, I wondered if she
realized something. Come to think of it, has the Chancellor ever met Rudger before?

As anxious thoughts passed by, her voice awakened my thoughts.

This is the first time I’ve seen you in person, but you’re pretty tall.”

Fortunately, it seemed that this was the first time that ‘Rudger’ had actually met the
president.
I answered with a sigh of relief.

“Thank you for the compliment, even if it’s empty words.”

“Nope, it’s not empty words. The students’ reaction to such a handsome teacher will
be positive, right?”

“It’s overrated.”

“Okay, take this first.”

The president handed me a piece of paper.

“It was announced in advance, but it’s good to have a thorough contract. The contract
period is 2 years and the pay is as written there. Food and drink are provided
automatically, so be aware.”

I accepted the contract and looked at the contents carefully.

Anyway, the moment the preliminary status came out, I was going to throw it away
and leave, so I didn’t take it too seriously until I read it.

‘Uh, what is it? Wait a minute.’

What was written in the contract was so surprising that it made my eyes widen.

‘A month’s salary is 30 imperial gold coins?’

One imperial gold coin is equivalent to 1 million denars in the continent’s common
currency, ‘denar’.

In other words, 30 imperial gold coins means 30 million denars, this was a huge sum
of nearly 300 million won on Earth in my previous life.

At this point, I had no doubt about the power of Theon academy.

It was the best magic academy in the empire. Even in the district where I lived, the
annual salary of a lecturer at Gangnam Academy was not even 10 billion won.

‘And there is a bonus for each semester, and another bonus at the end of the year? Is
it even possible to increase pay based on performance? If students’ evaluations of
faculty and staff are good, the salary will increase?’

If the teacher does really well and gets good evaluations then together with the
bonuses the annual salary will become over 500 million denars.

The contract period is two years, and in total, more than 1 billion denars. With this
money, I could go anywhere and make a living. I could even do a side job if I get a
permit.

‘Gulp.’

I swallowed saliva without realizing it.

It’s amazing that the salary is like this, but the subsidy when conducting classes is
huge. Even more subsidies may come out depending on teacher evaluation.

In addition to that, I can find a house separately and eat here, so I don’t have to
spend money on anything else.

‘If I survive for two years, I would get 1 billion denars. In terms of Earth money,
that’s a whopping 10 billion won at a minimum. If I do well, I can even increase my
salary, and I can also extend it after the contract is over.’

This contract was crazy. Is this the best academy in the empire?

The life I’ve lived so far…

“How is it?”

“……Not bad.”

This is awesome.

I took a deep breath and read the contract again. But there was a fundamental
problem.

‘It is true that Theon is great enough to give me this amount of money, but at the
same time, I also have a considerable sense of weight as a teacher.’
Will I be able to bear the seat?

In this place where geniuses were thriving would I be able to work properly as a
teacher?

‘No way. It would be rather a miracle that my lowliness didn’t show up in one day.’

Still, I’m confident in my mouth and bluffing ability, because I grew up in an

environment where I could die if I didn’t.

I quickly shook my head and analyzed the situation.

‘The salary alone is attractive, but it is burdensome. I can’t refuse because I’ve
already come this far. Rudger has already become a teacher here and I became
Rudger Chelici.’

Can I say no in this situation in the first place?

My appointment as a teacher has already been confirmed, and I can’t suddenly say
that I won’t do it now or else people would get suspicious.

In fact, the answer I had to give was already decided.

‘I have no choice but to do it.’

I have now made up my mind on how to use Rudger Chelici identity.

‘Just close your eyes and survive here for two years.’

In two years, this life could be over, they would give me a lot of money and I would
be free to leave, so isn’t this better than the military?

Thinking that way made me feel at ease.

I handed the contract to the president and opened my mouth.

“I checked everything.”

“Then I wish you all the best in the future. Mr. Rudger.”
“Yes. I will leave it up to you president.”

I shook hands with the president who smiled towards me.

I was very happy but I tried my best to maintain my expressionless face.

***

After meeting with the president, I followed the guidance of Mr. Wilford, who was
waiting outside, and headed to my assigned dormitory.

Should they really call it Theon Academy?

Even the teacher-only building on the site looks expensive.

I couldn’t believe that the two-story house I saw in a fairy tale was my home.

“There are still three weeks left until the start of the class, so you can rest until then.”

After saying those words, Mr. Wilford led the carriage again and disappeared. He did
not forget his modest attitude even when he left. He was truly a model gentleman.

‘Shall I go?’

Packing my suitcase, I entered the house. I saw it from the outside, but when I went
inside, it felt very different. The furniture was also equipped with all sorts of things,
and there was no dust to be seen due to regular maintenance.

I checked the bathroom just in case, and was surprised again. The bathroom was
filled with pure white tiles and looked like something aristocrats would use. There is
water and even a bathtub where I can take a bubble bath.

After checking every corner of the house, I sat down on a soft sofa.

‘From now on, I will be an academy teacher…… ’

So many things happened today.

I was unintentionally involved in a terrorist attack, mistaken for someone else, and
even came to the Theon Academy to work as a teacher.
It’s just a wonder how the heck it came to be like this, but since I’ve come this far, I
can’t escape.

If I suddenly disappear my Rudger identity will be under suspicion and I’ll have no
place in the Empire since my real face was seen.

In the end, I had no choice but to act as Rudger Chelsea.

“Whoa. It’s hard.”

It has been 27 years since I came to this world.

I was reincarnated in this world with no special abilities and only memories of my
previous life. However, the existence of my parents in the present life was so
daunting that in the end, I had to survive on my own.

My life was strange and I had to overcome crises of death several times while getting
caught up in all kinds of events.

For me, the current situation is just embarrassing. How did I end up as an academy
teacher? And even at the best academy in the Empire.

‘This is actually a fake job.’

I wasn’t even aiming for it, but that doesn’t mean I can stop now.

The moment I get out of here, I’ll be eaten by a tiger. That was my situation now.

‘Okay 2 years. I only have to survive 2 years. That’s enough.’

I also needed a new identity so in this situation being Rudger was very attractive.
Rudger Chelici is a man who crossed over to the Empire from a distant land. Here he
will never run into anyone who knows him.

I decided to find out a little more about the person called Rudger, just in case.

I grabbed the suitcase and climbed into the bedroom on the second floor. When I
entered the room, I put the curtains on the window and looked carefully inside the
room to check for any unexpected external surveillance.
‘Nothing caught.’

I opened the suitcase right away because I thought it was okay now.

‘Rattle.’

“Hmm?”

Is it locked?

I carefully checked the suitcase made of leather. Upon closer inspection, a fine magic
circle was engraved on the metal lock.

‘This…… It’s security magic.’

Although the scale is not large, it was a magic circle with a high level of difficulty,
which requires detailed mana management, to be engraved in this place.

‘Is this because he’s a teacher assigned to the Theon Academy?’

Stepping away from the suitcase, I pondered how to do this. It wasn’t that I gave up,
it was to devise a way to open it.

‘It would be convenient if there was a reagent, but the existing luggage has been
mailed in advance, so I have no choice but to use another method.’

I took a towel and wet it with water in moderation. Having set aside the wet towel, I
grabbed a stick and started a small fire at the end.

I used “Pyro,” which could be said to be a basic elemental magic. It is only about the
size of a lighter flame, but its heat is considerable.

I brought the fire from the end of the stick to the clasp of the suitcase. The scorching
heat began to heat the brass. A few minutes later, as the brass heats up and turns red,
I grab the wet towel.

The heated metal cooled rapidly with the sound of water evaporating. Instantly, the
lock was twisted, and the magic circle engraved on it was also twisted.

Of course, doing this doesn’t make the magic circle’s effect disappear. Because magic
isn’t that easy.

‘But I can make a momentary gap in a strong wall.’

Without missing the moment, I shot my magic sharply and pierced the center of the
magic circle, an important part that can be called ‘core’ in the magic circle.

‘Paching!’

‘Done.’

When it was destroyed, the effect of the magic circle disappeared. At the same time,
the lock opened with a click sound.

‘Opening this was a piece of cake.’

It is not uncommon to have a magic circle or barrier engraved on a suitcase like this.
Most wizards are very sensitive to security, so security magic is close to basic
knowledge.

If you can’t open it yourself, you can even ask an acquaintance or a professional
engraving company.

If someone tries to forcibly remove the security magic, discarding of the contents is
activated. It was a demonstration of the extreme ideology unique to wizards that
they would rather destroy their data than have it revealed.

However, in order to safely disarm the security magic, it is necessary to analyze the
magic to see how it is implemented. Naturally, the process took a very long time, and
I couldn’t afford to do that.

So this method was chosen. A method close to trickery that does not require analysis
of magic.

‘It is enough to know where the magic circle was engraved and its material.’

Usually, strong metal is the mainstay for engraving such a magic circle because it
can’t be engraved all over the leather bag.

Leather is a very poor medium for transmitting magic power, the same goes for
fabric and paper. With the exception of parchment made by peeling the bark of
hemp, it was impossible to engrave a magic circle or barrier on cloth or paper unless
it was an Arch Mage of at least 6th rank.

Conversely, it is metal that has a fairly good conductivity of magic. The most popular
are iron and brass. Better materials are silver, gold, and platinum.

The best thing is a gem made by crafting a raw stone, but since the material itself is
so expensive, it is not used unless you are a high-ranking nobleman.

Of course, cheap iron or brass is the most popular, and I was fully familiar with the
properties of both materials.

Heating and expanding the metal engraved with the magic circle, then cooling it with
cold water quickly to shrink it again. The magic circle engraved on the metal will be
misaligned and twisted in the process of expansion and contraction of the metal.

Even if there is a deviation like this, the magic circle will try to recover automatically
in a line so it’s not a big problem. However, the gap that is created is very fatal. At
that moment I used my magic power and destroyed the magic circle core.

‘I’m glad it went well.’

Well, it’s not a commonly known method, it’s just a trick made by appropriately
applying scientific knowledge.

Most of the wizards are people who are hung up on history and tradition, so they
often overlook science. As a result, there were many cases where they did not
prepare for, and that was what this company was hoping for.

‘If he was a real madman, he would have carried an iron case covered with magic
circles.’

Fortunately, Rudger Chelici wasn’t that far off.

I opened the suitcase and checked the contents of what was inside.

‘Hmm, this… ’
There wasn’t anything in Rudger’s suitcase that could cause an eye-opener, just a
change of clothes and books. Other than that, a lot of paperwork and miscellaneous
things.

‘I thought there would be something bigger.’

I grouped the textbooks, magic books, and thesis together and set them aside, and
also sorted out the clothes and put them away.

In the case of books, there were many other things such as popular novels and essays
by famous scientists in addition to magic books.

I’ve read all sorts of miscellaneous things. Other than that, a few letters,
identification, and personal belongings are all things.

Even tools are just a pocket watch or a small pipe to be used as a magic medium and
a wallet with money.

I immediately checked the ID and documents one by one.

‘Rudger Chelici, a descendant of the fallen nobles of Queoden, a small to medium-

sized kingdom in the northern continent. He has no siblings and both of his parents
are dead.’

It’s not bad.

He is a fallen aristocrat, but he nominally holds the title of nobility, so he will not be
greatly disregarded wherever he goes, and since he has no family, no one will
recognize me.

His history is incredibly splendid. He submitted 12 papers to the Mattapan, and he

was the youngest person to reach the 4th rank? He even became a military officer?’
No wonder he became a teacher at Theon.

At such a young age, his record is already very impressive.

‘Is the subject he would’ve teached magic manifestation and specialization? Mana
emission and elemental elements are the main things.’

Considering that he specializes in apparitions, there is a high probability that he will

teach actual combat in the subject.

I opened the letters and looked at the contents. If there was a conversation he had
with an acquaintance, I had to catch his small habits and learn them.

‘The content of the letter is irrelevant.’

The letters, presumed to have been exchanged with acquaintances, consisted of

formal conversations such as the soon to be assigned to the academy, what books he
liked, and where and what happened.

Even when he was in the military, I don’t think he had any close friends.

Given that there is very little personal content, he didn’t seem to be particularly close
with the person he was writing to.

‘Now all that’s left it’s…… ’

It is information about the basic content of classes to teach students after the start of
the semester, and how the Theon Academy was formed and operated.

First of all, it was necessary to go around and learn about the topography of Theon.

‘Gurgling.’

As I was about to go outside right away, I had to stop at the roaring sound of my
stomach. Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten anything since today’s train.

I am mentally exhausted because I have so much work to do today. Let’s eat rice first
and rest well today.

***
Two weeks have passed since then.

In the meantime, I went to every nook and cranny of Theon Academy to learn about
the geography of this place. As expected at first glance, the site of the Theon
Academy was truly unimaginable.

I sat on an outdoor bench in a secluded cafe and watched the peaceful scenery. I’ve
just finished checking everything out, and now I’m just thinking about the classes I
would have to teach.

‘Is it because the opening time is approaching? I see students often.’

Students in Theon Academy uniforms were seen walking around. The uniform
design is cool for men and pretty for girls. Did I mention that it was a uniform made
by a famous designer in the empire?

Perhaps it was because it was an academy that taught magic, some of them flew on
broomsticks or moved on strange mechanical dolls. Seeing young people laughing
and talking to each other, I thought they had a good time.

Since I came to this world, every day has been a fierce battle, but these children are
living a blessed life thanks to their innate talents and circumstances.

“Hmm.”

Two female students passing by this way glanced at me and started whispering to
each other. Since I’m someone they don’t usually see it’s normal for them to be
suspicious.

I was sipping coffee because I noticed them. After drinking it all, I have to go back to
the dorm and prepare for the orientation that will be held in a week.

With that in mind, I drank all the coffee and was about to get up, when a woman
came and sat down at the table next to me and spoke in a voice so low that only I
could hear her.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” she said. Why haven’t you contacted me for two weeks?”

“……?”
My instinctive intuition stopped my head as I was about to look at her without
realizing it.

──Chin.

I naturally put the finished glass on the table.

“……”

Are you talking to me now?

I looked around. Maybe it wasn’t me, but someone else, and if I reacted here, what
could be more embarrassing than that? But no matter how much I look, there are no
other people around.

The only ones sitting at the outdoor table were me and the woman at the table next
to me.

That means that this person is talking to me now. How should I respond?

As I continued to remain silent, she continued.

“I was worried about whether there was something wrong with you. Other members
are also wondering what happened to the First Order.”

“……”

Member.

First Order.

Someone who cares about me.

***

‘What.’

I fiddled with the handle of the coffee cup in my hand.

I was just drinking coffee enjoying the wind at an outdoor table in a cafe, but
suddenly a strange woman came up and talked to me.

However, the words she said to me are very serious. She said the other members are
wondering what happened to me.

—No. Not me, but a person named Rudger Chelici.

The moment I judged the situation, my mouth moved naturally as if it had been
greased.

“There were a few things to check.”

“Is it about this terrorist attack? It was just an accident. After all, no one knew that
the rebels would attack the train on which First Order-sama was on.”

“Everything else. Rough information about Theon.”

“Didn’t you have the information you received in advance?”

“That alone is not enough. There is a big difference between hearing and seeing.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

The woman nodded her head as if she understood something.

“Did you do well?”

“Yes, of course. Completed all Assassinations of Academy Members before entering

here. Most of them were users.”

What? Assassinate the Academy Members?

My body almost shook but I managed to hold it in.

“And in the meanwhile, a traitor in the organization was discovered and we dealt
with him as well.”

What? Traitor? Dealt with him?

Unknowingly, I swallowed my saliva at the word traitor.

I asked without showing my embarrassment.

“How did you do it?”

“I pulled out a limb, grinded it, and stuffed it into his mouth. The rest of the body was
said to have been fed to wild dogs. I haven’t seen it myself, but I’ve heard of it from
other members. It could be said that it was a death worthy of a traitor.”

“……”

They were crazier than I thought but the more I was in this situation, the calmer my
mind became.

“I’m sorry. I should have listened and reported……!”

“Why did you suddenly come to me now?”

“First order came in here, but there hasn’t been any news for the past fortnight…”

“So, at this crucial moment right now?”

I analyzed as I spoke.

They called me First Order, not Rudger. Looking at the First in front of the name,
there is a high possibility that it is a fairly high position within the organization.

I believed in that and tried to brag a little, and I think that was the correct answer.

“Sorry!”

I responded with a cold voice to the woman who seemed to be bowing her head
straight toward this side.

“Be quiet. Do you want to win the suspicion of those around you?”

“Sorry……”

“Don’t even say you’re sorry.”

“……”
“Okay. Anyway, it’s time to check it out. How many members are here now?”

“Yes Yes?”

“It’s about how many members are in here.”

“Ah!”

She looked around as much as she could and lowered her voice.

“Currently, 31 people from the 3rd order and 7 people from the 2nd order have
succeeded in hiding. And the other First Order-nim came in first as planned and took
a seat.”

“Hmm. That’s right.”

While nodding my head formally, I put together as much information as possible.

What I barely noticed was that there was one other person named First Order
besides me, and that there were almost 40 of them.

Although the scale is not large, their ability is unusual if it is enough to plant this
number of people in Theon. The fortunate thing is that this woman in front of me
doesn’t even question my identity. Rather, she sends awe-inspiring gazes of fear and
respect at the same time.

“Checking is over, so I’ll leave now.”

“Ah! After that, you can come to the designated place if you want to connect.”

Meeting place? Was there such a place?

But there’s no way I would be able to ask questions like, ‘Where is it?’

As I was thinking about how to do this, a good idea came to my mind.

“Come? Are you telling me what to do?”

As I deliberately lowered my voice and sent a cold gaze, I could see her complexion
turning pale.
Whether this bluff had been paid off, she desperately made excuses while shaking
her body like a baby squirrel.

“It is not. I, I just……”

“I don’t like to hear excuses. If a meeting is necessary in the future it will be here. The
same is true of place and time. Do you understand?”

“I see.”

“If it is necessary to go, I will only allow it if a First Order like me or someone higher
than calls it.”

“Higher than you? Would it be Zero Order-sama?”

So there is a Zero Order.

“Don’t bother me with trivial matters other than his words. Do you understand? This
is a warning.”

I said that and got up from my seat.

I was about to leave without looking back, but she called me from behind and said,
“There.”

“What?”

“That, that…… What will we do when you call us?”

The moment I heard those words, I felt like shit.

Come to think of it, I didn’t explain it. But I can’t possibly explain to you something I
don’t know.

“……Do I have to say that with my mouth?”

“Oh no!”

“I’m going to let it pass this time.”

With those words, I quickly left.

***

‘Thump thump!’

Upon returning home, I hurriedly went up to the bedroom on the second floor and
took out the suitcase I had put in the closet.

After scattering the letters in Rudger’s suitcase on the bed and checking them one by
one, I realized that my anxious imagination had finally become a reality.

“……Haaa, damn it.”

The strange sense of alienation I felt while reading the letters.

Why did he have to exchange these formal words with an acquaintance who has not
family?

Why did a man with such a splendid record restrained his private life to such an
extent that it was close to nothing?

All those questions were finally answered.

-In the first place, this was no ordinary letter.

I scanned the special characters of a specific word written inside the letter. The
heterogeneity that I instinctively felt was in a certain pattern of these characters.

‘Okay.’

This was the ‘password’. Their own passphrase they use so they don’t get caught by
others.

Throwing away the letters, I re-read the documents proving my identity.

‘Fallen Nobility? No family? From a foreign country that is very far from the empire?’

All of that is fake.

‘Then, the true identity of the Rudger I met on the train…… ’

A member of the secret society hidden in the Theon Academy, even an executive with
the title of First Order and now, I’m wearing that guy’s mask.

My legs got soft and I flopped down on the bed.

“Crazy.”

This identity of Rudger Chelici, which I thought was ideal for starting a new life……
In fact, a nuclear bomb was more dangerous than anything else.
I was lying idly in bed for about an hour like that. I didn’t have the strength to do
anything right away

At this point, I felt a sense of shame.

No, how the hell does a secret society executive get caught up in a train attack and
die?

A secret society executive who planted nearly 40 spies in Theon Academy should
have survived that situation!

“Sigh.”

Even if I get angry like this, the dead won’t come back. All of this is just pointless
consumption of emotions.

I’m now Rudger Chelici, and I have to hold on to this damn status for two years.

‘Honestly, I thought that it would be okay if only the Academy didn’t find out, and
that’s difficult enough.’

Still, having experience, I thought that I could plausibly pretend to be a teacher.

Because I also know how to use magic, and there is no shortage of theoretical
knowledge.

The fact that I could spend two years without problems was not arrogance, but a
conviction made up of thorough calculations. But now I became an executive in a
secret association and they’re very dangerous.

Assassination of some members of the academy, dealing with traitors, their methods
are quite cruel. Even the gangsters and mafia on Earth don’t do this and that’s
enough to show they are a radical group.
The situation just went from normal mode to hell mode.

“Let’s think.”

Now I have one more thing to deal with thanks to this fake identity.

The Academy and an unknown secret society, if either of these groups find out that
I’m not Rudger, I’ll die.

Whether at the hands of the Chancellor, or by the laws of the Empire, or by the secret
society’s own purges.

Now death is closer to me than it was in any other moment.

“I have to think.”

Rudger Chelici is an executive of the secret society. The name Rudger was also
created, so it’s a pseudonym, but anyway, he’s in a position called First Order.

Among the secret society members that permeated the academy, the First Orders
were alone, including me. I don’t need to know right away what their purpose is.

What matters is who the other First Orders are. I couldn’t ask about it openly, so
there was no way to know right away unless they made contact with me.

‘For now, I can ignore the second and third orders.’

It is presumed that the real Rudger had a very eccentric personality within the
organization. Even though I only changed my voice a little, it was a fact that could be
inferred from the expression on his subordinate’s contemplative expression.

His personality is bad, so his subordinates wouldn’t want to deal with him for too
long. That is welcome on my part.

In the end, I only had to care about other First Orders. Who the hell are they?

‘I can’t ask. I don’t know how the executives recognize other executives. If I do that, I
will immediately be suspicious.’

Now, I had to deal with not only the Academy and the Empire, but also the secret
societies that were secretly hiding within the Empire.

I thought I was riding on the back of only one tiger, but I was riding on the back of
two. The moment when either side goes wrong, it’s over.

‘Okay. After all, since this has happened, I have no choice but to do it.’

I immediately took out the books from the suitcase and opened the letter next to it.

‘Getting information comes first.’

This letter must be the password used by their organization, it was necessary to
interpret it.

A certain pattern exists in all passwords and the one that can analyze the pattern is
this book in the bag.

‘I’m a teacher at the Magic Academy, so no magic books. Other than that, there were
a few unusual books.’

I looked through the books.

[Watcher of the Rye] [Ringerk’s Philosophy] [Traces of Totalitarianism] [A Hundred

Years of Solitude], novels, autobiographies, non-fiction and bestsellers. Among them,
there was one book that stood out to me.

[Gentleman’s Culture]

‘This is it.’

I remembered Rudger on the train, his actions, how he shacked his legs slightly or
waved his hands. If the man had really seriously considered the culture of a
gentleman and had read this book, he wouldn’t have behaved like that.

‘This book was the most touched.’

A part of the cover was worn and deteriorated. It appears like he reads a lot, but is
there really a reason for that?

‘This book was being used as an interpretation of the password.’

I opened the book of [A Gentleman’s Culture] and turned the page. The irregularity
hidden slowly caught my eye. Traces of burns can be seen in the book. Some pages
were not read, and some pages were read until the paper ran out.

Looking carefully at the particular worn-out page, I could see something between
the letters. I immediately took the letter and compared them.

‘It is said that the continent uses a unified language, but each country has a slightly
different language.’

Since the traces of Rudger Chelici originated from the Queoden Kingdom, I can think
of the Queoden language. In particular, the letter explicitly contained traces of some
proper nouns or dialects used in the Kingdom of Queoden.

Although it is a small and barren kingdom in the north, Queoden, which has
produced quite a number of great writers, has only about 20,000 words used in that
dialect, of which 8,000 are advanced vocabulary.

Obviously this is the point of the password.

It’s not difficult to tell the code apart, considering the arrangement of the language
and the connection with the letters because I know Queoden.

‘Also.’

My prediction was correct. When I checked the code in Queoden, I saw connections
between words and letters.

<Greetings> <Goodbye> <Farewell Party> <New Meeting> <Crow> <Eyes>

<Starlight> etc.

Next to them, some words that symbolize numbers were mixed together.

The number probably represents the page of this codebook, and if I interpret it by
combining other words…

‘First Order, infiltrate Theon Academy as a teacher and win their favor. After that, I
will pass on the next order while monitoring the situation.’

I couldn’t get any conclusive information, but this was enough.

I closed the book [A Gentleman’s Culture] and tilted my head back.

“Whoa.”

2 years left. I had to live as an academy teacher and as a secret society executive.

Of course, I couldn’t live like that forever. Even after spending two years as a teacher
safely, the issue of the secret society remains.

Their presence was very annoying to me. If I make a mistake in the middle, I have the
highest chance of getting killed.

‘But I can’t get rid of the secret society by myself. I don’t know how the organization
is structured, but it was enough to plant spies in Theon Academy. They must be
pretty dangerous.’

It is impossible to deal with them personally.

But let’s leave it alone for now, this secret society is a shackle holding my ankles, and
I had to erase it.

But how?

‘I must use the power of the academy.’

There is a saying ‘Deal with barbarians to subdue barbarians.’

Theon Academy is not just a school. It is a place that symbolizes the future, nurturing
the future of the empire.

Despite the name ‘academy’, it is not impossible because it is a place with enormous
power to affect any country.

If Theon and the secret society face off against each other, no matter how great the
secret society is, they will have no choice but to be pushed back.

How many soldiers and wizards are there? Even within the Imperial Territory, there
is a possibility that the Templar Knights will move. They know that too, so they
planted spies instead of choosing to break through head-on.
In other words, I had to carefully dig up their information so as not to be caught by
the secret society, and then leak that information to the academy.

‘Of course if I take too long I might die in the process.’

The secret society could purge me because I betrayed them, and conversely, the
academy could suspect me as a spy and exclude me. In the end, it was important to
maintain a certain rhythm.

The moment I lean to one side, the only thing waiting for me is ruin.

‘For now…… Let’s start with the first class in a week.’

There was no specific instruction but buying favor is to imprint my image clearly as a
teacher. If so, first of all, fulfilling my duty as a teacher is a priority.

Since Theon is a place where smart students attend, if I show a lack of appearance
even a little, I may be bitten by them.

At the age of growing up, talented children usually think that they are the best, and
even ignore their teachers.

I don’t know what it’s like here, but I’ve come to realize through long experience that
people are the same no matter the place.

‘…… There are so many things to consider.’

Don’t look silly to students, don’t get suspected by the academy and don’t get caught
by the secret society guys.

I was wondering what the hell I was supposed to do, but if I endure all of this, I will
obtain a great reward. For that I’ll have to endure for now.

I got up from bed and went into my personal study room and opened a magic
textbook.

I had to come up with a plan for the future and prepare how to proceed with the
class.

There are 2 years left, I couldn’t just play.

 ***

The first day of school has arrived.

The students who went to their hometowns during the vacation are returning one by
one, and with the new semester, this year’s freshmen also arrived.

The students who were in the first year went up to the second year and crossed the
school gate with their hearts full of anticipation of what new classes they could take
in the future.

From all corners of the classroom, students met friends they hadn’t seen in months
and greeted each other warmly. However, although all of them are attending the
same academy, not everyone is the same.

There are noisy students and quiet students. Naturally, the atmosphere was divided
among the students, of course, their status in society was also determined.

Inside Theon Academy, students are divided into three classes.

The upper class, led by royalty, nobles, and high-ranking priests, middle class led by
wealthy merchants and finally, the lower class occupied by the poor commoners.

Even if they were studying at the same academy, they could not ignore their status,
and as a result, they built walls without realizing it and divided the classes inside the
academy.

The nobles smiled brightly and greeted each other, while the commoners, on the
other hand, often looked at each other or gathered quietly among themselves.

“Did you hear the news?”

“What news?”

“There is a class on the theory of the manifestation system and the understanding of
elements? Are you saying that the new teacher is doing it?”

“The new teacher is not teaching the first year, but the second year? Does he have
any skills?”
“He can’t help it, his predecessor went out. When I heard the news, I heard that his
past record was splendid? It’s said that he also wrote a lot of theses while in the
military.”

“Isn’t he a great person then?”

“But you know what?”

“What?”

“That person is a fallen aristocrat.”

At the word “fallen aristocrat”, a laugh naturally crept into the lips of the person that
was leading the conversation.

Fallen nobles were usually treated worse than wealthy merchants among nobles.

Since he was appointed as a Theon teacher, he had some talent, but to the upper-
class students, he was looking ridiculous.

At the same time, the aristocratic students had similar thoughts. If the new teacher is
a fallen aristocrat then earning credits in his class will be a breeze.

The moment they talked about what kind of person he was, the front door of the
classroom opened silently.

All eyes turned to the front door, there was a man entering the classroom through
the open door.
The man was like a calm lake with a mist of water at dawn, cold, and still.

Like a peaceful, unshakable sleep, every action is restrained, quiet, and clutter-free.
Even when the classroom door closes, when the footsteps of the shoes go up the
pulpit, and when he puts documents on the desk, there is no sound.

That silence engulfed the entire classroom like ripples on the water.

“Huh……”

Even the aristocratic students who continued to talk were swept away by the
atmosphere and kept their mouths shut.

The students, who had been quiet, turned their eyes to the main character standing
on the podium, their eyes shining with curiosity.

The suit commensurate with his stature did not have any wrinkles. On top of that, a
black frock coat that fits snugly on the body is added. A stylish, yet not overdone
attire.

As the man took off the hat on his head and threw it lightly, it flew gently toward the
hanger in the corner of the class and landed. In the midst of a series of movements
that were so natural, his appearance hidden behind a hat was revealed.

A sharp jawline, straight nose and unshakable eyes. His strong, yet charismatic eyes
were sharpened to the point that he could hardly be seen as a new teacher. His long
hair for a man was tied neatly around the nape of his neck.

“Gulp.”

Some aristocratic students who were secretly gossiping were crushed by the
momentum and swallowed their saliva without realizing it.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Rudger Chelici, and I’m your new teacher.”

The moment he opened his mouth and made a sound was as if water was poured on
watercolors scattered dreamily. The atmosphere of the classroom, which had been
immersed in stillness, returned to reality.

***

“It’s the first day of class, so I won’t start teaching right away.”

I slowly hung the frock coat I had taken off on the hanger.

It wasn’t difficult to keep the conversation going. It was enough to just recite the
words that came to mind in advance at the right time.

This is a kind of play.

I am the actor on the stage, and the students are the audience. I just have to keep the
monologue naturally in line with the breath, following the flow.

Because the script is all in my head.

“My class is theory of the manifestation but there will be no teaching purely on the
manifestation system. Rather than that, we will focus on applying the principles to
real life beyond the practical ones.”

Taking a quick glance at the crowd, I saw a few people shrugging their shoulders.

That’s a good response.

Since Rudger was a soldier there was no student who looked strangely at me, even
though I maintained such a tone and intense eyes.

“It is possible to apply for my class not only in the second year, but also in the first
year. In other words, it can be viewed as a joint class for the first and second
graders.”

All the students gathered now were in their second year, so it was just embarrassing.
However, there is no school rule stating that classes should be unconditionally
divided by grade level, so it was not impossible.
The moment the noise gradually subsided, I opened my mouth at the most
appropriate time.

“Stop.”

In an instant, the noise inside the classroom disappeared.

Everyone’s eyes turn in this direction again.

“It is natural to feel dissatisfied with the fact that as second year students you’ll have
to attend the same classes as the first year students but don’t worry. Considering the
first graders, I will not teach the obvious things that even beginners can learn.”

A response filled with relief flows from all over the place.

Theon Academy’s teaching method is more like a university than a high school in
terms of earth. However, since it is not completely a university, it can be seen that the
mixture is a little vague.

Theon students choose the lectures they want to take according to their specialties,
and receive credits by completing the subjects.

‘There’s no big difference between the first and second year students.’

With that in mind, I decided to conduct a joint class between the first and second
graders.

Why?

When only second graders get together, inevitably, the story of the teacher comes up.
The curiosity and main target of second-year students who have known each other
enough for a year will be the new teacher, not a classmate in the same grade.

But what if a freshman is in the same classroom? The attention of the second graders
is dispersed to the juniors in the first grade.

Then there will be significantly fewer cases of people talking about me.

The existence of the first-year students is a kind of smoke screen that keeps the
second graders from doubting my qualifications as a teacher.
“Why do you let first-year students attend classes?”

Someone raised a hand and said,

When I looked, it was a girl with wavy blonde hair that reached her waist. Her
unshakable eyes that are facing this way have a strong sense of certainty.

Her face is familiar… Where have I seen that face before?

‘The kind of person who is reluctant to think of something…… ’

Once the question was asked, I decided to answer it.

“Because I thought they needed a chance too.”

“What do you mean by chance?”

“I think it is very unfortunate that I have to take my classes only for a certain grade,
that’s absolutely the wrong attitude as an educator. To provide equal teaching to all
regardless of grade level, that is my opinion.”

Well, they’re going to ask me why I didn’t mention the 3rd graders.

Of course, they can also take my classes if they want. However, it will be difficult for
3rd graders to digest the essential subjects they are learning right now.

In fact, it would be up to 2nd year if I could afford it.

“Of course, that means that the classes I teach do not depend on the grade level.”

Well, it’s not like I’m just saying things without thinking because I made sure I was
prepared for class.

“It’s hard to understand if you don’t explain exactly what the class is.”

“If you are curious, you can come to my class. It’s not fun to tell in advance.”

A small wrinkle appeared on the forehead of the blonde girl. I’m sorry, but I have no
intention of telling you what I will teach right now. Rather, it was meant to make you
more anxious and curious.
There is nothing that students attending the academy are wary of as much as an
unknown class.

“Just one warning. If there is someone who wants to take my class with the stupid
idea that I am a new teacher and that they can easily get credits.”

After deliberately adjusting my breathing and inhaling I spit out the last words
strongly.

“At that time, I will carve into their bones what real education is.”

The last sentence means ‘please don’t come to my class.’

If they had to take a class with the first years, their pride would be quite hurt. I even
warned them that the class will not be easy. There was a great chance that the
students would not attend.

If a landmine was thrown openly like this, and it explodes after being stepped on, it
is the fault of the person who stepped on it.

‘Everything is there for a reason. You’ll find out when you go to class.’

“Any questions?”

I asked the students.

***

The classroom was quiet.

When Rudger asked if they had any questions, none of the students raised their
hands.

It’s not that there aren’t any questions. I also liked the trivial questions about how
the assignments were going to be done, what the exact curriculum was for the class,
or what was taught before but no one said anything.

Everyone was overwhelmed by the spirit of Rudger Chelici.

‘Is that the new teacher?’

‘I heard that he came from the military, so the atmosphere is not a joke.’

‘There was a saying that he was at least a fourth rank. Is it true?’

Even the noble students who ignored their opponents as the fallen nobles avoided
Rudger’s gaze and swallowed only dry saliva.

The upper class, however, couldn’t possibly have the other students dare to step
forward. Everyone felt it implicitly as they listened to Rudger’s words.

That man never uttered everything in vain.

Unless a person is genuinely proud of their class, they can never show such a
reaction.

What the hell are you trying to teach? If it is not bound by theory, is it practical? If so,
how is it in practice?

In everyone’s head, only those complicated thoughts popped up and disappeared

like bubbles over and over again.

But one thing is certain, the class led by the teacher named Rudger Chelici is never
going to be easy.

“Any questions?”

His voice asked again. It was like that of a person who wanted to ask a question, but
the students were not deceived.

The moment you raise his hand here and open your mouth, you will immediately be
caught by Rudger.

Looking at those staring eyes that seem to eat them the will to never allow questions
is conveyed.

The blonde girl who first raised her hand was now still.

“No. Then the opening ceremony will end with this.”

The breathtaking orientation ended just like that.

 ***

When the orientation was over, the students got up one by one and left the
classroom.

I watched the scene carefully from the platform. Once I said everything I wanted to
say, I guess they understood everything, right? But honestly, I was shocked that no
one raised their hand when I asked them if they had questions.

Up until the night before right now, I was prepared to receive all kinds of questions
and prepared answers for them, but all of them are useless.

Aren’t academies like this usually all about children with strong egos? I thought they
would make fun of me and pour out questions, did I overthink it?

‘No. Wait a minute.’

It could be the other way around. What if they were intentionally chewing on my
words? Isn’t that often the case in 21st century Korea?

When a new teacher arrives, the students deliberately ignore him without paying
any attention. This is especially the case with female teachers.

‘Well.’

I said it as seriously as I could on purpose to be scary, but did that have the opposite
effect? Perhaps these coercive tones and actions touched the self-esteem of students
who considered themselves geniuses.

‘Then it’s a bit of a big deal.’

In the military, the successor is the senior, in the workplace the lieutenant is the
gunner, in the school the student ignores the teacher.

It is self-evident that if I lose control of the atmosphere at the beginning, it will cause
setbacks for future classes. If so, should I treat the students with a friendlier
attitude?

‘No, if I suddenly change now things will become strange. I just have to push through
to the end.’
Being friendly and smiling for nothing is actually not my temperament, it’s my
nature, and most of the roles I’ve been acting with have been like this.

Besides, it’s been three weeks since I’ve been here and everyone already knows who
Rudger is.

Meanwhile, the remaining students in the classroom did not come to me. It’s not that
they’re not interested, because I clearly felt their gaze.

Still, I thought they would ask me some cliche questions like how old you are or if
you have a girlfriend, but I didn’t know that they wouldn’t open their mouths.

Kids these days are scary.

***

“Thump. Thump.”

I left the classroom at a leisurely pace and walked slowly down the hallway. It was
the first day of school anyway, so this was the end of today’s work.

Since the course registration correction period is not over yet, the students still have
time to decide the classes they want to attend.

The first class in earnest is 3 days later. Until then, let’s think seriously about how I
can take the lead in the class from the students.

At least I should avoid being told that I’m not qualified as a teacher. Thinking like
that, I checked the front, and saw all the students walking down the hallway looking
at me and clearing the way.

Boys and girls alike, when they see me walking, they are startled and stick to the wall
or window.

‘What. Why?’

Could it be that the rumors of a new teacher, who seem bubbly, have already spread
throughout the academy?

I heard that there is a community like the university community ‘Everytime’ where
the students can exchange opinions with each other inside the academy, is that
because of that?

Just when I thought that the next class would be quite difficult, someone spoke to
me.

“Hello.”

I stopped and stared at the woman speaking and smiling towards me.

“You are the new teacher Mr. Rudger Chelici?”

“Yes.”

She was a charming pink haired woman with slightly wavy ends and a warm smile
like a sheep. She’s not wearing a uniform, so I don’t think she’s a student.

Perhaps?

Before I could say anything, she spoke again.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Selina, I’m also a new teacher at Theon Academy just
like Mr. Rudger.”

“Okay. Nice to meet you.”

When I glanced at her as to what she had come for, Selina looked into my eyes, a little
perplexed, she spoke quietly in a crawling voice.

“That…… Have you eaten?”

Will spring finally come to me too?

Since she is a new teacher, like me, I can have a meal to make friends. In fact, when I
followed Selina, there were three other people besides me, two men and one woman.

They all look unique as if shouting, “I am a wizard.”

“Hello.”

The first person to reach out and shake my hand was a very warm-hearted man. He
seems to be quite aged but he smiled haphazardly like the friendly man next door.

I shook his hand lightly

“Rudger Chelici, I am in charge of the manifestation system.”

“Bryno, I am in charge of golem summoning.”

The next person who spoke to me was a bewitching beauty with long purple hair
that covered one eye.

“You are a handsome man, nice to meet you. My name is Merylda, I’m in charge of
charms and hallucinations.”

“Yes. Nice to meet you.”

The last one left felt a little different from the previous two. He was a man with dark
blue hair all-white and rimless glasses on his face, and his appearance alone looked
quite strict. He had a frown on his face all the time, as if he wasn’t very happy with
the fact that he was here with us.

When I looked at him, he looked at me, and then he turned his head. It was an
expression of his will not to even introduce himself.
As I was puzzled, Merylda laughed and explained in a low voice.

“Mister Chris Benimore. As you can see, he’s a nobleman, different from commoners
like us.”

Ah. So that was it.

For Chris, even if he’s an academy teacher, he probably doesn’t want to be friendly
with commoners. In my case, I am a fallen aristocrat, so it is natural for him to look
down on me.

“Isn’t Mr. Rudger going to ignore us because we are just commoners?”

“I don’t care.”

When I answered Merylda opened her eyes wide, and then withdrew with a soft
smile.

Hmm. After all, there are five new teachers, including myself. One noble, one fallen
noble, and three commoners. However, since they became teachers at the Theon
Academy, they must be talented people who went far in the field they teach.

“I can’t stay here any longer. The newly appointed teachers besides me, are
commoners and fallen nobles.”

Chris’s cold voice rang out. Bryno smiled awkwardly at those words, and Selina
flinched, while Meryl glanced at Chris with a sullen face.

Me? I don’t care.

It’s hard for nobles to get used to mingling with commoners in only a day or two. As I
was showing an attitude saying, ‘If you’re going to just go, go on your own,’ Chris
looked at me sharply.

“Don’t be pretentious.”

You wanted to leave, why are you looking at me like this? Were you originally
acquainted with Rudger? It doesn’t seem like it at all.

‘It would be nice to be friendly with fellow teachers, but I think it would be difficult
to get close to him.’

I ignored Chris and looked at the other three. Maybe there is a spy planted in the
secret society among them.

‘Is there a first order among these three?’

Currently, nearly 40 members of the Secret Order are hiding inside Theon Academy.
Of course, considering the total population of Theon Academy with it’s large size, 40
is an insignificant number, but that does not mean that there is no chance that I will
not run into the other members along the way.

Except for the Third Orders, some of the Second Orders may have infiltrated as
students. In particular, in the case of the First Order, teachers cannot escape
suspicion.

‘Rudger took the position of a teacher and he’s a First Order. There’s no way other
First Orders wouldn’t do that.’

The question is who.

Since they’re new teachers like me it narrows down the range. Of course, I had no
choice but to be suspicious of those who asked me to eat because they might be
trying to trick me.

I have to be vigilant. I struggled to keep my expressionless face and followed my

fellow teachers to the dining room. Still, I don’t eat alone, so I’m holding on to the
idea that it’s not bad.

***

Selina, the new Elemental Teacher. She recently joined Theon Academy and teaches
spirit summoning. She couldn’t help but be quite nervous when she arrived.

Theon Academy is well known in other kingdoms beyond the Empire. The students
who enter here are geniuses who will take important positions in the future. It came
as a great burden to her to teach such children.

‘What if I make a mistake? What if I can’t teach? Besides, there are many noble
children here!’
There is a big difference between commoners and nobles.

Thanks to the advancement in magic engineering, the world has gradually changed,
and the common people have become members of the House of Representatives and
intervened in politics. However, the wall of status was still high.

The reason why there were 5 teacher positions this time was because the teachers
who were in charge of the class until last year had retired and the reason why is
unknown.

Before coming here, her wizard acquaintances warned her about the territoriality of
noble students. There are students who secretly look down on their teachers and try
to win over them.

Selina was terrified.

‘It is said that even royal family members attend this school.’

It was mentioned that the third princess is a sophomore. She’s in charge of her first
year, so she won’t be related right away. It seems that the orientation on the first day
of class went smoothly, but it is also true that she is still anxious due to low self-
esteem.

Selina didn’t want to be like this, so she decided to make friends with the other new
teachers, like herself. If she had colleagues she could share hard work with, life at the
academy might be better.

She then became friends with Merylda and after calling people one by one, she went
to find the last one left, Rudger Chelici.

A man of noble origin, not a commoner, however, since his family had fallen, he was
not a burdensome person to approach. Until she met him, she certainly thought so.

‘Wow.’

At first, she wondered what was going on as the crowd in the hallway split left and
right. Could it be that the imperial family, who she had only heard of, came?

It was a man in a well-groomed outfit that broke her expectations and slowly went
her way. Gray suit, black frock coat and a silk hat on his head.
‘Wow, my God.’

When she first met Rudger, Selina’s feelings were the highest of admiration.

She was told that he was a fallen aristocrat but as she watched him, Selina was forced
to correct her own narrow thinking.

Slowly walking, scattering his majesty around him, he seemed far nobler than any
noble she had ever seen. Every step he took was like a painting, so she stared blankly
without realizing it. Selina recalled her purpose for her belated visit to her Rudger,
and she hurriedly went to him.

‘I’m scared.’

As he paused and turned around, it felt like her heart was dropping. Still, Selina
grinned as she struggled with her smile, and cautiously told Rudger that she would
like to eat with him.

It seemed that Rudger would immediately look at her with contempt and say
something unpleasant.

“Sure.”

But Rudger accepted her offer with all too much ease. As she walked in her path, he
matched her stride and kept his distance from her. His consideration for others was
felt in his every little action.

‘You have a very warm personality unlike how you look.’

Even when introducing him to other colleagues, Rudger didn’t care whether they
were a noble or a commoner. Although Mr. Chris Benimore showed an openly hostile
attitude towards him, Rudger did not respond much.

He is usually irritable but he never loses his nobility. It was as if he was alone
standing on a cloud in the sky. As I heard later, it is said that he was a former military
officer and a great man who even submitted several academic papers to the Tower.

‘Mr. Rudger is a wonderful person.’

She also wanted to become a teacher with such charisma. Even when eating, Rudger
simply ate quietly without saying a word.

His posture in handling forks and knives was restrained as if he was living in a
different world by himself, even the passing students were glancing at him.

In fact, he acts as if it is natural or as if he doesn’t care about the reactions of those

around him. Rudger’s attitude was the same even when we greeted each other after
dinner and dispersed to our private dormitories or teachers’ buildings.

When everyone waved to see you later, Rudger greeted me with a nod of his head.

Selina, returning home with Merylda, remembering her brief meeting with Rudger
today. She tried to make her face deliberately expressionless as she inhaled deeply.
Merylda, who was walking by her side, noticed her behavior and asked.

“Selina. What are you doing?”

“Merylda, doesn’t it make me look a little older?”

“What?”

Merylda burst into laughter as she tried to ask what that meant.

“Ahaha! Selina, are you pretending to be Mr. Rudger now?”

“Yes? Oh no, that’s not it……”

Merylda waved her hand to Selina, who was spurring gibberish in embarrassment,
saying it was okay.

Mr. Rudger is so unique that it is hard to believe that he is a new teacher like us. But
considering that person’s past, it was worth it.”

“Yes?”

“You didn’t know? I checked out who all the people who came in this time were and
he was a military officer.”

“Really?”
“What’s even more amazing is that Selina, you, me and the others came here with a
tower or an elemental society on their backs and got recommendations. That man
didn’t. He didn’t belong anywhere, but he came in on his own.”

“Wow. No wonder.”

“The teaching method of such a person must be great. Still, we have no choice but to
teach our students our way. Don’t be too swayed by others. It’s okay if you don’t
pretend to be strong for nothing, because we also became teachers at Theon.”

“Ah yes!”

The two met for the first time today, but quickly became close friends, chatting
warmly and heading to the teacher’s dormitory.

***

Three days have passed since the orientation on the first day of class.

Since these three days are the course correction period, it must have been quite a
busy time for students who have not yet made a choice about which lectures to take.
Of course, that didn’t matter to me.

The long-awaited first class came and I crossed the hallway with excited footsteps.

Three days ago I gave enough warnings.

My class is like a landmine.

Rumors about me must have already spread widely among the students. Having said
that, I wonder if there are any students who want to take my class?

There will be some. When the other classes are full they will have no choice but to
choose with tears in their eyes in order to forcibly complete their credits.

The important thing is that the fewer students I teach, the more comfortable I am.

Classes can have a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 80 students. Lectures are not
closed because there are few people, so if there are fewer people, it is enough to lead
them well.
Of course, there is no possibility of a minimum of 15 people, so I can compromise
with 30 people in moderation. With that thought, I opened the door and entered the
classroom.

‘What?’

I saw students filling the inside of the classroom. That number was more than
double the 30 people I had thought of. No, it was actually the maximum number of
people the classroom could accommodate.

Why are there so many?

About 3 days before, the first day of orientation. When Rudger showed the guts to
keep his teaching methods secret, the reaction among his students was not so good.

A number of students resented the fact that the new teacher, even a man from the
Fallen Nobility, showed such behavior at the Theon Academy. In particular, students
from aristocratic backgrounds were the angriest.

But, ironically, the students who actually witnessed Rudger’s orientation didn’t say
much. Only some high-respecting noble students seemed to have been ignored for
nothing, but out of the 50 or so students in the classroom that day, nearly 40
admired Rudger’s guts.

He became a teacher at Theon Academy, so wouldn’t there be something to believe

in?

Of course, as no detailed information about Rudger was yet known, students had no
choice but to be cautious. On the first day of his class, it was a very self-evident fact
that they would suffer for a semester if they took the wrong class.

If even a little bit of information about Rudger was released, it would increase the
students’ trust and they would take his class once.

The second morning of the second day when many students were worried a single
article was posted on the community called <Akashic Records>, the student-only
magic exchange book of the Theon Academy.

Title: Did you hear about the new teacher, Rudger Chelici?

A title that was intentionally created to grab people’s attention, whether it’s good or
bad. Naturally, the students had no choice but to click on it, and the contents
unfolded as if waiting.

An extreme tribute to Rudger Chelici.

The youngest fourth rank, military officer appointment, Cryptid Hunting
Contributions. As a freelance mage, he also made a name for himself in the Tower of
Magic.

It contained past deeds of Rudger.

For students who did not know that it was a desperate undercover operation of a
secret society to somehow lift the First Order, it was enough to raise their
expectations.

In particular, the person with the most enthusiasm and sincerity was the Third
Order member who was the first to contact Rudger.

‘No one can’t ruin First Order-sama’s class! I have to get as many students as possible
to hear it!’

She’s been writing all day about just how cool, amazing he is.

Perhaps because of the two days of persistently posting praises about Rudger and
drawing attention, more people are interested in Rudger’s classes than those who
reacted with excessive praise.

In particular, the fact that they were able to attend classes together with the older
students stimulated the interest of newbies who did not know anything yet.

During the correction period, the number of students who wanted to attend
Rudger’s class increased dramatically, and the maximum capacity of 80 students was
filled with excitement.

And the long-awaited first day of class.

All the students sat down and waited for Rudger with anticipation, half of it out of
pure curiosity, and half out of a desire to see where and how well he can teach.

When the class started at 9 am the classroom door opened and Rudger entered.

***

What the hell is this situation?

The classroom was full with no empty seats. The maximum number of people
thought to be about 30 at most achieved the maximum.

With 80 students ahead of me, I felt a headache.

Why? Surely I must have subtly issued a warning that my class was a landmine at
orientation three days ago?

Above all, the students whose uniforms have blue badges are freshly enrolled first-
year students and they accounted for more than 60% of the number of students
gathered in the classroom.

‘Why are the first graders again?’

Shouldn’t first graders avoid taking classes with the seniors since it’s burdensome?

I never expected that there would be so many first year students. At this point, it
makes me wonder if someone intentionally spread malicious information about me
somewhere.

‘Maybe I’ve been looking down on the students too much.’

Of course, the Theon Academy is a place where only carefully selected students can
enter after a fierce competition. It is a place where children from all over the
continent, beyond the Empire, gather, so it is problematic to think of them as
ordinary students.

I decided to humbly accept my mistakes.

Instead of raising students’ vigilance, my actions ignited their self-esteem.

Looking at their gazes I saw wild hyenas that will bite me if I ever make a mistake.

It’s my first class today, and I’m under such pressure. If I go on like this, I will be
eaten by the students in the classroom.

‘Since this has happened, I have no choice but to do my best to conduct the lecture.’

I looked at the faces of the students gathered in the classroom. It is full of children,
each with their own hair color. I guess that’s common in this world.
Some of them stood out more than others, especially the girl with the ears of an
animal on her head. They are the beast people who live in the desert area of the
southern continent.

Well, in this world where there is magic and witches exist, the sub-races are a
minority, even more so at Theon Academy.

Until 50 years ago, the beast people were a race that was subjected to colonial rule
and were treated like slaves, and even after 50 years, the remnants of discrimination
and persecution against them still remain.

Proof of this are the gazes of other students looking at the beast girl with subtle
gazes. That child seems to have entered the school, but life in the future will be very
difficult.

‘Well, I’m not in a position to worry about anyone right now.’

First of all, the progress of the class comes first.

“I’m Rudger Chelici and I’ll teach the whole process of the manifestation system.”

“What about the four specializations?”

Someone raised a hand and said so. He was a male student with a somewhat unlucky
impression.

I immediately chided him.

“Ask only when I allow you to.”

“……Yes.”

“If there is another person who breaks the flow of my class at will, I will give a
penalty point. The same is true for blatant challenges to my authority as teacher.”

Some students shouted in shock,

“But students who do that well will be given a bonus. The higher the bonus, more
benefits will be given, so work hard.”
It is a well-known fact that first or second year students, when they are at their peak,
do not care much about penalty points. However, there is a big difference between
what a teacher warns about and what they don’t.

“If I had to answer the question a while ago, it would be ‘yes’. I will teach you one by
one about the general aspects of <Emission>, <Elemental Attribute>, <Telekinesis>,
and <Fortification>, which can be said to be the entire manifestation system.”

Most of what I said was unbelievable. Even within the same system, every
specialization is a completely different field.

The <Emission>, <Elemental Attribute>, <Telekinesis>, and <Fortification> that I

mentioned a while ago are the four specializations of the [Manifestation System] that
I talked about. They are often referred to as the four specializations of manifestation.

Usually, it is said that it is enough to teach only two of these, but I said that I would
teach a whopping four. To the students, it would sound like an unbelievable lie, as if I
was bluffing.

But this is by no means a lie.

I did not achieve first-class in any of them, but I am proud that my overall spectrum
of knowledge is quite wide as I have lived through the years.

“I’m going to begin.”

***

“You know, Cheryl. Isn’t that teacher really funny?”

Sheryl tried to hide her anxiety at the voice calling her, and turned her head to the
friend sitting next to her. A girl with translucent, pure white skin, with her long
indigo blue hair growing down to her waist.

She was so beautiful that resembled a doll made by a craftsman with great care, and
even the boys sitting next to her kept glancing at her.

“Flora, you again……”

“Excuse me. So what have I done?”

Cheryl couldn’t keep up with Flora, who asked playfully and subtly.

Flora Lumos, the daughter of Duke Lumos, one of the noblest families in the Exilion
Empire.

Beautiful and charming, as if she was a picture just by standing still, she was famous
for the title of ‘genius’ in Theon sophomore year.

Even the students who are called geniuses in the world become ordinary at Theon
Academy.

Theon, a group of only geniuses from all the countries of the continent, raised the
standards of the students too high, and those with low talent were bound to become
ordinary.

It was not surprising that a child who was praised as gifted in his hometown became
ordinary at Theon. However, Flora is a girl called ‘genius’, even in Theon.

She has a good family, her looks are beautiful, and her abilities are excellent, her only
flaw was her character.

Flora Lumos was notorious among the teachers, even inside Theon Academy.
Because she was a genius, she did not want to receive proper instruction from
anyone. Rather, she challenged the teacher’s authority and won.

It was not uncommon for her to point out the teacher’s mistake in the middle of a
class. On the contrary, she devised a spell on the spot that was far superior to what
her teacher could teach, and she shattered the teacher in front of the students.

She has steadily built up such notoriety since her freshman year, and it’s still the
same now that she’s in her second year. In particular, the fact that two teachers in
charge of the manifestation class retired last year was because of her.

Flora became a sophomore, and she came back to take the manifestation class and
this time it’s the class of Rudger Chelici, who has been evaluated as unusual from his
first appearance.

Flora’s friend Cheryl prayed that she wouldn’t do it this time, but when she looked at
Flora’s expression, it seemed that her wish was nothing more than a vain hope.
Flora’s nickname “Little Demon” was notorious among teachers because she eats
away the souls of her teachers in every class she takes. Considering that people who
have been beaten by her trembled so much that it was not enough to even call her
the Great Demon King, let alone her Little Demon.

Flora decided that her prey for this semester would be the new teacher Rudger
Chelici.

“Sheryl. Honestly, isn’t it funny? He looks like he’s only in his 20s, but he’s teaching
all four specializations of the manifestation system. To be honest, isn’t it an
exaggeration to teach them all?”

“That……”

Cheryl had no choice but to agree with that part.

She didn’t know if it was his pride as a new teacher, or if he really had the ability to
do so.

‘But, has he really mastered the four major specializations well enough to teach
them?’

There are a total of 5 classes of magic, and each class has different specializations.

The three specializations of the [Implementation] system are <Material Generation>

<Transformation> and <Alchemy>.

The four specializations of the [Manifestation] system are <Emission> <Elemental

Attribute> <Flame copper> and <Fortification>.

The 4 specializations of the [Summon] system are <Spirit> <Golem> <Magic Beast>
and <Necromantic>.

The 6 specializations of the [Curse] system are <Astrology>, <Enchantment>,

<Hallucination>, <Pharmacology>, <Witchcraft>, and <Enchant>.

The 5th system is called [Arcane]. It is vague to say that it is magic, but it clearly
refers to a system that can be manifested through magic.

Arcane magic that has been passed down from generation to generation in families
or someone pioneered a unique method of their own belongs to this type of [special].
Of course, no teachers teach in this particular class.

At the same time, Rudger engraved a magic formula on the magic board.

When the magic was poured on the board that had nothing written on it, the formula
was drawn on its own. It was [Fluttering Flame], one of the 3rd-tier flame elemental
magic.

“On the basis of manifestation, a total of six elements namely heating, combustion,
compression, acceleration, expansion, and diffusion complement each other and
form the formula.”

Even though it was only a 3rd tier spell, it was a magic that had to be manifested by
placing six elements that make up the procedure in the right place. If time permits,
even students attending this class could use it.

“Today is the first class, so before starting the main class, I will teach you something
that will arouse your interest. It is a way to express the magic much faster than the
conventional method.”

For the first time, curiosity arose in the minds of the students.

“Let’s see. Speed, yes. It can be said that it is three times faster than the existing
method”

The students’ eyes widened at those words.

“Do you want to shorten the onset time of the procedure?”

“Is that possible?”

“Aren’t you lying?”

Unlike the first-year students who do not know well yet, the second-year students
doubted Rudger’s words.

Before teaching the basics in his first class, he promised to show them how to speed
up the unleashing of magic. They couldn’t help but doubt them.

The speed of magic manifestation is always considered as the top priority for
wizards to overcome. One second is a long time in a life-and-death battle.

In particular, unlike knights who move their bodies in real time and wield swords,
wizards who take time to manifest their magic feel the sense of danger much more.

With the advancement of science, even wizards were less exposed to the same
dangers as before, but they did not disappear completely.

Since they were wizards who always had to think clearly and rationally, they had no
choice but to hang on to this part more.

In such a situation, what Rudger said now was not just to satisfy the expectations of
the students, but to light the eyes of all wizards and inspire them.

Flora’s best friend Cheryl asked her.

“Flora. Is that really true?”

“Hmm. Well. Has there ever been a proper shortening of the procedure so far?”
There was definitely a way to reduce the casting time. A typical example is scroll
magic, which is performed by storing existing magic in a medium in advance.

However, in this case, there is the limit of a single-shot. Scrolls once cast will lose
their effect.

Alternatively a magic called [Reverberation of Memory] that activates magic in

advance and stores it can be used. Even in this case, it is impossible to use it
continuously because there’s a limit to the maximum amount of spells that can be
stored according to the skill level.

“As long as we don’t change the structure of the magic itself, I think it’s impossible.”

In the end, in order to shorten the time, fundamental techniques need to be

improved, but even that is impossible. Commonly used magic is the most optimal
method that has been refined, devised, and created by wizards who will go down in
history for thousands of years.

To some, it may be only a third-level flame elemental magic, but behind the magic
there are traces of countless geniuses in history. Even those who are called geniuses
in modern times can’t improve existing magic because it’s so perfect that there’s
nothing to improve.

That was something that had already been decided over a hundred years ago. Even
Flora Lumos admitted it.

‘Nevertheless, if you dare to change a part, you have no choice but to lose something.’

If the manifestation speed of a technique increases, other parts will inevitably

become weak. The power decreases, the range narrows, or the accuracy decreases.
However, if the elements involved are reduced can it still be the same spell?

No. From then on, it’ll become a completely different magic.

For wizards who value legitimacy very much, it would be an issue.

‘If you really meant to increase the casting speed with what I thought of.’

Flora’s gaze narrowed narrowly.

‘I will be very disappointed, teacher.’

No. Rather, Flora wished Rudger would have done it so that it would make it easier
for her to act.

‘I think our handsome princess felt the same way.’

The three princesses boast a beauty different from their own, with hair that looks
like weaving gold threads.

Contrary to her side, even for a woman who likes her straight and dignified
appearance, her opinion of Rudger will inevitably be offensive. As if to prove it, her
princess-sama’s face also sat down coldly.

The moment when the atmosphere in the classroom gradually begins to flow
strangely Rudger clapped his hands to refresh the atmosphere.

“Stop. The chatter ends there.”

All the students kept their mouths shut, but the atmosphere itself did not change.
Rudger said with a smirk as if he wasn’t aware of it.

“You seem to have a lot of questions. Good. Before I show you, let me answer a few
questions.”

At that moment, the students immediately raised their hands.

Rudger pointed to the first student to raise his hand

“Tell me.”

“My name is Alex Salane, a sophomore. Mr. Rudger you said that you’ll shorten the
time of magic manifestation, what exactly did you mean?”

“Shortening the manifestation time is literally shortening. Be more precise when you
ask a question. Next.”

“This is Dahlia in sophomore year. By any chance, shortening the manifestation of a

spell means that you want to improve the spell?”
“No. The trick is to keep it the same, but to cast it faster.”

At those words, voices came from all over the place.

“Can you really increase the speed of spell manifestation?”

“That can’t be possible. Wasn’t it a challenge that no wizard had ever been able to
overcome?”

“It’s absurd. There’s no way it’s possible.”

Flora had the same thought. How can the speed of speed manifestation be increased
without modifying or improving the magic?

Isn’t it supposed to be an obvious way to increase the proficiency through countless

repetitions? But looking at that imposing Rudger’s expression, she felt a little
nauseous.

“That is impossible.”

Flora couldn’t stand it and opened her mouth.

An icy gaze flew towards her and fixed her. Flora felt her self-esteem slightly hurt.

“I am Flora Lumos.”

At her self-introduction, the noise around her grew louder.

Flora came out.”

“Ha-ha. That teacher is done for.”

Even among students, Flora’s reputation was impressive. It was the same for the new
students who entered this time.

A 2nd year genius. Retaining the nickname of a genius in Theon, she was already
famous among the freshmen.

It was only natural for all of her students to pay attention as she raised her objection
to Rudger’s approach right from the first day of class.
“I don’t remember allowing the question, but let’s just skip it this time. Why is the
student saying that it’s impossible?”

“The only way to shorten the casting time of a spell without modifying or improving
it is to increase your master over it.”

“Why do you think there isn’t another way?”

“Because no one has ever done it, not even the geniuses of history, even the high-
ranking arch mages could do it. But since teacher said he did it, I couldn’t believe it.”

Even now, countless wizards in the tower continue their quest every day, squeezing
their heads in search of the truth. Nevertheless, unlike in the past, there were areas
where no progress was made any more, and shortening the casting of spells was a
typical example.

A new teacher saying that he managed to do it meant more than a simple bluff, it was
close to a general insult to the magic world.

At Flora’s words, each student nodded in agreement with her opinion.

No students believed Rudger or sided with him. Little by little, the atmosphere in the
classroom became hostile to Rudger. But Rudger did not wriggle an eyebrow.

He did not waver, as if no external pressure could even scratch him.

“No one couldn’t? That’s funny. I think it was rather no one tried.”

“Yes?”

“Magic is based on tradition and history. But it has been brought to stagnation from a
certain moment. Now that science has advanced, magic is under threat.”

“……Are you saying that science is superior to magic?”

“I just think that magic has room for further development, just like science. To say
‘there is no room for improvement’ is wrong.”

“There has never been such a case.”

“Because no one did it.”

“Everyone who has done it has failed.”

“Then I will be the first to succeed.”

“…Are you serious right now?”

“There is no reason for me to lie in front of everyone like this.”

Flora was ecstatic at his impudence. Does that teacher not know what he was talking
about?

“Well, it seems you don’t understand, so let’s start the class right now. Did you say
Flora? Do you know how long, on average, it takes to compose the [Fluttering Flame]
formula I wrote on the magic board right now?”

“……Depending on who’s unfolding it. 10 seconds for a wizard who just reached the
3rd rank. As you become proficient and increase your rank, it will be shorter, under
five seconds.”

“Okay. However, I do not like the frivolous method of increasing the speed by
increasing your rank. What I’m saying is tailored to the level of the students I’m
teaching. Then, no matter who casts the spell, it will be five seconds.”

“Is this your method?”

“Yes. You are very confident. Can you show us right now?”

Flora was not frightened by the provocative words.

“Sure.”

Flora went down from the church with dignified steps and stood on the top of the
pulpit. She raised her personal wand and immediately used [Fluttering Flame].

The basis is manifestation and the attribute element is fire, in addition to the
elements of heating, combustion, compression, expansion, diffusion, and
acceleration.
The magic that rises in the air is in the form of blazing flames. Its speed was like a
raging wind, and the students who had been paying attention burst out in
exclamation.

Rudger checked the golden pocket watch in his hand.

“Time, 4.78 seconds. A speed that doesn’t look like a 2nd grader and the process was
perfect.”

“It didn’t matter.”

“But it’s still slow.”

Rudger’s cold voice flew over to Flora, who was conceited.

“…Yes?”

“The record for the fastest casting of [Fluttering Flames] among the third rank
wizards is 4.41 seconds but that’s still slow.”

“…I can do it faster once I get used to it.”

“I said that even 4.41 seconds is slow.”

Everyone was taken aback by Rudger’s very dignified declaration.

Rudger decided to show them why he said that. Standing on top of the pulpit, Rudger
began to concentrate his magic.

“Look carefully. This is how [Fluttering Flames] is used.”

Muttering that, he raised a small staff and pointed it into the air. The magic that
flowed out from the tip of the wand soon began to form a rite but something was
strange.

What unfolded after the expression-based procedure was not the stage of heating
and combustion that was supposed to constitute the [Fluttering Flame]. It was just a
straight line, a flow of magic that had no meaning.

Aren’t you using [Fluttering Flames]?

When students thought that the magic of [Fluttering Flames] in the air was
completed. It happened in the blink of an eye.

“……!!!”

The entire classroom was filled with silent clamors

No one had seen In the first place, Rudger slowly showed how he casted the magic.

The first step was not the magic of [Fluttering Flames]. The operation of magic was
completely different from the usual method.

However, the result was the same.

What was completed was the magic of [Fluttering Flames]. It was perfect, just like in
the textbooks.

How?

Only the beginning and the end exist, and the middle process seems to have been cut
off and disappeared.

The speed is surprisingly fast. 1 second? No. It took almost 0.3 seconds. It was
incomprehensible to the common sense of the students.

“Did you see it?”

Rudger’s voice was flat without any highs or lows. He had no sense of excitement for
what he had done.

“What the hell.”

“I’ll show you one more time for those who haven’t seen it.”

Rudger said so, breaking the existing technique and repeating the process that had
been seen a while ago. Slower this time, so that everyone can see properly.

The students opened their eyes to see if there was something they had missed, and
looked at Rudger’s technique.
Magical energy spewed out from the tip of the wand, and it again proceeded in a
strange way, just like the first time and immediately [Fluttering Flame] was
completed.

“Crazy.”

“Is that possible?”

“How?”

He didn’t use an artifact of [Reverberation of Memory.

No matter how fast it was, the process had to exist. But he skipped the process and
showed only the result. There is cause and effect in everything and so it’s magic.

But Rudger’s way wasn’t like that at all. He removed that cause but the effect was still
the same.

“No, just what the hell……”

Even Flora, who was watching from the nearest point, did not understand what
Rudger had shown her.

“Finally, everyone’s eyes have changed.”

“Gulp.”

The sound of someone swallowing saliva resounded throughout the classroom. To

that extent, the students focused on what Rudger would say next.

“Casting [Fluttering Flame took me 0.24 seconds. It is very different from the
previous record but at the same time, you will find it strange. Because the first magic
was not [Fluttering Flame].”

“I definitely used magic. To be precise, it was used for the sake of speed.”

“For speed?”

“What the hell is that?”

The students who muttered to each other shut their mouths again

“I call this, Source Code.”

At my words, the students catch their breath. Because some people don’t know what
the source code is.

‘From their point of view, it would be a real surprise.’

No matter how advanced science is, this world is around the 19th century in
comparison with Earth. Because magic, not science, was the mainstay, so it made a
much more dramatic development than I originally thought.

Still, living in the 19th century, there were many things that were lacking. This was
particularly the case in the absence of a computerized computing system.

‘A source code is a kind of blueprint that outputs a set result immediately by

inputting a value. I made it by grafting it into magic.’

Of course, I didn’t make this by myself. To be precise, I came up with the idea, but the
actual composition and completion was possible only with the help of the master
who taught me magic.

Still, I have a stake in what I made, so there shouldn’t be any problem in teaching the
students.

Considering Master’s personality, it’s not like he would say anything about this.
Rather, it was the problems I would face once I ran into them.

The source code is a method that is close to a kind of trick, created based on my
memories of living on Earth.

It must be unbelievable for students who know algorithms but do not know about
computer hardware, software, programs, input and output, and code.

Above all, the level of wizards was stagnant due to excessive selection and self-
confidence, and yet there was a prevailing tendency to make fun of science.
They would never accept the contributions science can make to magic. I’m sure they
would be foaming at their mouths saying ’This isn’t magic!’

Compared to those guys, I have a freer way of thinking.

In order for the software called source code to operate, a body called hardware,
programs, and data are required.

Here, hardware means a wand that can apply magic or the wizard itself. A program is
a crafted spell, and data is the magic to make it come true.

In the end, the source code I used is through the biological hardware of humans. It
consumes data called magic.

With the source code even complex spells can easily be casted by simply injecting a
little magical power.

To put it simply, while others carefully draw each stroke to implement magic, I just
slam like a stamp. It’s easy considering the difference in speed between handwriting
and printing.

No matter how fast a human being can copy, there is no way he can keep up with the
speed of a person who uses a printer.

People even make a lot of mistakes if they are impatient. If the procedure is out of
order, the result will be wrong. Naturally, the spell loses its power and cannot be
used or the reverse flow of magic power can put your life at risk.

With source code these issues don’t exist.

In any situation, only certain values are provided. Its speed is something that other
wizards can’t follow.

‘Of course, a rank 6 wizard or higher would be faster.’

In the first place, they are superhumans with supercomputers in their heads.

For the students of Theon Academy who have not yet fully matured, source code
must be a really great revolution.
‘It’s not without flaws either. The only spells that can be used are those 3rd rank and
lower. Beyond that, it causes overload due to the amount of magical power. And it’s
just that making the source code is so complicated and difficult.’

It is not for nothing that computer programmers go through tests while diversifying
all kinds of patterns for debugging. Because I also wrapped my hair so much that I
made it. However, once made, it can be used over and over again, so it is very
convenient.

In particular, I don’t have to use the 3rd rank or lower spells by using troublesome
incantations one by one.

After all, the magic of source code is the product of an invention made to catch up
with those who have talent as much as possible.

In this academy, where only geniuses gather, if I want to do well as a teacher for two
years, I have to go ahead and teach classes with even these basics.

***

All the students kept their mouths shut at the emergence of a groundbreaking magic
called source code. In particular, first-year students were excited.

‘I felt half cheated, so I chose Rudger Chelici’s class, but to witness this.’

Some students felt a cooling sensation on their backs.

‘If only I didn’t take this class today.’

A new type of magic manifestation that transcends common sense.

They cannot see its appearance with their own eyes, and in addition to that, they will
be deprived of the opportunity to learn.

It was such a terrible nightmare for the students who were about to walk the path of
a wizard, just imagining it sent chills down their spine.

‘…… I’m really happy.’

All the students gathered here shared the same thoughts.

They looked at Rudger again. Obviously, his first impression was very serious,
profound, and intense, contrary to what they had expected. Even so, the most
important thing for a magic academy teacher is magic skills.

Just repeating what others have said is not enough to earn students’ respect.

But now all students who saw the new magic had feelings of reverence beyond
respect for Rudger.

Above all, Rudger’s behavior was surprising.

Although he demonstrated in front of everyone a new method that could be called

the discovery of the century, his expression showed no sign of excitement.

For this man, even the groundbreaking magic called source code was simply
something that could be unfolded in front of everyone.

‘Perhaps aside from source code he has other secrets.’

If you invent something like this and show no excitement, there’s no doubt that you
hide other secrets.

At that moment a spark ignited in the hearts of the 80 magic academy students
present in the classroom.

‘If I can learn that magic I can make further progress.’

That strong will is revealed in their eyes, and is shot towards Rudger.

Rudger’s half-opened eyes gave them an ok response, but his back was damp with
cold sweat inside his cloak.

‘Why are their eyes like that?’

For Rudger, who was expecting only opinions that he was moderately great and that
he seemed like a good teacher, the students’ reaction was surprising.

Their eyes were hotter than the lava that just broke through the strata.

Feeling like he was going to burn, Rudger focused and maintained his poker face. But
he knew he couldn’t depend on source code for the 2 years he would be here.

He didn’t want others to discover that he’s an impostor. He had to prepare more in
the future.

‘Let’s go to the end. But first of all, what should I do with the daughter of the duke
who is on the platform?’

“Flora Lumos.”

Flora, who had been focused on the source code magic that Rudger had unfolded,
finally came to her senses.

Rudger’s cold, sharp eyes looked at her and felt like a cold blade had cut through her
heart.

‘This guy is…… ’

She thought of herself as a genius and she had the talent to match it. No one doubted
her and to those who did she demonstrated her skills in person.

Even though he was an academy teacher, she was embarrassed in front of him. No
matter how old she is, no matter how long she learns science or magic, and no
matter how hard she tries she is already ahead of her teachers.

But Rudger was different. He neither reveals nor brags about himself. In addition, he
does not sway anyone else. It is as if she was looking at a pillar of steel that is deeply
embedded in the ground and stands tall. It does not rust and does not wear out even
in storms, rain and snow.

‘How the hell is this person a new teacher? Source code? I’ve never heard of such
magic.’

The intimidation was enough to affect even Flora, who had met the royal family
several times. Even the noble princess had her eyes wide open at the sight of Rudger.

“A groundbreaking method of shortening the spell casting time. Has your question
finally been answered?”

“……Yes.”
Flora tried to pretend to be calm and replied that way. She kept her posture neat and
leaned back to not show any flaws.

Was her behavior funny?

There was a slight but smile on the corner of Rudger’s lips. As if he had already seen
through this desperately strong pretender.

“Flora Lumos.”

“……Yes. Teacher.”

“You couldn’t overcome your own intolerance, and you asked questions without my
permission. Do you admit it?”

Flora bit her lip. She was proud of herself, but she couldn’t argue with that.

“Yes… I admit it.”

A feeling of defeat that she had never felt before. The envy of the students, which she
usually felt, had never been as painful as it was now. Suddenly, a memory of her
childhood that she wanted to forget came to her mind.

The figure of her father looking down at her with a cold gaze. She wanted to be
recognized for her skills and had a goal. She was desperately holding back her tears
because she was about to cry but she couldn’t break down here yet.

“I won’t say more than this, because I know it myself. However, your actions clearly
challenged the school authority. As I warned you in the beginning, I am not going to
let this go.”

“……Yes.”

“Flora Lumos I give you 10 penalty points.”

It wasn’t that surprising, but if the subject was Flora, the story was different.

Theon genius who has never had any flaws until now. She had absolutely nothing to
do with penalty points, and she was the kind of woman she never thought she would
ever be, so she was shaken, even for receiving only 10 penalty points.
“Are there any complaints?”

“……No. I think it makes sense.”

Flora bit her lip.

“Oh my gosh.”

“That Flora……”

Even the other students were surprised that Flora had been penalized. Much less
that this was not a forced accusation, but a reasonable punishment that even the
person herself had no choice but to admit.

Flora came down from the pulpit with weak steps and returned to her seat.

“The spell [Fluttering Flame] you showed me was more perfect than anything I had
ever seen.”

She turned around and looked at the pulpit. Rudger was staring at her with an
infinitely straight gaze.

“I don’t hate students with skills. So Flora Lumos you receive 10 bonus points.”

As a result, her 10 penalty points are virtually gone.

Some students felt relieved and some were envious but Flora felt unprecedented
shame.

Even is the penalty points are gone her memory of receiving them is still there. Ten
years from now, or maybe even the rest of her life, it was something she would never
forget.

Flora interpreted Rudger bonus points as the victor’s mercy on this foolish student
who dared to attack him. It left a deep scar on Flora’s self-esteem.

“Thank…… you.”

All she could say was this.

As she returned to her seat and sat down, Cheryl, who had been watching the whole
thing, asked in a worried voice.

“Flora, are you okay?”

Cheryl knew how strong Flora’s pride was. She said that exactly what she had been
through as a child forced her to be that way.

She had a hard time imagining how humiliated Flora felt when the new teacher
reprimanded her in front of everyone.

“I’m fine.”

Flora replied with a smile. Her relaxed appearance was no different from her usual
one and she didn’t look like her wounded person at all.

‘Ah. That’s fine. Because it’s Flora, I think she’ll be able to brush it off quickly.’

Cheryl sighed in relief. She thought that her friend might be going in the wrong
direction.

Flora looked at the podium with the same face as usual but she didn’t see Cheryl or
any of the students in the classroom. A scorching fire burned in Flora’s eyes, igniting
everything.

***

I went back to my seat and looked at Flora’s condition. Belatedly, I remembered that
the Lumos family was a famous duke in the Empire.

Is she not going to use the power of the family to put pressure on me for what just
happened? Do you go home and tell your father?

However, Flora’s expression as she sat down was calm. There’s nothing strange
about the way she naturally communicates with her friend sitting next to her.

I can see, she’s a smart kid, so I’m not going to keep this in my heart. In the first place
giving her those bonus points was a kind of reconciliation attempt to avoid fighting
and encourage her to do better in the future. I’m really glad that she accepted it.
“Then I will start the first class.”
“I will select a few students who follow my class well and teach them the source
code.”

After saying that the students listened to my class without saying much.

‘Dang. Dang. Dang.’

When I finished explaining the theory and simple method of discharging magic, the
clock tower bell rang to end the class. I breathed a sigh of relief in my heart, thinking
that I had finished the class safely without receiving any tackles.

The students did not seem to feel anything particularly suspicious as I continued to
briefly explain the contents of the textbook by mixing them with practical tips.

The first lesson was done without problems, so I can carry on to the next class as it
is.

I teach a total of 4 hours a week. Classes are held twice a week, divided into two
hours each, so I had quite a bit of time until the next class.

As I put on my coat and was about to leave the classroom, I saw some students
staring and approaching me.

I did something for a moment, but I later realized that I was missing one thing.

“Ah. By the way, I will not give you homework from the first day. Go back and review
today’s lesson.”

At my words, the students smiled and rejoiced.

Even if it’s an academy where geniuses gather, they are students after all. Seeing
them so happy for not receiving homework for once, I thought they were still kids.
I can’t give homework from the first day no matter where I’m. After all, other
teachers besides me will give the homework. Teachers who give homework from the
first day are often criticized throughout the semester.

In regards to classes, everything I give can be seen as a kind of calculation. The more
gossip and dissatisfaction with other teachers, the less mention of me.

I got out of the classroom with the list of students on the pedestal. When I left, the
eyes of the students flew, but I naturally ignored it.

To proceed with the next lesson I needed basic personal information about 80
students attending my class. Also, considering the unresolved issue with the secret
society, I had to move as quickly as possible.

***

‘Wow. Really.’

Aidan, a freshman at Theon Academy, realized that he really had come to Theon after
taking Rudger Chelici’s class.

‘I thought it was a vague feeling, but it was amazing.’

Aidan, who came up from the countryside, was a commoner, but he was a proud
young man with a passion for magic more than anyone else.

Thanks to the hard work he had accumulated so far and some luck, he was able to
pass Theon entrance exam, and as a freshman, he took his first classes with a bright
attitude.

[Rudger Chelici lectures on the manifestation system.] He honestly wasn’t expecting

much.

When I first entered the classroom, I secretly picked up the voices of other students,
and found that the class I had chosen was more talkative than I expected.

Originally, there are a total of two manifestation system classes, and this one is
taught by a fallen noble. A new teacher wouldn’t be able to teach this class but he
was lucky because 5 people retired last year.
All the rumors circulating in <Akashic Records> were fake. Of course, it was the
noble students who had a low mouth and looked down on others.

However, Aidan, who came to Theon from the countryside, knew only that they were
seniors and did not know that they were great nobles, so he did not doubt their
words.

‘Is the teacher named Rudger Chelici that bad?’

It was just a class I chose without much thought, so I regretted it for nothing.
However, Aidan realized how short his thoughts were, as soon as Rudger appeared.

The man, who overwhelmed 80 students even though he was standing on the pulpit,
was like a soldier on the verge of a fierce battle. And what happened afterwards
made Aidan even more astonished.

He had a conversation with a female senior about the impossibility of shortening the
casting speed and then she showed everyone a technique.

The moment he encountered the magic that Rudger Chelici called the source code,
Aidan felt the blood boil all over his body.

It was like fireworks exploded in front of him. It was the light of knowledge that
appears when you clearly witness a mystery that you have never encountered
before, and it was the moment of opening your eyes to a wider world.

It sounded like an excessive leap, but at least Aidan himself felt that way.

When he was a child who didn’t know anything yet, a wandering wizard showed him
magic. That magic was only 1st rank, and now that he thought about it, the wizard
technique was not perfect and it was even crude.

At that time, Aidan thought that the figure was very cool.

Since then, he has continued to study magic under the guidance of the wandering
wizard, although he did not feel the shock he had when he first encountered magic
he remembered learning magic itself was so much fun.

Aidan grew rapidly day by day thanks to his passion for magic and, surprisingly, his
talent for magic. In this way, he was able to enter the magic academy, Theon, through
fierce competition.

He took his first class here, thinking that he might satisfy his craving for magic and
open up a new world but instead witnessed something extraordinary.

‘Mr. Rudger Chelici is a wonderful person!’

He thought it was unusual from the first impression, but he was the real deal.

Aidan couldn’t hide his excitement, thinking he was really lucky to have taken this
class.

“Huh.”

It was then. A voice of blatant contempt could be heard from the seat next to him.

When he turned his head, a first-year boy from somewhere was looking at him with
her arms crossed. His face is good-looking, but it looks quite greasy because of the
blonde hair that was parted to show his forehead.

Aidan then looked around. Now that most of the students had already left the
classroom, there were not many left.

“Ah! You were talking to me!”

The face of an aristocratic male student was distorted by Aiden’s innocent reaction.

“You. Are you mocking me now?”

“Yes? I didn’t mean that.”

Aidan smiled shyly and tried to say that he never meant that, but the situation in
front of him was already overturned by the fact that the person in front of him had
been insulted.

“You dare to ignore me, the first son of Baron Pellio?!”

Aidan broke out in a cold sweat. It seemed that he was wrong in many ways to pass
for good.
‘What?’

A helping hand came to Aidan the moment he was contemplating how to handle this
situation.

“If it’s Baron Pellio, isn’t he at the edge of the Empire?”

“What?! Who are you?”

It was a blue-haired boy who went out to help Aidan.

Jevan Pellio looked at the boy and put a smile on his lips.

“The Theon Academy admitted such a little boy?”

“It would be better than having a child of a poor baron family pass.”

“What?! You dare insult the Pellio family?!”

As Jevan clenched his teeth and tried to increase his magical power, the light blue-
haired boy, Leo, did not lose his smile.

“I will make you pay the price for the words and deeds that dared insult the
nobleman……”

“Try.”

“What?”

“Try it. What will happen if you unleash your magic here and attack us?”

Everyone was shocked at Leo’s bold statement. He thought that ordinary people
would bow their heads if they were moderately intimidated.

“Do you know that this is your family? Wake up. Even if you’re a noble, if you make a
little fuss here, it’s not worth it. Didn’t you get any notice of that before you came in?”

“You……!”

“If you don’t know what to do other than stare because there’s nothing to say.”
At Leo’s words, Jevan realized that there were still several students left in the
classroom. Among them, there were children of high-ranking nobles whom they did
not dare look up to.

Jevan looked at Aidan as if to kill him, and left the classroom without saying
anything.

Aidan thought about whether this might be good or not. But right now, his priority
was to thank that friend for helping him.

“Thank you for your help. I am Aidan.”

“I am Leo. Oh, and no need to thank you. I just acted because it was disgusting to see
people calling themselves aristocrats.”

“Are you a good person?”

“……What did you hear me say?”

Leo looked at Aidan like a strange person and then shook his head.

“I’m just going to go.”

“Ah! I will go with you.”

“Do you know where I am going?”

“Aren’t you going to the next class? From the book I see in your hand I’m going to the
same class.”

“……Sheesh. Do whatever you feel like.”

Leo spoke bluntly, but he didn’t turn down his offer. Aidan had an intuition that Leo’s
behavior was just a bit strange, and he was a good person.

Leo, who was looking at Aidan who was packing his textbooks for the next class,
suddenly opened his mouth.

“It would be nice to go around without showing too much.”

“Yes? What?”

“Try not to look like a plain villager who didn’t learn magic properly.”

“Oh, is that so? Sorry. I don’t know that.”

“Do not forget. This is Theon Academy. It’s full of all kinds of great people.”

“Great people? Ah. I think I can figure it out by looking at Mr. Chelici.”

Leo let out a sigh in response to the frigid reaction. Apparently, this poor friend had a
lot to learn.

“Listen. Once you’ve taken the class, you too need to know how this place works. And
you have to be careful about certain students.”

“Specific students?”

“Even within Theon, there are students who have an exceptionally overwhelming
position. Right now, our first-year students have just come in and don’t know what to
do, but from the second year on, they do.”

The most representative example was Flora Lumos.

“2nd year Flora Lumos. I didn’t know that we would be taking the same class, but it’s
good to be careful.”

“Why?”

“There are rumors that she has a bad personality. The teacher who was in charge of
the manifestation class last year suddenly quit because she had a big influence. She
honestly thought she could do the same again……”

Leo also remembered Rudger Chelici class. The groundbreaking magic called source
code he showed was definitely great. Because that Flora Lumos left without a click.

But he didn’t think Flora Lumos was going to collapse just because of that. Rather,
there was a possibility that sparks of anger could be thrown at other people.

“So it’s best to avoid her as much as possible.”

“Anyone else?”

“There is. One of the noble bloodlines of the Exilion Empire.”

“Ah. I heard that rumor too. It’s said that there was a princess in second grade?”

“The Third Princess Erendira von Exilion. She was so noble and the emperor loved
her, so she must have been able to come here. Of course, there’s nothing good about
us being commoners.”

“Ah. Her.”

Aidan thought of a woman who had hair like gold threads. Blondes aren’t that rare,
but there’s only one blonde with a sense of nobility.

“And finally, Freuden Ulburg.”

“That Ulburg? One of the three great duke families……”

“What other Ulburg could be in the Empire? Freuden, the eldest son of the Duke
family of Ulburg. He is the man who leads the biggest faction in sophomore year. To
be precise, it is an upper-class faction made up of only nobles.”

“Upper tier…… clique.”

“People like us are like roadside bugs, so it’s better not to get involved. Fortunately,
Freuden doesn’t take this class. By the way, the idiot who quarreled with you a while
ago seems to belong to that faction.”

“Because it was unavoidable. Is there anyone else out there?”

Leo couldn’t figure out what kind of person Aidan was. But he was sure at least he
wasn’t a bad guy or a dark-hearted guy.

“There are a few more.”

“Oh yeah? Who is it?”

“I’ll explain that later.”

“Great! Ah. Would you like to eat together later?”

“What? Why me?”

Aidan and Leo left the classroom murmuring. Not knowing that one of the remaining
students in the classroom was watching them.

***

‘Hmm. Is this a private classroom?’

Standing in front of the room called the laboratory, I felt a little strange.

As it is Theon, the new teachers are given a considerable amount of personal space.
The name plate at the entrance also had the name Rudger Chelici.

‘Let’s go inside.’

I was curious to see what the inside looked like, so I decided to check it out.

I opened the door and entered the classroom and I couldn’t help but be surprised to
see the person who was inside.

“Oh. Mr. Rudger. Come in.”

One of the people I have to watch out for here, the president of Theon Academy was
inside.
‘Why is she here all of a sudden?’

I walked into my private classroom with leisurely steps and closed the door.

Unless I know for what purpose the other side came to me, I should never reveal my
inner feelings no matter what.

As the door closed, a suffocating silence entered the room. Naturally, I sat across
from the president who was sitting on the guest sofa.

She looked at me and smiled but it was the president who spoke first.

“How is it? The interior design is so pretty, isn’t it?”

There is no point in saying such things.

“Yes.”

“Theon Academy provides each teacher with their own personal space. Ms. Rudger is
free to do anything you want to feel comfortable here.”

“I like that.”

The president’s golden eyes turned to me. I also looked at her without avoiding her
gaze.

I saw myself in the beautiful amber-like eyes. It was the same when we first met, but
when I looked into the eyes of the president, something made my body itchy.

I immediately switched the topic.

“What did you come here for, sir?”

“Did I come to a place I shouldn’t be?”

“It is because I am curious that a busy person like the president would come to the
personal space of a new teacher like this.”

“Then it’s not like I’ve come to a place I couldn’t come?”

“But it’s burdensome.”

When I spoke directly, the president kept her mouth shut.

The gentle smile was still there, but in her eyes, a strange emotion that was hard to
understand was spreading like drops of ink dropped into water.

The president shook her head.

“There is no particular reason.”

“Is that so?”

“No matter how new Mr. Rudger is, he is a precious teacher who has been assigned
to the Theon Academy. Of course, as president, I have to pay attention.”

“Okay.”

When I nodded, she showed a sullen expression as if she was dissatisfied.

“You can be a little more surprised.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m already surprised enough.”

It’s not a lie, it’s true.

I opened the door with a pounding heart because it was my personal space, but
when I saw the president, I was very surprised. Even if I ran into a ghost on the
street in the middle of the night, I was confident that I wouldn’t be more surprised
than this.

In fact, even now, my heart is beating like crazy, so I’m worried that the president
might hear it.
“All the other teachers were surprised.”

“Have you visited other teachers?”

“Mr. Rudger is the last.”

Why was I last? And does the president plan to interview the new teachers? I
suddenly remembered the existence of the secret society that had permeated Theon.

‘Perhaps.’

The president noticed something? No matter how secretive it was, it was impossible
to completely hide its tail.

‘She must have noticed that those with suspicious movements had entered Theon.’

If I didn’t realize before but now that I know there is a secret society here, the
attitude of the president seems to be different.

Does she doubt me?

‘There is a possibility.’

It’s a bit unfair for me, but honestly, I have no objection. I’m not a member of the
secret society, but I’m a secret society executive.

I wonder how the hell this happened, but this is actually my situation right now.
When I think about it, my real identity is not so proud, so I have to work hard to
avoid being found out.

“What did the president come to ask me?”

“I’m also going to check how the first class was. You had just finished class, didn’t
you?”

“Yes.”

“Was there ever a case where the students had a hard time or something like that?”

“There was nothing.”

Rather, I wondered if it would be okay if the students didn’t ask me questions like
this.

Well, there were times when I was intentionally telling them not to approach me, but
I just meant not to bother me too much, I didn’t know anyone would do it. Ah. Still,
the daughter of the Lumos family asked a question.

“Hmm. That’s amazing. I looked at the list of students attending Mr. Rudger’s lecture
this time, and there were many famous students.”

“Is that so?”

“Did you not see the list?”

“Now I have brought it for you to see.”

I waved the paper in my hand.

“Well, Mr. Rudger is up to you, but just in case you don’t know. The princess is also
there, so please be careful not to cause any problems.”

“Yes.”

Princess? I wonder why someone like the princess came to my class.

Suddenly, I remember the blonde student who asked me a bold question. Come to
think of it, when I said that she had a familiar face, was it her bloodline?

“And I heard that there are many freshmen. Originally, I thought you would only
teach the second years, but I think you taught it as a joint class with the first years.”

“Because I had no intention of differentiating between the first year and the second
year.”

“I am not trying to blame you. Rather, I’m in favor of Mr. Rudger’s method of making
a change of his own. Especially among the first graders, I see some pretty amazing
kids.”

“Amazing kids?”
“Yes. [Unusual] There are children who use magic, there are children from great
families, and there are children who have been raised quite hard in the tower. I
usually think that there is a gap when there is a difference in grades, but I think that
will be rare for these freshmans.”

Thinking of her students and smiling brightly, I thought she deserved the position of
president of the academy.

Every time I see that smile, my skin tingles.

First of all, I’m not in a position to speak with confidence in my conscience, so I just
gave a brief reply while listening to the president’s words.

“Well, anyway, our Theon has high expectations for Mr. Rudger Chelici.”

“You’re praising me too much.”

“I’m glad that there were no problems in the first class and that the first impressions
with the students seemed to be okay. No need to worry.”

After saying these words, the president got up from her seat.

I asked politely.

“Can we have a cup of tea?”

“Yes?”

Was it surprising that I said this? She showed a slightly bewildered expression, and
then she rolled her eyes like a crescent moon.

“I appreciate the suggestion, but I have a lot of work to do.”

“Okay.”

“And Mr. Rudger has just arrived, so do you know where the car is and where the cup
is in this office?”

“It must be on the inside of a shelf somewhere.”

“Ding. In fact, we only prepared coffee. If you want to drink tea, you have to apply
separately for it.”

“I didn’t know.”

“You can find out in the future. Then, I wish you all the best in the future.”

The president greeted with a playful smile and left behind those words. She was
truly a gentle storm.

I let out a small sigh and rubbed my eyelids with my fingers.

***

“How was it?”

Wilford, an old gentleman, followed the president as she walked down the hallway
with a leisurely pace and asked.

“Are your doubts about Mr. Rudger cleared?”

“Hmm… Well.”

The President recalled the conversation she had with Rudger Chelici, specifically the
restrained attitude he showed.

“Not completely.”

“Is that so?”

Rudger Chelici was a unique man. The president thought so.

When anyone meets her gaze they are captivated by her golden eyes. To be precise,
her eyes themselves are a reverberation of her innate magical power, enchanting
magic.

It is the power that the president possesses, and the number one reason that made
her rise to this position.

Of course, she didn’t intentionally use the magical eyes of charm on her opponent.
This is a kind of innate constitution, so if anyone makes eye contact with her, they
will get caught without her intention.

Thankfully, she was able to control it to some extent now, but her daily life was
difficult in the past.

Now that she has become the president, she admits frankly that she would not have
been able to come to this position without her eyes.

She tried to open up her inner thoughts using her personal interview as a pretext.

‘My magical eyes tend to be more influenced by the other person’s magic power.’

Her magic eyes can affect even 4th rank wizards. Of course, the premise is that the
opponent did not use mind-defense magic.

In particular, the greater the magical power they have, the more easily the opponent
would succumb. The power of the magic eye is proportional to the total amount of
magic the opponent has.

But Rudger didn’t.

He must be in the 4th rank, but his reaction is completely different from other
teachers.

The first time she met him was when he had just entered her office and this is the
second time. The man did not show any shaking even after seeing his magic eyes
twice.

Did he resist the power of her magic eyes only with his steel will? The president’s
eyes lit up.

‘He’s a fun guy.’

The president had no choice but to think so but she can’t express her feelings
explicitly.

“A suspicious movement has been caught, so we are looking at the people who are
most dubious, but there are no results.”
Ever since she found out that an unsavory group has been hiding in Theon, she had
been unable to ignore even the smallest of things.

Among them, Rudger Chelici was embroiled in a train attack while on his way here.
It’s not his fault though.

What if the train attack was a diversion and the person named Rudger Chelici was
swapped out in the meantime?

The president sent Wilford, the henchman she trusted the most, and one of the
strongest among this Theon’s powers with the pretext of escorting him to the
academy.

“What do you think, Mr. Wilford?”

“Hmm. I don’t think I can trust him right away, but I haven’t found anything
particularly suspicious about him.”

“Is that so?”

If Wilford said that, he would be one of them or he could be innocent. Or maybe he’s
such a great guy that he completely fooled them.

‘For now, I can only hope that it is not the latter.’

There are so many things to be concerned about right now, so she decided to stop
worrying about Rudger.

“Ah. But I can be sure of one thing.”

“What is that?”

“That man, Rudger Chelici, is by no means ordinary.”

“What did you see to say that?”

“I can only answer that it is an old man’s sense.”

“What?”
Wilford seemed quite sympathetic to Rudger Chelici at first.

If Wilford, who has a clear eye for people, says that, she can believe it. Still, she didn’t
completely dismiss her doubts because at any moment, that possibility could lead to
the worst outcome.

A wizard is a being who needs to think deeply about every possibility. Above all else,
she is the president of Theon Academy.

Since she is a person who has risen to an impeccable position that does not tolerate
even an inch of negligence, she has no choice but to be careful in all cases.

***

Left alone, I was able to relax my shoulders and let out a sigh only after I saw her
step away from the door. I’m tired.

‘The president visited me suddenly.’

Well, in her words, it’s like a normal personal interview with new teachers. The
president or someone who is going to be the president suddenly comes and says it,
but who would believe it?

I think they were all interrogated.

‘That’s not what’s important.’

I went straight to my personal desk and sat down. The desk made of luxurious wood
looked quite expensive. A clock made of cog wheels on one wall and on the other
wall, the map of Theon is fixed to the board and spread out.

Red curtains are spread to the left and right by the window with an antique design,
and even the chair I’m sitting on is very luxurious.

I was once amazed at Theon resources for allocating this amount of space to a new
teacher, and again admired that it was filled with all kinds of luxurious things.

I looked through the list of students attending my lectures.

‘It was real.’

On the list of students taking classes, there was a student with an unusually long and
wonderful name.

2nd year Erendira von Exilion.

If has the name of the empire Exilion as her surname, one would know that she is of
noble blood, unless one is a fool.

‘Isn’t that the kid who boldly asked me during the first orientation?’

The princess taking my class is burdensome.

Even though Theon is said to be like a third area where autonomy is guaranteed even
in the Empire, it is a different story if there are people from the imperial family.

If something happens to her, I will be involved as well.

‘In the first place, there is no way that something will happen to her in Theon, but no
one knows what will happen.’

I cannot rule out small incidents and accidents that occur when experimenting with
magic reagents, conducting actual battle simulations, or performing alchemy.

Even if I care about the safety of my students as much as possible, there are cases
where students fight each other out of the reach of teachers.

In order to eliminate such a situation as much as possible, teachers are also given the
duty to protect students…… Now that I think about it, there is also a secret society
hidden in Theon.

Still, nothing will happen right away, so let’s think about it calmly.

I also looked closely at the list of students. Among the first and second graders, there
were quite a few children who stood out.

‘Flora from the Lumos family, and even nobles from other kingdoms?’

Then all of a sudden, my eyes turned to a student and stopped.

‘Aidan.’
He wasn’t brought up in a particularly great family, and he wasn’t taught by a famous
wizard. He was just a commoner.

Since he came here, he must have had some talent, but I couldn’t find anything
special about him compared to other students.

‘Something familiar.’

There was something that strangely caught my attention.

‘I can’t remember right now.’

Even when I thought about Aidan, nothing immediately came to mind, so I decided to
move on.

I put all the personal details of the rest of the students into my head. A total of 54
students in the first year and 26 students in 2nd year.

The ratio of 1st and 2nd graders is roughly 2:1. I thought that the number of first
graders was higher because of the color of the nameplate, but it was more than I
thought.

‘Even among first-year students, there are some guys to be wary of, especially the
newcomers promoted by Magic Tower and the Alchemy School.’

Even students with mediocre grades in Theon are called geniuses if they go outside
and it is said that all geniuses are out of line somewhere.

After checking the list of all the students, I put the papers on the desk and pressed
my finger on my flaky forehead.

’I am tired in many ways.’

I reflected on the meeting and conversation with the president a while ago. When I
think of the president coming to me, it means that I haven’t fully earned her trust yet.

She’s not completely suspicious, it’s probably half and half. Depending on how I act
in the future, there is a high possibility that her gaze towards me will be different.

‘I do not care.’

As long as I have already decided to take on the role I am assigned to, I have no
intention of showing suspicious behavior. The president is a <Lexorer> at the sixth
rank, which is almost the highest among the eight existing ranks.

I heard she’s very close to the 7th rank.

Even 100 rank 4 wizards have no chance against her.

‘Even so, the biggest problem is the secret society.’

The secret society is quiet because it is the beginning of the current semester, but if
time passes and there is a chance to move around, it will move right away.

The question is why have they infiltrated Theon Academy? What are you trying to do
by planting people here while dealing with some members of the academy? Are they
hoping to overthrow Theon? Or is there something in Theon?

‘Maybe it’s some kind of action against the Empire.’

I took a piece of newspaper stuck between the papers and unfolded it. Newspaper
articles written in black letters still talked about the last terrorist attack on the
magic engineering train.

[The magic engineering train terror incident was eventually revealed to be the work
of the revolutionary army.]

It seemed almost certain that the revolutionary army was behind the train attack.

‘To be honest, I am nothing more or less than a terrorist.’

If it was the original history of the earth, the politics at this time would have felt like
a parliamentary system was added to the modern constitutional monarchy, but in
this world where magic exists, the kings and nobles still had very strong authority.

Still, seeing all kinds of various movements taking place in this world over the past
50 years, this world also tends to flow similarly to the trend on the Earth where I
lived.

Magic has stagnated and science has risen rapidly. At the same time, even magic
engineering was born by combining science and magic. It is simply surprising that
this drastic change took place less than a century ago.
That was the reason the revolutionary army arose.

‘However, there is a high possibility that the secret association has nothing to do
with the real revolutionaries.’

To put it bluntly, the death of the real First Order, Rudger Chelici, assured me of that.
If they were in the same organization, why would he have died because of the train
attack?

His reaction then was from someone that had never expected the train he was riding
on would be attacked. It can be said that the train attack was not expected at all by
the secret society.

‘It would be right to separate the secret society and the revolutionary army.’

And there is one more fact that can be guessed here.

The First Order, Rudger Chelici, was not suitable for battle. He definitely had a talent
for magic and pretty good judgment. He must have been highly trained.

‘When my subordinate saw my face, she just passed me on as the First Order. That
means that even they don’t know the face of Rudger on the train.’

Why? They thought it was normal for Rudger to change his appearance?

‘If they thought it was natural for Rudger’s face to change, I can tell the character of
the dead Rudger Chelici.’

In other words, the characteristics of the First Order are disguise and infiltration.
That was rather fortunate for me. At least, there is no reason to doubt other
members of the organization by their appearance

It’d be nice to be at peace.

‘For now, I’m not going to do anything using my First Order identity in order to clear
the Academy’s suspicions.’

The troublesome things can be done by my subordinates, so I only have to focus on

solidifying my position as the First Order. I probably won’t have to worry about it for
a while.
However, when the secret society rises to the surface and becomes active the
problems will arise in earnest. From planting an executive-level figure as a teacher, it
was clear that they were planning to overthrow Theon in some way.

‘It’s complicated.’

It doesn’t look like Theon will be destroyed easily, but that doesn’t mean it’s an
impenetrable fortress. No matter how powerful an empire is, it is bound to collapse,
history has proven it.

In particular, in an era of extreme transitional form like these days, the possibility
becomes closer to reality even the slightest possibility that the secret society will
overthrow Theon cannot be ignored.

‘In that case, it would be better to leave Theon and entrust myself to the secret
society.’

No. That’s not okay. I have to do that to live, but I won’t last long.

It shouldn’t be a problem if I’m pretending to be a teacher for now under the guise of
Rudger Chelici but what if the other First Order notices Rudger’s subtle change?

‘They will definitely find out.’

I don’t know what I’m going to face when they discover that I’m a traitor. I’d rather
have the best chance of surviving if I intentionally interfere with their plans while
maintaining this teacher’s position. But again, if I openly stand on the side of Theon,
the society will immediately notice my betrayal.

‘I’m walking on an extremely thin rope.’

Unless I know what the purpose of the secret society is, I can’t plan my course of
action right now.

I picked up a pen and wrote down on a blank piece of paper what I was planning for
the future.

-Be on the lookout for the First Order of the secret society. I need to quickly find out
who it is. After that, avoid contact as much as possible.
-Maintain your position as a teacher. Don’t neglect the class.

– In order not to raise suspicions on the side of the academy, for now, focus on
working as a teacher.

Roughly speaking, it’s these three for now.

I didn’t worry that anyone would ever see this post since I wrote it in Korean, so
people in this world will not know what this means even when they read it.

‘Hmm. All I can do right now is do my best as a teacher.’

“Tock tock.”

I tapped the wooden desk with my fingertips.

If the secret society contacts me and asks why I’m not acting I can use my job as an
excuse for now.

I immediately pulled out a new piece of paper to write on and picked up my pen. I
had an acquaintance who was originally supposed to meet somewhere else, but I had
to tell him that I couldn’t go there.

‘I have a lot of work to do.’

Actually, I had to deal with it on the first day, but I forgot because there were so many
things to take care of. Well, there’s nothing to regret about this, so the guy won’t say
anything.

I thought of the possibility that someone might open this letter, so I wrote it in a
roundabout way as much as possible instead of speaking directly.

Like Rudger Chelici’s letter, I also used a passphrase. Finally at the end of the letter I
added one more phrase.

[Don’t forget to bring my luggage.]

***

The reply to the letter I sent came the very next day. The promise written in the
letter is to meet next weekend at the Leathervelk industrial park.

As for me, I wanted to meet him a little earlier, but I agreed since I understand that
we’re busy with work in our own way.

After checking the letter, I immediately burned it in case something happened. I

immediately got out of the office and headed to the dormitory in light clothes.

“Excuse me…!”

Then someone hurriedly came up and called me.

He seems to be a Theon employee, but seeing that his clothes are neater than other
people’s, he seemed to be an errand man.

“Are you Mr. Rudger Chelici?”

“Yes. What do you want?”

When I asked that, the messenger flinched and showed a slightly terrified
expression.

While I wondered if even the employees were avoiding me, the messenger handed
me a document.

“What is this?”

“It’s a patrol watch ticket.”

Wasn’t that usually done by the members or the guard? Why do teachers do that?

As I stared at him with that kind of gaze, the messenger broke into a cold sweat and
made excuses.

“It seems that this time there was an instruction from the president. Now that the
new students enter the school, it is the most lax period for the students of Theon, so
this was done in order to prevent the students from causing any problems.”

“Even teachers have to participate?”

“The president said the teachers would be the most effective and in the contract,
there is a clause that teachers must also step in to prevent problems that occur
inside Theon.”

Come to think of it, there was such a clause. However, I thought it was meant to be
done in moderation at the discretion of the teachers.

I didn’t know I would be so active.

“Hmm.”

Maybe it’s because I accepted my attributions differently?

The messenger was sweating in a cold sweat and hastily added an ambiguous
explanation.

“You don’t have to stay up all night. You just need to check from time to time until the
dorm curfew.”

“And today is my turn?”

“Yes”

I got my watch ticket from the messenger without a word. It had the name Rudger
Chelici written on it for today’s date. Since there are many other teachers besides me
at Theon, I think they only do this kind of patrol once a week.

It’s going to be a little annoying if I have to do it on the weekend.

“Okay then.”

The messenger, who had delivered everything he had to say, hurriedly left the place
as if running away from me.

I ignored the messenger and looked through the list.

‘Since Theon is so wide, every teacher moves around his designated area?’

Today, there were three more people on the watch besides me. Among them, I saw
the name of Selina, the new Elemental teacher who was assigned with me this time.
Well, since our areas are different, we won’t run into each other, but if we do, let’s say
hello.

‘More than that, the fact that this was not the case in the first place, but suddenly
implemented under the direction of the president, means that the president also
suspects that there are spies among the teachers.’

Perhaps the reason teachers were called this way is to detect suspicious contact or
movement. If you are a spy, you will not act hastily unless you are an idiot, but that
does not mean that the president’s policy is meaningless.

The fact that the president gave such an instruction is because it acts as a deterrent
by itself to instill a sense of awareness so that the other party does not act recklessly.

This is kind of a warning.

From the president’s point of view, it is a policy where there is nothing to lose if a
suspicious person is caught and a warning can be sent even if no one is caught.

‘Nominally, there is no objection to the fact that the excited students might cause
problems at the start of the school year, so the teachers are taking steps to prevent
the incident.’

They’re not ordinary students, they’re geniuses who use magic, but of course, the
scale of thinking is different from the general ones.

What new teacher would dare to reject the president’s order? Even in an academy,
hierarchies exist. If it’s black, it should be black.

For reference, the patrol area I was assigned to was <Magic Training Grounds>.

“…This is true.”

The training ground was a place frequented by students to show off their magic
skills, so it was difficult not to have any problems.

Did she send me here on purpose? I hoped not as I was heading to the patrol area.

***
The magic training ground was not far from the main building. Close enough to reach
in 10 minutes on a well-paved footpath.

A large structure can be seen through the trees in the moderately manicured garden.
The overall design is an exterior reminiscent of a super-large greenhouse.

‘It’s filthy big.’

Even on Earth, the size of the training ground is so large that it cannot be properly
viewed. There are three such buildings.

They are called Training Grounds 1, 2, and 3 respectively, and Training Ground 3, the
largest of these, is also the main stage of Theon Academy’s Event, 「Magic Festival」.

First, I looked at the nearest training ground 3, and there were no problems, so I
passed.

There were only a few people at the second training ground that I stopped by after
that, and most of them went back to the dormitory after finishing their training.

Now, I was just about to check the last remaining training ground No. 1.

“How dare you, such a lowly commoner!”

Along with the high-pitched voice that seemed to tear in octave units, I could feel the
magical energy fluctuating inside the training ground.

Sensing that my anxiety had become a reality, I immediately ran to the inside of the
training ground.

When I ran down the hallway and arrived at the handrail of the audience a girl was
seen trying to shoot her magic at another girl. The magic she used was–Second-level
spell [Burning Thunder].

Even if it is a second-level spell, it is a magic that can inflict fatal damage if the
opponent is defenseless.

’I shouldn’t be late.’

I immediately activated a spell. Even though the magic that the student casted was
almost complete, with the source code, my 3rd level and lower spells are faster than
anyone else.

The magic I used is a first-class release magic [Shining Stone]. Just before the student
magic was completed by my [Shining Stone] pierced the center of the magic circle
and smashed it.

“Who is it!”

The student whose spell was destroyed glared at me with an angry gaze.
The training ground of Theon is an open space that anyone can use. Since it is so
wide and there are as many as three such training grounds, students can freely
practice their magic in a spacious space wherever they go.

In particular, first-year students who are curious about the prestigious Theon
facilities are the ones who use the training ground the most at the beginning of the
semester. As a result, it was only the first graders who naturally had minor accidents.

The children, who entered the school, heard that they were geniuses wherever they
went. Freshmen who have not experienced proper competition have strong self-
esteem because they believe they’re the best.

As they progress through classes gradually, there will inevitably be conflicts and it
was at Training Ground No. 1 where that happened most often.

Just like right now.

“What? Say it again.”

“…This is a place that everyone can use freely. I don’t have any reason to leave.”

Rene frowned as she saw the three students staring at her with contempt.

She had her gray hair, which is rare even in the Empire. She visited the 1st training
ground out of her curiosity a little while ago and she got into an argument.

The reason didn’t matter. They’re just going to use this place, so they told Rene to go
somewhere else.

She didn’t want to leave since there aren’t that many students using the training
ground, and there’s plenty of free space and got into an argument with the three of
them, one woman and two men.
All of them are children of aristocratic families and among them was a first-year
student named Dunema Rommli, the daughter of Count Rommli, she was the one
who told Rene to leave.

“If it’s uncomfortable, why don’t you guys go?”

“How dare you talk to me? How dare a vulgar and cheeky commoner talk back to a
noble blood like me?”

“…Theon does not divide classes by nobility or bloodline. You didn’t even know about
that when you entered here?”

“I guess that’s what you guys just want to believe.”

“That’s right, Lady Dunema. That’s why low-ranking commoners can’t do it.”

“That’s why it’s not for nothing that people say that you shouldn’t be nice to the
lower ones.”

Two male students flirt with Dunema from both sides.

Rene bit her lip. At first, they didn’t even try to listen to what she had to say because
she is a commoner and if she continued to argue with them nothing would change.

Rene just turned her back and ignored them, but that action must have properly
touched the heart of Dunema, who had high self-esteem.

“……Commoner, how dare you ignore what I say?”

Count Rommli was a typical aristocrat who fell in love with the idea of the chosen
people and made fun of the common people. And Dunema, the only daughter of such
a count, also deeply inherited her father’s inclinations.

As she grew up seeing and hearing only such things since she was a child, she had no
choice but to become such a character.

Dunema thought that she should be the lead role in the academy. She had a lot of
great seniors in the second year, so even so, she said that she has to be the most
dazzling among these first year students. But everyone who came to Theon was a
genius and it was hard for her to adapt.
‘I can’t do this!’

Even taking classes in the same classroom as common people was embarrassing, but
she didn’t want to accept the fact that there were students with more talent than her.
Nobility should always be lofty and stand above all, for she was the chosen one and
the commoners were but her discarded tools to make her stand out.

To Dunema, the commoner named Rene was an annoyance. The first time she
noticed her was when she was in the classroom.

Ash gray’s hair color, which is rare to see around, also drew attention, but it was
Rene’s beauty that bothered Dunema more than anything else. She was like a doll
made by the goddess of beauty, as if she was not of this world.

Her self-esteem was hurt and Dunema could not forgive that. Dunema needed a
target for her anger, and the target was, of course, Rene, who evoked these feelings in
her, so she quarreled with her.

‘What the hell is that cheeky attitude?’

Rene’s eyes looking at them as if they’re pathetic. Dunema gritted her teeth and
glared at the back of Rene’s head.

’You dare ignore me and think I would accept it?’

Dunema pulled out her wand and lifted it. It happened so unexpectedly that even her
two followers did not respond.

It was the same with Rene. She never imagined that Dunema would do such a thing
in Theon.

“How dare you, such a lowly commoner!”

A spell is formed with magic power, and seeds of lightning are splattered around.

Rene sensed something and looking back her blue eyes widened.

‘Stupid. It’s already too late.’

A cruel smile formed on Dunema’s lips, she didn’t want to kill but ruin Rene’s face.
At the moment when she wanted to shoot the prepared magic into the face of that
heinous commoner white flash of light pierced her magic. Seeing the reverberation
of the scattered lightning, Dunema contorted her face like a demon.

“Who is it?”

She looked in the direction the while flash came from and saw a man looking down
from the audience.

“What are you doing?”

The moment that voice mixed with subtle anger reached her ears, her skin reacted.
That momentum and spirit that made her teeth collide by themselves.

Dunema knew who the man was.

“Mr. Rudger?”

“While on patrol, I suddenly felt a wave of magical power and came to see it.”

His gaze glances at the gang of Dunema, Rene and the students who have only
watched from the vicinity, but have not stopped them.

There is no such thing as a fight between students. To be precise, it is an incident

where one side unilaterally tried to surprise the other.

“It seems that you don’t take Theon seriously.”

Rather, if they had fought each other head-on, it could have ended with just a
warning.

However, arbitrarily launching a surprise attack on an opponent who is not willing to

fight is undoubtedly a one-sided negligence injury. The teacher even witnessed it
clearly with his own two eyes.

“What does that mean?!”

Dunema, already full of anger, cried out in protest to Rudger.

“This is to protect our authority as nobles…!”

“Authority? What authority?”

“That’s because this commoner……”

“In Theon, all students are equal. Learning, teaching, and magic are only judged by
their talent and passion. I don’t care what noble blood you have.”

Rudger’s words meant not to pretend to be aristocrats here.

Dunema bit her lip but Rudger shook his head at the completely unrepentant act. He
was convinced that the first graders would cause problems. Rather, it was possible
because they were freshmen who did not know about the world yet.

Of course, freshmen who don’t know how Theon works, make their decisions based
on the environment they’ve been living in. Their narrow way of thinking where they
believe that the world they lived in is everything is causing the problems.

Just like Dunema Rommli in front of him right now. But not knowing is not an excuse.

“It has not been long since the start of the classes, but you already caused such a big
problem, please be aware that discipline cannot be avoided. You follow me right
now.”

Rudger said so and immediately turned his back.

I thought that issuing a warning like this would reduce the issue. Of course, it wasn’t
just a warning, it was meant to be a real punishment.

“Only a Fallen Nobility……”

After the words of Dunema Rommli the training ground, which was still quiet,
became even quieter.

“Du, Lady Dunema?”

The two students, who could be described as followers of Dunema, were sweating
profusely. This behavior was not what they wanted it to see. Even Rudger Chelici,
who was about to leave, stopped walking.

The faces of the students who watched the situation became pale.
Dunema belatedly realized what she said but she couldn’t take back the words that
had already been uttered.

“What did you just say?”

Rudger’s even more subdued voice turned towards Dunema. It didn’t stop there, but
his body floated in the air. As if walking in the air, Rudger slowly descended from the
audience, landed on the ground, and slowly walked towards Dunema.

“Thud. Thud.”

With each step Rudger took, Dunema felt as if the world was collapsing. She didn’t
know it when he was far away, but when she met him up close, the pressure that
Rudger exuded was beyond imagination.

Its appearance was like a giant, she felt that Rudger could crush her with a finger.

“Ahhh.”

Without realizing it, she said something harsh. Even so, there was something she
shouldn’t have said, but she crossed that line. It is no wonder that Rudger was angry.

“Did you say I was a fallen noble?”

“Oh, uh. Ah……”

Dunema couldn’t even move her mouth properly as she looked up at Rudger. The
atmosphere was almost bloody and it wouldn’t be strange if someone died.

“Mr. Rudger!”

From outside, Selina hurriedly ran and called for Rudger to stop. She, too, had just
arrived after hearing the news. But as soon as she arrived, all she saw was the figure
of Rudger staring intently at a shivering girl.

‘No way. Perhaps. perhaps.’

Anxious thoughts ran through her mind and she hurriedly tried to stop Rudger but at
that moment Rudger opened his mouth.
“You’re not wrong.”

It was a completely unexpected thing to hear.

“What?”

“Now what the teacher said……”

She thought he would be angry or that he’d give her corporal punishment on the fly.

“Obviously, I am a fallen nobleman but this is Theon, and I am Theon’s teacher.

Dunema what you said was clearly a student challenging the authority of the
teacher.”

Rudger spoke in an infinitely calm voice.

“You are still young and before coming here you were an aristocrat. If it’s your first
time, you might not know.”

“Ah……”

“So, I will let it go this time but know that there is no next time.”

A completely unexpected, yet very mature response.

The students had no choice but to stare blankly at Rudger.

“Of course, what you did to your classmate will be punished accordingly. I hope that
has enlightened you.”

Dunema felt that the world was collapsing at his words of discipline, but she could
not protest. Rudger’s point-by-point remarks were far too rational, to the extent that
she thought that doing this was meant to teach her.

Rene shrugged at the fact that Rudger had called her name.

“And you Rene.”

“Yes, yes!”
Rene shrugged at the fact that Rudger had called her name.

“Are you injured?”

“Yes?”

“Are you injured?” Rudger asked again.

“No, teacher helped me so I’m okay.”

“I’m glad.”

Rudger immediately turned his head to look at Selina.

“Miss Selina. Please go back.”

“Ah yes!”

Rudger left her training ground with those words to Selina.

No one dared to move, until he disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.
After I got out of the training ground, I went straight to a place where there were no
people.

After looking around and seeing that no one was there, I took a pill out of my pocket
with trembling hands.

‘I thought I was going to die from enduring it.’

I poured the pill into my mouth and chewed it as it was. Intense magical power
spread in my mouth with a bitter yet elegant sensation that touches the tip of my
tongue.

‘Whoa. I will live.’

As the medicinal energy spreads and magical powers are supplied to the brain, the
organ that had been damaged gradually returned to its original state.

I sat down on a quiet bench and caught my breath.

The first signal came when I stopped at the 2nd training ground. My fingers tremble
slightly and my head feels dizzy. It was kind of like a chronic disease after I came into
this world.

‘If it wasn’t for the medicine, it would have been a disaster.’

Still, I thought it was tolerable, so I checked up to Training Ground 1 and tried to take
the medicine right away but I had to intervene in the freshmen’s fight. No I shouldn’t
call it a fight since there was a clear distinction between victim and perpetrator.

So I intervened in the middle and managed to prevent things from escalating.

Afterwards, while talking about punishment, I felt the wave that had subsided once
soared. Feeling my body telling me to put the medicine in my mouth, I quickly settled
the situation and tried to leave but there was a problem.
Who would have thought that she would boldly say things like fallen aristocrat
there? For a moment, I didn’t even know if she was talking to me, and I thought
deeply in my head for about three seconds.

I wonder if it was something the kid really said, and I had all kinds of complicated
and long lines in my head, but my communication skills were poor. But the problem
is that after hearing this, I can’t just go as a teacher.

‘I mean, why did you have to say that at that time?’

If I was alone I would have pretended not to hear it and passed it on, but there were
too many witnesses around. In the end, in order to protect my authority as a teacher,
I had to say something first, but my head did not work well, so there was nothing
plausible to say.

-Originally, what you did is a clear challenge to the authority of the academy.

– It may be referred to the disciplinary committee according to the school rules.

-You may receive a penalty or even get attention from the president.

Well, I should have said these basic words, but I couldn’t remember them.

‘So I just spit out whatever came to mind.’

I was trying to manage the expression on my face that almost collapsed while I
spoke. Maybe my face was a little distorted. There is a little bit of blood in my eyes.

‘It won’t be a big problem, will it?’

Anyway, Selina-sensei also came, so I succeeded in leaving in a hurry.

I got up from the bench, gulping the pills in my mouth. Fortunately, it is an early
symptom. If this had gotten worse here, other people might have noticed my
weirdness.

‘Is this the last medicine?’

When I saw that the medicine box was empty, I sighed. I put the extra medicine in
the pre-mailed bag, but I didn’t know it was going to turn out like this because things
went wrong in the middle.

‘Next weekend, I decided to meet him. To be honest, it seems difficult to hold on until
then, so I’ll have to send him another letter and tell him to come earlier.’

If not, I have to rent a private medicine room and make it myself, but if I do, it will be
recorded in the records, which is a big deal.

‘I hope nothing will happen until then.’

With my head getting clearer, I took a deep breath and set out on patrol again.

***

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. Thank you for your concern.”

“This is my job.”

Although she vehemently said that she was okay Selina took her to her infirmary.

Selina gave her a warm smile and waved her hand, but Rene was sincere.

“That…… Teacher Selina.”

“Yes?”

“How is that kid?”

“You mean Dunema? I’m not sure.”

“Oh right……”

“Still, according to the school rules notified in advance, it wasn’t just a fight, it was a
one-sided attack, so I wondered if she would receive disciplinary action even if she
wouldn’t be expelled from school.”

It would be better if the academy would give stronger discipline to people with
strong self-esteem like Dunema but both of them had a vague feeling that they
wouldn’t.

She was still a freshman who didn’t know what to do, so the lenient punishment also
played a part, but above all else, since her father is a count, they will try to take care
of it.

“Why? Are you worried?”

“Nope. I’m just curious.”

To be honest, I don’t feel sorry for Dunema, who attacked this way. On the contrary, it
was surprising that she was not expelled from school for what she did. I was just
asking because I was confused.

“Are you worried?”

“Yes?”

“Your expression is showing it.”

“Ah……”

Rene nodded her head slightly.

“It just seems to be more intense than I thought when I came here. I thought Theon
was a place full of dreams and ideals.”

“……”

“But this time, when I spoke with a noble student, it didn’t seem like that at all. Even
though the person who did the wrong thing will be punished, there is no guarantee
that something like this won’t happen again in the future.”

“……yes.”

Selina also agreed with Rene’s opinion.

In Theon, royalty and commoners are said to be equal, but that was rarely true. Even
if teachers mediate students as much as possible in a neutral position, there is no
way that problems won’t arise when students are alone.
Even some aristocratic teachers discriminated against commoners and subtly
favored noble students. As a result, some who were proud of being nobles looked
down on the teachers just because they were commoners or fallen aristocrats.
Dunema’s abusive language to Rudger was an extension of this situation.

“That’s right. To be honest, I also think that was harsh on Mr. Rudger.”

Rene put her hands on her waist and puffed her cheeks as if she was trying to prove
she was mad.

Selina smiled softly as she looked at Rene, who had her eyes widened as if she didn’t
know what the teacher would say.

“But it’s because Mr. Rudger passed on it. There is nothing more we can say.”

“Aren’t you mad?”

“Of course I am angry. I’m trying hard but it must have been Mr. Rudger who had the
most complicated thoughts at the time.”

“Ah.”

Rene remembered the expression Rudger had made at that time. A shadow was cast
on her face so she couldn’t see well, but she must have been terrified.

After she met those eyes, Dunema’s face turned white. Rudger was originally a
terrifying teacher, but she couldn’t imagine how terrifying he would be if he was
truly angry.

Even so, Mr. Rudger offered to take care of her Dunema’s mistake only this time. He
must have been angrier with himself than anyone else.

It’s not just about surrendering to the other’s family and passing on it. Rather, it was
more of a mercy for educating a student who was truly in need.

Sure enough, Rudger had consistently looked at her with her cold gaze. There was no
way that a person who showed such an attitude would have resigned from the
authority of the other person’s family.

When he admonished Dunema, he frankly told herself that she was right. Rene
looked at him and was completely surprised.

“So I’m going to try to believe it too. She must have done something wrong, but we’re
still young students, aren’t we? I think there is an opportunity to change.”

“Ah.” Selina scratched her head.

“Hehehe. Sorry. Did I talk too much like an aunty?”

“No. Teacher Selina is also young enough. I would have called you sister if we had
met outside.”

“Oh, thank you for the compliment. Rene is a good kid.”

Selina herself would think she was getting older, but in Rene’s eyes, she was so
young that if she wore her school uniform, she would only look like her senior.

She is beautiful and always smiling, Selina has already been the object of adoration
by some boys but she’s not really aware of it.

In the first place, I wonder if the mid-20s are that old.

“Yes. Sister~. That’s a good word. I wish I had a younger sister like Rene.”

“I wish I had an older sister like Selina.”

“Really? Oh my, you’re pretty.”

“Hehe. Then, can you give me a little more points for the Elemental Studies class?”

“It’ll depend on how hard you work.”

Selina smiled and returned Rene’s prank.

“The time has already come. I’ll go look around the rest of the patrol area. You have
to tell me if there is something wrong with your body.”

“Yes.”

Selina waved and left the infirmary.

She was left alone, and Rene looked at her body and thought she was fine, so she got
up from the bed.

‘By the way, Mr. Rudger called my name.’

When she used the training ground, she wore comfortable clothes because she was
afraid that her uniform would get dirty. Naturally, back then, she didn’t have a name
tag, so no one knew her name. But Rudger Chelici called her name naturally.

‘Did you remember my name after one class?’

For Rudger Chelici, she’s just one of 80 students, and a commoner who doesn’t even
need to be noticed. Still, Rudger remembered her name.

Suddenly, she remembered what he said to Dunema.

‘In Theon, everyone is equal.’

Like throwing a stone into a calm water surface, those words ripple through Rene’s
mind.

If he had only said it but didn’t mean it Rene would have been disappointed but
Rudger didn’t. Through his actions and his unshakable convictions he instilled hope
for a fair Theon.

‘My first impression was obviously that he was a scary teacher.’

As a new teacher, I didn’t expect much when I took his first class. However, I was
surprised by the innovation of source code that Rudger showed.

Even after Flora’s actions he mediated the situation, he ended up warning the
student even though he had been insulted.

The figure that suddenly appeared and saved her in a moment of crisis was
momentary, but it was like seeing a prince riding a white horse in a fairy tale.
Involuntarily, her heart was pounding.

‘No. Mr. Rudger probably didn’t care just about me.’

I’m here to learn magic, not for dramatic encounters.

 ***

After the incident at Training Ground No. 1, nothing unusual was found on the patrol,
so I was able to return to my dormitory with peace of mind.

When I got home, I immediately sent a letter to him. It was difficult to wait until next
weekend, so he had to come earlier.

The reply came back early in the morning.

What was written on the inside was simple. The task at hand was finished earlier
than expected, so he was going to come immediately.

The meeting point is in the factory area beyond the eastern commercial district of
Leathervelk. I wrote the letter, thinking that it would be a suitable place for people
not to see.

‘Today is Friday. Tomorrow is Saturday, so one day should be enough.’

It’s the first weekend after the start of the semester, so the students may be excited,
but will the same thing happen as the day before?

With that in mind, I heard a strange story from Selina, who was having lunch with
me.

“Werewolf?”

“Yes, werewolf.”

Rumors about a werewolf began to circulate in Theon.

Teacher Selina, who was smiling brightly today as well, nodded her head at my
question.

“Yes. Rumors have already spread among the students. Werewolves exist only as
urban legends. Is it funny?”

“……”

“No matter how many geniuses there are, I think they are still students. You don’t
have to care about such a joke.”

Selina laughed bashfully saying that the students’ imaginations were so cute, but I
couldn’t help but sigh.

It is said that the first source of the rumor was students who had gone out to the
nearby city of Leathervelk the day before. At sunset the first eyewitness saw a black
shadow gliding across the roof of a building through the night mist that subtly
descended.

I shook my head.

“Aren’t they still children?”

“Yes. Still, it was a little strange to hear that the werewolf that was seen outside the
city was also seen in Theon.”

“In Theon?”

“Did the children in the city spread the word, so the students inside the school saw
something and thought it was a werewolf?”

“Theon is so wide and since it is a place where all kinds of magic are spread, it is said
that there are cases where strange phenomena occur due to magical powers. There
really are 7 ghost stories, right?”

“Are you talking about the 7th ghost story?”

“Yes. Did you not know?”

“Ms. Selina is well aware of ghost stories.”

“Yes Yes?!”

These were just words of praise, but for some reason, Selina-sensei overreacted a bit.
Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed pink. Her hair stood up as if it had swelled
a little.

When she looked at me wondering why she was reacting like that, she hurriedly said
as if making an excuse.

“I was just thinking about what topics would be good to have conversations with
students”

“Okay, calm down.”

Seeing her arms swaying to and fro, it felt like if I made a mistake, she might bump
into a plate and spill food.

“No. Not really.”

However, Ms. Selina continued to make more desperate excuses as to whether she
felt something impatient in my attitude.

When I thought our meal was unlikely to continue as it is, Ms. Merylda, intervened.

“Ah. Come to think of it, Mr. Rudger, I heard that you did quite splendidly during your
first class, is that true?”

“What do you mean?”

“It is said that I showed a groundbreaking magic that increased the speed of spell
casting. What did they say the name was?”
“Source code!”

Selina also forgot her embarrassment, turned on the lights in her eyes and shouted.
Due to her loud cry, a momentary but silence lingered in the teacher’s dining room.

Selina realized her own mistake and bowed her head. Her earlobes, exposed through
her pink hair, were dyed bright red.

I sighed a little and nodded my head.

As I nodded my head in agreement, eyes flew in from all directions. It was the gaze of
the teachers who were eating at the other table.

As I was wondering why, Ms. Merylda came closer and explained it to me so that I
could hear it.

“It’s because everyone is interested in Mr. Rudger’s magic,” she said.

“My magic?”

“Oh. Are you pretending not to know? Mr. Rudger had already shown his magic in his
first class, and rumors spread within Theon.”

“Hmm.”

I put a piece of meat in my mouth and figured out how things were going.

‘Are they interested?’

From the first day of class, I vaguely guessed that it was going to be like this.

From the point of view of the people of this world, the source code borrowing the
21st century computer programming method would be truly innovative. It was fully
expected that the ripple effect would surely reach other teachers as well.

“I heard that it dramatically shortened the speed of spell casting. Is it true?”

“Yes. That’s enough to make a lot of money by filing a patent to the tower.”

Selina responded as well.

Well, to say the least, it’s not wrong. Source code will become a wind of change in the
now stagnant magic society. In fact, if I provide this kind of magic to the tower that
has a magic patent system, I will be able to sit on a cushion of money.

“I don’t care about that.”

I pretended not to be humble, but I know better than anyone that it is better not to
apply for a patent.

For those who do not yet know what it is, providing a newly developed magic to the
tower would be a great thing, but the reality is a little different. There is definitely a
magic patent system in Magic Tower.

Wizards who lack money want to make money using such a patent system, but such
a good appearance is only superficial. Even a patent becomes a patent only if it is
properly recognized by the tower.

The problem is that most of the magic that is submitted as a patent is usually hit
with all kinds of excuses in the Magic Tower.

‘I’d rather just make excuses. There are many people who would abuse this.’

Other new teachers may still have a positive perception of the tower, but I have a
different perspective because I have already experienced how dirty and degrading
the tower is.

Indeed, even if those old judges developed a new magic that could not be criticized,
the problem still exists.

‘If you don’t have a supporter or the backbone of an aristocratic family, you will be
robbed of the magic to be patented.’

Or, if a person is dissatisfied with the tower and does not apply for a patent, he may
be dragged into a back alley and forced to give up the magic.

Actually there was such a case.

In other words, the patent system used by the tower is nothing more than a fake
with no reputation. Knowing that, I did not dedicate my magic to the tower to make
money.
‘At least, Rudger’s status is better now.’

Although he is a fallen aristocrat, he is currently working as a teacher in Theon, so it

is not bad in terms of awareness. However, even with such a status, if I’m careless,
my nose will be cut with my eyes open.

A stagnant place where greedy old men are rampant it’s like gooey mud.

In any country, such a place is disgusting and deliberately showing the source code
in Theon was an act that involved some calculation.

First, spread the word to the students and tell them that the groundbreaking magic
source code was invented by Rudger Chelici.

Rumors among students spread will to the teachers, and even among teachers,
rumors will spread to the outside of Theon. That’s how it’ll get into the ears of the
tower.

For a person to go in with their head bowed first and apply for a patent, it is a
mistake, however, when the other side approaches me because they are anxious
about the appearance of a new magic, then our positions are reversed.

And the status of the Rudger will rise even higher. He is a teacher of Theon with
considerable talent, rather than a new teacher who has nothing.

If you have a business card like this, they won’t be able to ignore me easily. It will
take some time, but there is nothing better to solidify my position.

‘But the problem is that other teachers are turning their eyes to me.’

Selina and Merylda are fine because of their good personalities, but the other
teachers have been blatantly jealous of me. In particular, Chris Benimore’s eyes, one
of the teachers who joined at the same time as me, seem to have the magma seeping
in his eyes.

I’ll kill people with those eyes.

“I’m sorry though……”

“You don’t have to be sorry for showing it to students first.”

I turned around like that and got up from my seat.

“I will go first. I have my next class.”

“Ah yes! Work hard!”

“Goodbye~.”

I nodded my head lightly to the two teachers who greeted me, and then quickly
walked out of the teacher’s dining room.

***

Merylda narrowed her eyes as she looked at Rudger as he left. From the first time
she saw him, she thought he was a great man, but after talking to him a while ago,
she realized for sure.

‘Instead of revealing it to the tower, he kept it secret until now and showed it in the
first class.’

From Merylda’s point of view, Rudger’s behavior was not like a wizard these days.
Because he is too cold-hearted, he lacks a lot of empathy, so he is selfish and lacks
consideration for others.

In the world of magic now, even a master who should teach someone does not trust
his pupil. She felt desperate because she had also been through a similar situation.

But what about Rudger?

Although he possessed that great magic, he did not show off his skills around him.
And what’s even more surprising is that his magic was used in front of the students.

‘No matter how young the students are, if you show them how to use magic, some
savvy people might catch it.’

Doesn’t that guy even worry about losing his magic? There are only two reasons for
doing this. One, the magic is too difficult.

‘Or.’
I determined that it doesn’t matter if I lose it.

‘Ah, maybe.’

But it wasn’t until then that he showed the dignified attitude he showed when he ate
a little while ago.

That can’t be the explanation.

‘This kind of person is a new teacher like me.’

The more she thought about it, the more humble she felt. Merylda sighed and turned
to her side. Selina, her classmate and close friend stared blankly at Rudger’s
departure.

‘I’m pretty obsessed with this one too.’

After Merylda shook her head, saying she couldn’t help it, she immediately smiled
mischievously and tapped her fingertips on the nape of her Selina’s neck.

***

The Saturday after the theory class.

At noon, when the sun was shining brightly, I went to Leathervelk, a city near Theon.
First of all, it was nominally a simple walk to see the nearby city, but in reality, it was
because I had a prior commitment.

The appointment is in the evening, but there is still plenty of time left. I came out
earlier to see what Leathervelk was like.

‘The city itself looks pretty cool.’

Leathervelk, a city with advanced engineering, is a huge city with more than 500 km
of Ramzier River flowing through its center.

The flowing rivers and countless railroads on the ground were blood vessels that
instill the vitality of the city, and the people living in it are full of vitality.

Leathervelk, which has become the center of all kinds of commerce, magic, and
engineering, has earned the reputation of being the most developed city because it is
adjacent to Theon Academy.

I walked through ‘Center Pod’, the main street of Leathervelk. Unlike other districts,
here, gentlemen and ladies in suits were quietly enjoying their leisure time.

Center Pod, a place that symbolizes the revival of Leathervelk. This is a residential
complex inhabited by the wealthy, the trees were beautifully carved, and steam and
golem wagons roamed every road.

I sat on the terrace of a secluded cafe and drank coffee. Even on weekends, the subtle
scent of coffee beans that permeated the quiet cafe and the scent of the coffee I drink
mix to evoke a strange mood.

‘That’s cool.’

It is a beautiful place and I want to live in a place like this at least once. It is natural to
have such a thought.

‘A house is definitely expensive.’

I got up from my seat, paid for my coffee and I headed to the next area.

‘Grand Chapel’ is the downtown area most frequented by people in Leathervelk. A

huge white cathedral in the Gothic Revival style stood tall. It wasn’t just the
downtown area but it was full of all sorts of things that I had never really seen
before.

Machines that emit white steam from external combustion engines made of brass
and mechanics that work on those machines.

Children playing with small clockwork toys.

People on the street playing accordions, cellos, and violins, and citizens dancing
while listening to the music.

“……”

As I wandered around the city like that, the sun was setting.
“Dang. Dang. Dang.”

Huge clock towers towering all over the city rang the bells announcing that it was 6
o’clock. Since it was early spring, when there were still traces of winter, the sun set
early and the air that touched the skin quickly cooled.

I fastened the front of the black coat I was wearing and headed to the meeting place.

So far, I have only seen the beautiful appearance of Leathervelk, but the place I go
this time is the opposite. Shadows cast clearly under intense light. It was a place
called the ugly bare face of this city.

Pushing the wide-brimmed hat on my head even deeper, I walked through the mist
rising from the waters of the Ramzier River.

When even the clouds of blazing scarlet flames drifted westward, and the dark blue
skies covered the entire city of Leathervelk I stood in front of an alleyway in the
factory area where there was a thick fog.

There is no one here. Street vagrants also gave up begging and returned to the
depths of the alleyways, and children coughing harshly and working to earn a living
went home.

I am the only one here

The scarlet light from the street lamp collides with the fog and scatters haze. In that
empty stillness, I leaned my back against the smudged bricks, waiting for the person
I was supposed to meet.

‘I came early and you’re late.’

Just as I was thinking about it, I heard a sound from the back of the alley where I was
leaning.

‘Creepy.’

It is a sound that a human vocal cord can never make.

I turned my back from the wall and looked into the alleyway. A pair of red eyes
appeared from the inside of an unknown space where gray mist and black darkness
were half mixed.

‘It’s true.’

I remembered Selina words from the previous day in the dining room, the rumor
that the students saw werewolves. She went on to say that it was just a ghost story,
but looking at that now, I wondered what she would think.

At that moment the being in the dark rushed forward in an instant. I stared at it and
immediately raised my fist and slammed it on his head.

“Koo!”

Screams spread briefly in the fog.

I looked down at the guy sitting in front of me.

“Why are you late, are you trying to play with me?”

“It’s been a long time.”

Saying that, the guy who pats his aching head with his hand is the acquaintance I was
going to meet, and can be called my subordinate.

“It’s been a long time, Hans.”

“It’s been a long time, older brother.”

He was the one who spread rumors of a werewolf among students.

“More than that……”

Rudger interrupted Hans to reveal his real name.

“Now it’s Rudger. Call me Rudger Chelici.”

“You mean Rudger Chelici? Ah. Come to think of it, that was the name that sent me
the letter. What the hell happened? Why aren’t we meeting in the capital where we
were originally supposed to?”

“It is long to explain. Rather…”

Rudger glanced at Hans and shook his head.

“Even now an accident happened. What kind of bullshit is that?”

“Damn it. Who wants to be like this?”

Hans’s current appearance resembled that of a werewolf and anyone who would see
him on the street would scream and run away.

It’s dark now, but if they saw this in broad daylight, people would have felt puzzled
rather than running away because Hans’s appearance did not have the ferocity
characteristic of a werewolf. To be precise, he even had a cuteness that did not match
his size.

“What bit you this time?”

“A brown puppy in the arms of an old woman suddenly ran up to me and who knew
she would bite me?”

“Looking at your expression I can roughly tell what happened.”

Hans, half-human and half-beast, has brown hair. However, rather than the dark and
dull color of a wolf roaming the wild, it is closer to the conspicuous bright side.

Above all, the shape of the face is very different from that of a wolf. A little shorter
than the long head of a wolf, with a short mouth and bright eyes.

Its appearance was very similar to the [Pomeranian], which is famous as a cute pet
dog. The hairy puppy that bit him was a Pomeranian.

“I’ve felt it for a long time, but you are born with a very interesting constitution.”

“Damn it. Don’t laugh at someone else’s business. I don’t think I’ve been cursed or
anything.”

Hans is a human born with a slightly unusual constitution. That is, when an animal
bites him, he changes into its form and right now he looks like a werewolf.

‘However, it’s a flaw that it’s different from a normal werewolf.’

Werewolves, as the name suggests, only transform into wolves during a full moon,
but Hans did not. Hans remains normal even when he sees the full moon, but only
forcibly mutates when bitten by an animal.

It can be said that Hans, who can change in this way, has quite a lot of power, the
problem is the timing.

‘In today’s advanced age of civilization and science wolves, tigers, and bears are
found only in the mountains.’

And the precondition that he can only change through bites is absurd.

As a result, Hans said that the animals he could easily encounter in the city were
stray cats, wild dogs, or pet dogs kept by the ladies.

It even overlaps with the problem of whether his unique constitution is working in
some way, or whether the animals rush to him when they see Hans.

If Hans is a little careless, he will get bitten by a small beast and forcibly transformed
into a half-human and half-beast.
Hans’ powers are different from magic and closer to supernatural powers.

“Take it.”

Rudger took an injection ampoule of green reagent from his pocket and threw it at
Hans.

Hans hastily grabbed the ampoule with both hands and put it directly into his
forearm with a happy face. Then immediately a change occurred.

The hair that had grown on the body decreased, and his size that had grown was
gradually reduced. The bright and cute Pomeranian face also changed into a man
with a slightly mean look.

Hans, who returned to normal, touched his body here and there, and sighed in relief.

“Wheeyu. If it wasn’t for the hyung, I would have been struggling for a few more
days.”

“If you think about it, yes.”

It’s been quite some time since Rudger met Hans. At that time, Hans could not
control his constitution, so he was called a monster and was being pursued.

Still, if he had the power to turn into a beast, he could act as the king in a back alley,
but he was a guy who couldn’t fight by nature, so he just wandered around to avoid
persecution.

Meeting Rudger at that time was the fortune of a lifetime for Hans.

“I almost died when we first met,” he said.

“I thought you were a cryptid wandering the city.”

Cryptid refers to a monster that appears in various parts of the city now that real
monsters have disappeared. These guys can be seen as the remnants of monsters.

Compared to monsters that exist in reality, it was more of a supernatural

phenomenon. Demon beasts, spirit beasts, and other strange beasts or beings
shaped by negative emotions in response to magical powers.
The reason Rudger sought Hans was because he received a cryptid subjugation
quest. But when he first met Hans, Rudger was quite embarrassed to realize that he
was not the werewolf he had envisioned.

Hans at that time was half-human, resembling a Chihuahua.

“I was quite surprised to find out that you were a human being who could speak
properly.”

“Were you surprised by that? I was even more surprised by your behavior, who
developed a cure so quickly.”

“It is not a cure. It’s more like a neutralizer.”

“That’s it.”

Hans snorted.

Rudger nodded as he did not deny it.

“Rather than this, your pseudonym is Rudger Chelici. Are you also a teacher at Theon
Academy? When the hell did you change your identity as Rudger Chelici? It sounds
like you blew it up a bit. Do you know how surprised I was that you suddenly
became a teacher at Theon?”

“It’s a long story.”

Starting with the terrorist train attack, Rudger explained how he became a Theon
teacher.

After hearing the last words, Hans couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Pu ha ha ha! Big brother is great. How could you say you were Rudger there?”

“If I wanted to live, I had to.”

“If it were me, I would have considered it rather suspicious. Rudger is even a
member of a mysterious secret society?”

“He’s an executive called First Order.”

“Hmm… First Order.”

“Do you know anything?”

Hans patted his chin and fell into anguish. It was his habit when he was trying to
think of something.

“Hmm… I think I’ve heard of it. No, I definitely remember. Have you ever heard of the
recent uproar outside the Empire?”

“Not yet.”

“Well, it’s completely recent, so you might not know. They say there’s been a bunch
of new guys lately that are pretty strong and crazy. They grade their members by
Order.”

“It seems you are certain. What is the name of the organization?”

“Some call it the Black Dawn.”

Rudger pondered the name. Those with whom he was associated were certainly not
normal.

They planted that many people in Theon and assassinated members of the academy
to hide their identity.

“Do you have any more information about them?”

“It’s so recent, I don’t know the details. All I know is the name of the organization
and its ranking. But now you’re the First Order there?”

“It was a situation where I was wearing the mask of the guy who was originally the
First Order.”

“You were lucky enough to get over it, but if you make a mistake, it won’t be noticed,
right?”

“For now.”

“If caught, you will be tortured in ways beyond your imagination.”

Rudger grunted and rummaged through his pockets.

“So I have to be prepared.”

Rudger, who took out the medicine box, was about to eat the medicine inside, but
realizing that he had eaten the last yesterday, extended his arm to Hans.

“My bag.”

“Ah. I brought it here.”

Hans immediately took the black suitcase hidden in the dark alley and handed it to
Rudger.

Rudger checked if his luggage was in good condition.

“You open it?”

“Am I crazy enough to open your luggage? Even if I wanted to open it in the first
place, I couldn’t.”

Hans shrugged and denied Rudger’s half-joking and half-serious words.

Rudger opened his suitcase and looked at all of his personal belongings inside him. It
was the same as when he put it in after organizing it before sending it off.

Rudger took out two pills from the vial and popped them into his mouth.

Hans looked at Rudger with a slightly pitiful gaze.

“Brother is suffering too. Now that I think about it, both brother and I are in a
position where we have to live on drugs.”

“Unlike drugs, it doesn’t have any side effects, so it’s a shame.”

“So, what are your plans for the future? You must have been restrained a lot because
of your new identity.”

“I will have to think about it later.”

Originally, I had planned to use Theon power to suppress them or sabotage their
plans, but that alone felt insufficient. It is too optimistic to hope that Theon will take
care of the Black Dawn.

It was necessary to move a little more actively and uproot them.

“Hmm.”

Rudger, who was about to lock the suitcase that had been opened, suddenly
remembered something and asked Hans a question.

“Hans. If you had already arrived here two days ago, why did you ask me to wait?”

“What do you mean?”

“Rumors of a werewolf appearing spread all over Leathervelk, even in Theon, there
was someone who saw you.”

“Yes? Older brother, what do you mean? I came to Leathervelk today.”

“What?”

Rudger asked the question without realizing it.

It was the same with Hans.

“There were rumors of a werewolf in Leathervelk? Before I came?”

“I thought it was you.”

“No, I came today and you know my personality too. If I had come yesterday, I would
have asked to meet you right away.”

The two were speechless for a moment. So, who the hell is the werewolf in the
rumor that is spreading now?

“Ooooooooo!!!”

At that moment, a cry was heard from beyond the misty darkness. There was no way
the two men present could not hear the cry of this iconic beast.
“Older brother.”

“Huh.”

Rudger leaned his back against the wall and looked around him. The sound of
something moving fast along with the harsh breathing in the wind resounded in his
ears a little.

“A real werewolf.”

“You mean it wasn’t a rumor, it was true?”

“Maybe.”

At that moment, Rudger and Hans lifted their heads at the same time and looked up.
Above the high roof, just then, a black shadow could be seen passing swiftly across.

A black-haired beast shed blood-red traces of its eyes in the air. The foul odor
peculiar to the beast filled their nostrils.

“Crazy, it was true…… Brother, shall we leave for now? I don’t think he recognized us
right away.”

“It is only a matter of time.”

Werewolves were moving around quickly but it didn’t go far. He was roaming around
the factory area, wandering here and there.

The bastard is now looking for his prey.

‘I thought there was something on the werewolf’s neck.’

When the werewolf appeared in an instant Rudger’s eyes pierced the thick fog and
scanned his body clearly. What caught his attention in particular was something
similar to a dog tag on the guy’s neck.

‘Is belonging to someone he ate? No. Rather, it was more like a restraint, a leash.’

Maybe I saw it wrong. It was such a fleeting moment, so I might have misunderstood
something. However, the fact that that werewolf had appeared in Leathervelk and
the rumor had spread to Theon was caught up in the news.

“Hans. I’ll have to check it out.”

“Are you sure? Are you going to catch that werewolf?”

Rudger said so, picking up items from his suitcase one by one.

He wore a leather belt around his waist and the multifunctional belt was full of
empty holsters. Rudger put all the objects one by one into the empty slots on the
belt: throwing weapon, melee weapon, vials of reagents and finally, two revolvers.
Rudger quickly checked his guns, and then crossed them onto his back.

Rudger finished by wearing gauntlets with mechanical devices on both forearms.

Watching Rudger put on his gear one by one, Hans remembered the first time he had
met him.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen brother use it.”

Although all kinds of equipment were added, Rudger’s appearance did not change.
As such, the tools they are using now are very secretive.

“It’s the same equipment you used as a cryptid hunter? You used a pseudonym even
then?”

“I did.”

“What was that name? Brother has to use a lot of pseudonyms and I can’t remember
it.”

“Van Helsing.”

Rudger, with all his gear, closed the suitcase and stood up. A shadow fell on his face,
with his hat pressed down deeply.

“Abraham van Helsing.”

It was the name Rudger once used as a hunter.

5 years ago Durman Kingdom, one of the small and medium-sized countries in the
southern part of the continent, suffered from a headache due to the sudden
infestation of cryptids.

The nightmare continued for over a month, with wolves roaming in the middle of the
city, bizarre beasts devouring people every night, and the smell of blood lingering for
more than a month.

Even if the soldiers and knights were put in, the cryptids flirted with the knights and
avoided their encirclement. The situation escalated without a solution.

Among them was one of the most infamous Cryptids. It was a monster who was
active in Jevaudan, one of the major cities of the Durman Kingdom. This guy was a
rare monster that ate three knights who could be called elite soldiers. It was
Jevaudan nightmare, and the worst cryptid that reigned as the kingdom’s terror.

King Durman sent out an official announcement that he would give a huge reward to
those who subdue the Cryptids and all kinds of freelance wizards, wandering
knights, and famous mercenaries from the continent that had heard the rumors
gathered in the Durman Kingdom and started a massive cryptid subjugation
operation.

Countless cryptids have died, and many hunters have died as well. People called the
hunt at that time ‘The Bloody Night’ because the blood that was shed at that time
stained the ground red.

The Bloody Night was enough to establish the reputation of many people. At that
time, there was one man who left the greatest achievement. A person who defeated
the most notorious monster in Jevaudan alone, and achieved the highest killing
record for other Cryptids.
He was neither a famous wizard nor a famous high-ranking knight, nor an elite
mercenary, he was just a hunter.

The hunter was adept at handling all kinds of tools and weapons, and for a year after
Blood Night, he traveled all over Durman, killing more than three digits of Cryptids.

The name of the hunter who is also famous for not revealing his identity was
‘Abraham van Helsing’.

***

Rudger, fully equipped, walked slowly to the side of the road.

A damp night mist fell over the coat. Around the street lamp, a hazy scarlet light
spreads dimly, as if it drank water from the mist. The stench of the beast, which
secretly wafted through the smell of the mud, brushed the tip of his nose.

‘It’s a memory.’

“Bang!”

Rudger immediately kicked a drum blown in the street with his foot.

“Kudang!”

As the drum collapsed, an intense noise echoed through the air. The werewolf, who
was searching for his prey, heard the sound and turned his head. Those ferocious
eyes found Rudger standing alone in the center of the boulevard.

“Crung.”

The werewolf jumped from the roof of the building and got down in front of Rudger.

‘Big.’

Rudger was able to take a closer look at the werewolf. His height was about 2.5m or
more, his eyes were blood-drenched and his body was full of black hair.

He had sharp claws on both hands, which were so eerie that the anticipation could
be felt through the skin. But most of all, what caught the eye was the metal restraint
ball on the werewolf’s neck.

‘I wasn’t wrong.’

There is no way that a beast that has lost its sanity would wear something like that
around its neck.

‘Someone purposefully raised or created that werewolf.’

I didn’t think it was impossible. This is a world where magic exists and science has
developed in a strange direction, even Hans, whom he knew, has the constitution to
change into a beast when bitten.

Even if a secret organization made a werewolf as a test subject, there was nothing
strange about it.

‘The question is, why now?’

So far, there has been no news, but the incident happened not long after the opening
of the Theon Academy? And in the year he took office? He couldn’t help but be
suspicious of such a situation.

‘Well, if I catch him, I’ll know.’

Rudger immediately took a stance.

The werewolf contorted his face, presumably displeased when the man in front of
him rather than running away was confronting him.

“Ooooooooo!!!”

The werewolf let out a roar and rushed towards Rudger. A werewolf, who sprinted
through the ground on four legs, was faster than a car.

Rudger watched the movement and slid behind him. The werewolf’s claws cut
through the air in the spot where Rudger had been a while ago.

The werewolf swung its arms non-stop but Rudger continued to back step and
concentrate on dodging.
As soon as the tip of Rudger’s brown shoe touched the ground, a strange wave
spread out around him.

With each miss of the werewolf’s attacks, Rudger continued to pound the ground
with his toes, spreading waves of his magic. In an extreme situation where even a
single touch could shred his bones, Rudger never allowed the werewolf to hit him.

“Wooooo!!!”

The werewolf roared and spread his arms wide. He was going to attack him in that
state and hold him so he couldn’t escape.

Rudger’s mouth, which had been covered by the brim of his hat, smirked, the
werewolf, who was about to run to Rudger, suddenly contorted his face and fell to his
ground.

“Uh, huh?”

Hans, who was watching anxiously from afar, suddenly opened his eyes wide and
puzzled to see the werewolf collapse.

“It will make your head pound a bit.”

Rudger gently trampled the werewolf’s back.

Werewolves are more like beasts than humans. And since it is part of the canine
family, it is particularly sensitive to high frequencies that ordinary people cannot
hear. Rudger prepared such a magic while dodging the werewolf attack.

A magic that properly mixes sound waves and vibration magic is okay for humans,
but if used on werewolves who hear sounds beyond a certain band. Even now, the
werewolf’s ears are ringing in real time and the ultrasonic waves are still shaking the
surrounding area.

“There is no need to use expensive silver or the like.”

There was no more suitable method than this, since the purpose was suppression
and not killing in the first place.

Now, let’s check where the hell this guy was made.
It was at that moment when Rudger pulled out a syringe and was about to draw his
blood.

“Beep!”

“It’s here! Here comes the sound!”

“Everyone, move quickly!”

With the sound of a whistle, uniformed police officers rushed towards them from
beyond the fog. The police, who had been patrolling because of rumors of a werewolf
from two days ago, must have come to hear the commotion here.

‘At this time.’

At that moment when Rudger had lost focus for a moment, the werewolf, who had
been quiet, jumped to his feet.

Rudger hurriedly stepped back and was wary of the werewolf’s counterattack, but
the werewolf had no interest in Rudger in the first place… The guy shook his head a
few times, then turned his back and ran away.

‘This.’

Rudger sighed, dispelling the high-frequency magic that had spread around him.

As police officers carrying his magical powers appeared one by one, Rudger decided
that he had to step down.

“There! There is someone over there!”

“Arrest all suspicious people!”

At some point, the werewolf was climbing up the walls of the factory to the roof,
Rudger ran after him.

As Rudger was going through the dark alleyway, he felt the werewolf’s presence
receding and stretched his arms out into the air. The mechanical mainspring under
the gauntlet’s wrist turned quickly, and then a wire hook shot towards the roof.
The moment the hook was fixed to the roof railing, the gears rotated and the wire
was wound at high speed Rudger used the recoil to fly to the roof. Commonly called
wire launcher, it was the favorite object of Rudger when he was active as a hunter.

Rudger landed on the roof.

After pulling the wire to retrieve the hook, Rudger found the back of a werewolf
running away in the distance.

‘I won’t let you escape.’

Rudger put magical powers around his legs. In this world, magicians also use magic
to strengthen their bodies in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Rudger kicked off the roof with enhanced leg strength and followed the werewolf.
The night scenery of the factory area passes quickly and the figure of the werewolf
running away in the distance could be seen gradually getting closer.

While running, the werewolf looked back at something strange and found Rudger
chasing him, spurring the speed of his escape.

The werewolf, who had been skipping non-stop between the roofs of the factory,
jumped down onto the large railroad tracks below. At that moment, a freight train
loaded with magic stones was passing underneath.

The werewolf landed rough on the cargo hold. Rudger didn’t want to let him escape
so he jumped on top of the cargo hold as well.

Rudger lightly patted his shoulder with his hand, staring at the werewolf. Realizing
that he could no longer run, the werewolf got up and looked back at Rudger.

On top of the train, Rudger and the werewolf faced each other about three meters
apart. The hem of Rudger’s coat was blown away by the strong wind as the train ran.

“At first, I was just trying to capture you but now I changed my mind.”

My vision was blurred for a moment as the night wind brushed my cheeks and the
steam from the train’s head. Through the gap, the werewolf rushed towards me.

A fairly sharp movement that takes advantage of the blind spot and pierces the
opponent’s loophole, however the werewolf rushing towards Rudger stopped at the
strange noise ringing in his ears. It was a kind of instinctive intuition he had as a
beast.

That judgment was correct as something sharp swept past the werewolf’s neck at
both ends.

“It feels good.”

It passed through the skin of the werewolf’s neck, spinning and returning to Rudger.
It was a boomerang with sharp blades spread out like a fan and if he had been a little
late, the sharp circular saw blade would have cut the werewolf’s throat.

The werewolf quickly regenerated the wounds running down his neck. He was
furious at the fact that he had been hurt, and veins sprouted from his body.

“I was going to finish it in one shot.”

Rudger put his regrets behind him and took out a wand hung from his waist and held
it. This time it was Rudger’s turn to run.

He holds a staff in his right hand and uses his left hand to gather magical energy to
use [Shining Stone] and fires it straight like a bullet at one of the werewolf’s eyes.

“Swish!”

The werewolf bowed his head straight away and avoided the [Shining Stone]. At that
moment, Rudger snapped the index finger of his left hand and the [Shining Stone]
that passed by the werewolf turned in mid-air and hit the werewolf in the back of the
head.

As the werewolf panicked by the intense pain he felt in the back of his head, Rudger
ran up to the werewolf and swung his staff towards his face with all his might.

The werewolf tried to block it with both arms but a saw-bladed boomerang flew and
pierced the werewolf’s hands. The boomerang was thrown in advance by Rudger.

The werewolf caught the staff with his mouth and his eyes curved like a crescent
moon. The moment the wound on his arm would be regenerated, he was thinking of
tearing the cheeky human right in front of him but as if to ridicule the werewolf’s
inner heart, Rudger made his next move.

The handle of the staff was pulled and a pure white sword came out of it. The sight
was so unexpected that the werewolf did not even think to drop the empty shell of
the staff he had bitten in his mouth.

Rudger’s body rotated once in place and a white line was drawn in the air. The light
that was so thin but clear cut the werewolf’s neck softly.
‘Whoops. Seriously, I almost got caught.’

Hans, carrying Rudger’s suitcase, walked slowly down the dark alleyway, avoiding
the eyes of the police who suddenly came to the scene.

He arrived here today, but didn’t get lost because Hans already had a map of
Leathervelk in his head.

‘You went to catch a werewolf. When are you going to come back?’

As he was thinking, something fell in the air in front of Hans. It was the head of a
giant wolf that rolled to his feet.

Hans shrugged his shoulders, pinched his lips, and desperately resisted the screams
that were about to escape.

“Are you surprised?”

In the darkness of the alley opposite, Rudger slowly walked out. Shoes and leather
pants together with white shirt and a brown leather vest over it along with the long
drab coat on the outside, and the hat on his head.

“Damn it, older brother when you show up, talk to me! I almost dropped your bag!”

“It’s good you didn’t.”

“Is this the werewolf? Well, it’s not that I’m ignoring my brother’s skills, but I didn’t
think you could catch this terrifying guy in that situation.”

After checking the dead werewolf’s head with his tongue sticking out, Hans shook
his body and handed the black suitcase to Rudger. Receiving it, Rudger turned his
back and walked forward, Hans followed him.

“Can I leave that as it is?”

“I do not need it anymore.”

“No, then why did you bring it?”

“You were surprised.”

“…Did you still have in your heart what you were trying to scare your brother in the
alleyway?”

When Rudger was silent, Hans sighed and raised his hands.

“I lost, so let’s not do that again in the future.”

“Look at what you’re doing.”

The two of them got out of the alleyway and came out onto a busy road where
passersby could be seen to some extent.

“So what the hell was that werewolf just now? Was it really cryptid?”

“No. It was an artificially created test subject.”

“Experiment? I’ll have to take care of myself because the people who made it are
here.”

“Anyway, I have something to tell you about that.”

“What to say? I am suddenly very anxious right now, can I not listen?”

“……”

“Oh, okay! Say something.”

“I have to move ahead with what I originally planned.”

“Original plan? No way……”

“I think this is better than the capital.”

Rudger tossed two pockets at Hans.

Hans took them and checked the contents. One was full of gold coins and the other
was his beast neutralizer.

“Older brother. This……?”

“Shouldn’t we settle down too?”

“In this place where the secret society, Black Dawn, might exist? Even in a big city,
there are gangs in the back alleys.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll try.”

“You have plenty of money, so try hard.”

“Older brother?”

“First of all, I am a teacher, so I can’t move freely. The president is still suspicious of
me.”

“So now you want me to do this all by myself?”

Rudger shook his head.

“First of all, it is important to gather important information. Who are the gangsters
and the mafia in this city, and how the backstreet world flows. And how can I get a
seat there? Find out and tell me.”

Hans, who understood what Rudger was saying, swallowed his saliva, then smiled
and nodded his head.

“That is my specialty.”

***
Returning to the dormitory of the academy, I unpacked all my belongings. I’ve left
Hans alone to gather information for now, but he’ll be fine, his ability to gather
information is unmatched.

‘I will have to develop my own power in case of an unexpected situation.’

I can’t move right away, so I decided to just prepare.

The president is still suspicious of me, and I’m not sure exactly what the secret
society, the Black Dawn, is up to, so moving prematurely is counterproductive.

Having simply finished organizing my belongings, I sat down on the comfy sofa and
replayed the events of the day.

‘That werewolf wasn’t a pure Cryptid, but someone deliberately created it.’

The existence of werewolves is no surprise. Monsters existed in this world as well,

and they were driven out beyond the shadow barrier, which is now outside the
continent, but their traces still remain.

Cryptids are a prime example of this. These beings, subspecies of monsters, are now
more like urban legends or ghost stories from non-ideal occurrences of magical
powers rather than real monsters.

The werewolf I caught this time is also a type of cryptid, but to be precise, it’s just a
fake.

‘Experiments and witchcraft to create werewolves have existed since ancient times.’

There is a cursed potion made by adding various medicinal substances to the water
with wolf paws and mixing it with wolf’s fur, a transformation potion that allows
ordinary humans to turn into a beast by drinking it. Of course, this is black magic.

Black magic is banned at the national level, so the death penalty is unconditional
regardless of the reason for being caught.

‘But how dare you make such a werewolf openly. Seeing that there is even a mark as
a test subject, I don’t think it’s at the level that some power has touched it.’

Judging from the leash, did they capture a wild wolf and mixed it with human
factors? The marks of restraints, as well as the traces of various experiments
engraved on the corpse of werewolf were clearly the result of science.

Potions that corrupt humans and transform them into beasts are the exclusive
domain of warlocks that have almost disappeared. That’s where science intervened.

‘Someone deliberately insisted on it.’

If so, who is it? In order to make a subject of that level secret, it requires a fairly large
laboratory of the public eye. Space, confidentiality, and even experimentation,
considering all that, means that a big hand who can provide a huge financial line is
involved in this work.

Aristocrats, or millionaires.

‘There are people in the Empire who are rich enough to be suspicious.’

I shook my head. I don’t know who might be suspicious, but since I’ve killed the
werewolf and collected my serum, I won’t need to worry about this anymore.

It’s a long weekend, and I don’t want to get involved in troublesome work anymore.
Tomorrow is Sunday, so let’s take a good rest.

‘More than that, I have to prepare for the next class.’

There are so many things to deal with, it hurts my head.

***

Monday morning marks the beginning of a new week after a peaceful Sunday.

After eating a light toast and coffee for my breakfast I went to work in my private
office in the main building. Class is tomorrow, but first of all, as a new teacher, I have
to show myself to go to work because that’s social life.

After sitting at the desk in the office, I opened the newspaper I brought from the
dormitory.

‘…… What the hell is this?’

On the front page of the newspaper that came out this morning, there was a single
headline engraved.

[An unidentified killer appeared in Leathervelk!]

– Last Sunday, there were 5 additional deaths in Leathervelk. This brings the total
number of deaths to over 10. The identity of the perpetrator has not yet been
revealed, but eyewitnesses say it is a terrifying beast with black hair. Police have
announced that he is just a maniac murderer and will be arrested soon, but citizens
are still terrified.

‘What is this?’

I read and read the article on the front page of the newspaper. This was, after all, the
werewolf incident that I killed Saturday but the newspaper said the deaths were on
Sunday.

‘At that time, I definitely stopped his breath. And yet, when there are new victims,
does that mean that there wasn’t only one?’

There was a moment when I felt that things were going to be strange.

“Beep! Beep!” The translucent crystal ball placed on the work table began to flash
with a strange sound. I know what this is.

‘The president calls.’

Precisely, it’s a kind of signal for teachers to gather.

‘I have to go.’

I got up and put my coat on the hanger. Suddenly, I remembered what Ms. Selina had
said during the meal last Friday.

She said there were testimonies from students that they had seen a werewolf even
inside the academy.

‘Victims in Leathervelk, even eyewitnesses within the academy.’

Even if I excluded the one I hunted, the number of remaining werewolves is at least
two, maybe more than that.

Trying to put away such anxious thoughts, I headed to the conference hall where the
teachers were gathered.

The conference hall, located on the upper floors of the main building, was full of
teachers. Each of them is clearly competent in the field they teach.

As I entered, people’s eyes turned to me. Most of what was in their eyes was
curiosity, but I know that it wasn’t for me, it was for the source code I invented.

‘Mr. Rudger here!’

In that corner, I could see her familiar pink hair swaying. Seeing Ms. Selina waving
her hand towards this side, I headed towards her.

‘Is that person Rudger Chelici?’

‘I heard he invented some pretty cool magic, is that true?’

Among some teachers, there were quite a few people who looked at me hostilely, as I
was a fallen aristocrat. Their hostility and jealous gazes were quite stinging, but I
simply ignored them.

As I sat in an empty seat next to Selina, she greeted me.

“Did you have a good weekend?”

“I had a good rest. Did Selina have a good rest, too?”

“Yes. I also took a really long break. Did you hear the news? Last night, two first-year
students were attacked by a gangster and were seriously injured.”

After listening to Selina’s explanation, the situation was like this.

Last night two first-year students returning to the dormitory after going outside the
academy were attacked inside Theon. It was not life-threatening, but it was a serious
injury, and it was a great shock that this happened even inside the academy.

One of the students who just woke up this morning said that a terrible beast
attacked him.

“The werewolf rumors that have been around since last week must have been true. It
is said that victims have also appeared in the nearby Leathervelk.”

“Okay.”

It is difficult to dismiss it as simply seeing something in vain, and it is said that the
wounds engraved on the victim’s body are like being scratched by an animal.

This is probably the reason why they gathered all the teachers this time. First of all,
the contract said that the teachers of Theon had to work with all their might in case
of emergency.

That would mean that it would be difficult to calm the situation with only internal
guards or users.

‘If the opponent is a werewolf, it would be much better to send elite teachers than to
pour in mediocre manpower.’

Being a teacher at Theon doesn’t mean just teaching students in a normal way.

“The president is coming.”

When the woman, who looked to be in her mid-fifties with wrinkles on her face,
spoke, all the teachers they were conversing with became silent.

I looked to see who it was, and Selina explained it to me.

“Miss Marie Ross. She’s been in office for over 20 years. Her field of teaching is
pharmacy.”

“Okay.”

She held her position for more than 20 years? That is to say, she has great powers. As
she stepped forward to sort out the situation, the other teachers kept their mouths
shut.

“The president is coming.”

Then the door opened and the president entered. She always looked beautiful. In
addition to the alluring golden eyes, the two-tone hair of white and light pink
naturally catches people’s eyes.

“Good morning everyone. The reason I called this urgently today is because I have
something to announce to you all.”

The president went straight to the main topic without wasting time.

The mention of the rumored werewolf caused a stir among teachers as well.

“It cannot be. President, have you misunderstood? Cryptids in Theon.”

It was a greedy middle-aged man who appeared to be in his mid-50s who stood up
blatantly. He had his oily, turbid blonde hair neatly parted 2 to 8 and grew up to his
mustache. It’s like seeing an old-timer that exists in every school. However, when he
appeared, the atmosphere of the meeting room changed strangely.

“Anything you want to say? Mr. Hugo Burtag?”

“This is Theon, a place that is protected by the Exilion Empire. I think the students
made some kind of mistake by believing the ghost stories that were floating around.”

“Mr. Hugo, didn’t I just tell you there were two victims?”

“I know, the victims were both children of noble families so I don’t think there is a
werewolf.”

Hugo Burtag took a glance at the crowd.

“I think the culprit is a student of Theon, this is commonplace.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Otherwise, of the many students, only the children of the aristocracy have been
injured. Werewolves attacked this Theon? Rather, it is far more credible that some
students deliberately pretended to be werewolves and started the case.”

Those words certainly had some plausible persuasive power, but I had to feel
something instinctively offensive by Hugo’s words. He’s just trying to take the
president’s words and pass the fault of this case on to certain students.

I looked at the atmosphere and nodded inwardly.

‘Ah. I guess I get it.’

As long as Theon is an organization, the existence of factions within it is inevitable.

Students are divided into commoners and nobles, but what about the teachers?

The reality is that teachers, too, have a subtle current between teachers from
commoners and teachers from aristocrats.

Chris Benimore, a new teacher, refused to eat with me since I was a fallen aristocrat.

‘I thought the Black Dawn would be at a disadvantage, but I guess that’s not the case.’

Rather, I would not have known if Hugo was the only one who thought like that but,
there were quite a few people who subtly agree with his opinion.

The aristocratic teachers were united and a faction was formed. And that faction
didn’t seem to get along very well with the president’s faction. Even if we all work
together, it’s not enough for such a conflict to exist.

As I was wondering about Theon actual situation, a tiny bug crawled up the wall and
climbed onto my shoulder. The moment I threw it down with my hand, I couldn’t
help but stop. It wasn’t a worm but a small, thin piece of paper in the shape of a
worm.

Fortunately, the others haven’t noticed yet. I grabbed it naturally and checked the
contents so that others wouldn’t find out.

It was fortunate that most of the teachers’ attention was focused on the nerve war
between the president and Hugo.

“……”

After checking the contents, I pressed my finger on my slightly stinging forehead.

[Three test subjects escaped. Immediate capture. If not, remove them.”]

I will quickly find out who sent this message and who was behind the creation of this
werewolf. But the most important thing was the last sentence.

“There is a risk that the person’s identity will be exposed if the subject material is
stolen.”

Why are you giving me such an ordeal?

I crumpled the note and put it in my inner pocket.

I was troubled, first of all, I understand that Black Dawn has something to do with
this werewolf incident. However, the escape of a werewolf was probably unexpected,
given that I was given the order to remove him if capture was not possible.

‘The problem is that if caught, Black Dawn will be severely damaged.’

If they take a hit, that’s good news for me but the problem is that my identity might
be revealed. In other words, Rudger Chelici has something to do with the creation of
the werewolf.

You need to catch all 3 of them. No, now there are two. In other words, I have to find
and catch the werewolves before Theon, and then kill them.

‘By the way, the werewolves had a mark.’

Perhaps the mark itself has something to do with the guys who did the experiment.
The problem is that Rudger Chelici has something to do with it in some way.

To be honest, if this had nothing to do with me, I would have just left it to Theon. But
if I’m involved here, it’s a different story. If caught, I die.

“Mr. Rudger, is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

I shook my head in response to Selina’s question.

First of all, it was confirmed that there were three werewolves. I got one, so there are
two left, one in Theon and one in Leathervelk.

‘I have to hunt them down.’

Meanwhile, the war between the president and Hugo was almost over.

“Well, it’s up to you to act like that, Mr. Hugo. However, I hope that the given task will
be handled seriously.”

“So you are going to strengthen patrols?”

“It’s not just that. We as teachers cannot sit still until the number of victims
increases, and above all, late at night when all the students go home.”

At that, Hugo had an annoyed expression on his face. Rather than worrying about the
student, he seemed dissatisfied with the fact that a person his size had to go around
patrolling.

However, the incident has already occurred, and the seriousness of the situation is
also recognized by other teachers. Even Hugo was in a position that he could not
openly oppose.

“The teachers should warn their students not to run around late at night. It doesn’t
matter if you give a penalty point for any violation of it. This is an instruction given
by myself as the president. Do you understand?”

“All right.”

After the meeting, the teachers got up from their seats and dispersed one by one.

I also got up and tried to go back to the office, but some people blocked my way first.

“Are you Mr. Rudger Chelici? Nice to meet you. My name is Daniel Masrak, the
astrologer.”

It was obvious why they approached me, the greed in their eyes said it.

“I’m sorry, but I’m busy, so I’ll go first.”

I immediately dismissed their interest and left the meeting room.

***

Instead of heading straight to my office, I moved to a less crowded warehouse.

“Come out.”

If it was the guy who sent me a message in the meeting room, he would have been
waiting for me to come out. It is not possible to convey all of your wishes in a few
lines of messages, so there must be something he wants to say.

As I was afraid to speak, I could feel a shriek from behind the pillar, and then
someone stuck his head out.

“I……”

“Tell me.”

It was the Dark Dawn’s member who tried to approach me after I joined Theon.

“What’s going on?”

“That, so……”

She was visibly embarrassed, not knowing that she would ever see me again. Then
she revealed herself completely behind her pole, and I was a little surprised to see
her in Theon’s uniform.

Maybe she was a student here. The reason most Black Dawn members are hiding as
users is that the student’s identity cannot be so easily manipulated.

In order to enter this place, you need to have the talent or skills to pass the entrance
exam, if you don’t know anything else.

At the time of our first meeting, she wasn’t even wearing a uniform, so I didn’t know
she was a new student.

“Just move on. Follow me.”

“Ah yes.”

I took the lead, and she followed.

Something came to my mind, so I looked back at her and asked.

“Do you like coffee?”

“Yes?”

***

We sat facing each other in a quiet cafe. She had been shrugging her shoulders for a
while, not knowing what to do.

I glanced at her. White skin and dense facial features, with voluminous brown short
hair and a slightly delicate physique. I can’t see her ears and her bangs are long, that
are about to cover her eyes. She literally looks like a little squirrel.

I shouldn’t have threatened her so much the last time we met. I took a sip of the hot
coffee placed in front of me and placed it aloud on the table.

Just right.

“Hey!”

She shrugged her shoulders as the coffee cup and table made a sound.

“Name.”

“Yes?”

“I won’t ask you twice. Name.”

“Sedina Rosen.”

“Is that your real name?”

“Yes Yes.”

“Isn’t that a pseudonym?”

This is surprising, having a surname in this world means that you are not a
commoner, but a higher class. Noble, priest or the wealthy.

Why would someone who grew up in such an environment where there was nothing
lacking, had enough talent to enter Theon, but was only the lowest third order, join a
secret society?

‘No. On the contrary, the more you come from a family like this, the less you may be
treated.’

The strangest part is that there are only third-orders with this kind of talent. Well, I’ll
ask about that later.

I flicked my fingers lightly.

“Tell me exactly what happened without missing anything.”

“Uh, I…… around……”

“I used voice-blocking magic. Even if we scream here, the conversation won’t leak
out.”

“Voice blocking magic? W, as expected, First Order-nim.”

It was really strange that she kept calling me First Order. No, to be honest, it’s
uncomfortable.

“First of all, you need to change the name. Don’t call me First Order from now on.”

“Yes?!”

At my words, Sedina opened her eyes wide.

“I am now a teacher at Theon and you are a student.”

“Yes Yes.”

“From now on, call me Mr. Rudger.”

“How can I be disrespectful……”

“It is an order.”

“Yes.”
When I said strongly that it was a command, she nodded, saying she understood.
However, as opposed to being mournful, her lips kept trying to rise because she was
happy that she was allowed to call me by my name.

“So what is the situation?”

“Oh, yes. I’ll explain everything. The recent werewolf incident happened in our Black
Dawn, or to be more precise, in an affiliated organization that has teamed up with us.

I was momentarily taken aback by the sudden change in her tone of voice, but I
naturally nodded.

“Keep talking. Every detail, without omission.”

“Factions exist within the Black Dawn, as the First… Mr. Rudger, knows. In particular,
Victor Dreadful, another First Order-nim, was the one who worked hard on this
project.”

“Okay.”

Actually I don’t know anything. I pretended to know everything, and responded to

her words.

Victor Dreadful, I’ll have to remember this name.

“The Shamsus School, which was created by gathering scientists expelled from the
Society for conducting unethical experiments with the warlocks of the back alleys,
engaged in Cryptid Experiments as they did before.”

“Exactly what kind of experiment did they focus on?”

“Only a few people know that, so I’m up to that point…… Oh, and by the way, when
Victor asked Mr. Rudger to help him, he lent him his name.”

“He only lent me his name. I never knew it would come this far.”

From the reaction, it seems that Rudger was quite close with the person named
Victor, but it has now become poison.

The Shamsus School must have studied the cryptids, and the subject eventually
escaped, that’s what’s happening now.

“At first, it was their fault, so we had to let them take care of it, but in the end, one of
the escaped subjects hid in Theon through the sewer pipe.”

“So there must have been a victim the day before.”

“Yes. This was something that our Black Dawn never expected.”

“……”

“Oh, sorry. I talk too much…… When I get excited, I often make this mistake. Um, like
me……”

Sedina Rosen’s attitude changed noticeably and passively, perhaps because she
thought my stare had a different meaning.

I immediately shook my head.

“No. Unlike the stuttering when we first met, you were surprisingly good at
explaining, so I just admired it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You are surprisingly good at talking. Could you explain more? It was good to hear.”

“I, really?! Yes! All right!”

Sedina continues the explanation as soon as I throw a few words of praise.

I sighed in relief, if she stops explaining, I can’t figure out any more information. Now
I had to pull out everything I could pull out while I was in Sedina’s respect by putting
on a shell called First Order.

First of all, Sedina Rosen is the lowest third order member in the Black Dawn, but
her own abilities are quite outstanding. From gathering information to continuing
the explanation, the conversation itself is quite smooth, without interruption.

The note I received must’ve been sent through one of her secret spells. But why is
someone with this level of ability only a 3rd order?
First of all, the fact that Sedina has a surname means that her family is a pretty good
place.

‘Reaction that causes rejection when she says her last name in her self-introduction.
That is, she doesn’t like her family. Rejection? Resistance? Something much bigger
than that?’

The problem is that she must have joined the Black Dawn of her own will, but it
didn’t seem that way to the other members.

She may be a spy, or she herself is a character with a screw loose somewhere, so she
probably didn’t get along well with the other members.

‘Secretly sending a magic note to me, gathering information quickly and even
entering Theon. Her position is low compared to her superior ability. The
organization wants to throw her away after using her?’

Sedina herself must be passionate enough to swear allegiance to the Black Dawn by
devoting her body and soul, but the organization itself doesn’t like her. She tries hard
but her situation doesn’t improve and she gets bogged down further.

‘From the standpoint of the Black Dawn, I’d like to have it for now, but I’m hesitant
about how to use it.’

The First Order that she’s under doesn’t care about her. Maybe she’s just trying to
use it like a consumable item for a mission that requires her life to be thrown away.
Her future was already decided.

‘Will a Second Order take care of her?’

I just saw a crack in Theon for the first time at the previous meeting and now I could
also see one in Black Dawn. There is no perfect group in the world.

‘Maybe this…… ’

Knowing that Theon and Black Dawn both have significant problems felt like a way
out for me. Hopefully I can get something through Sedina.

“Once you capture the specimen, it is better not to leave any evidence behind.
Capture is a priority, but in the current situation there is no other choice but to get
rid of them as quickly as possible. Since there are three, we can do our best……”

“No. Two.”

“Yes?”

I took out the werewolf restraint orb from my inner pocket and showed it to Sedina.

“This is……”

“One guy was already caught.”

“Damn, when……”

“Two days ago in Leathervelk.”

Perhaps she didn’t know that I had already caught one of the three, so her face went
hazy.

“First Order-nim.”

She has a very respectful expression.

“Anyway, are there two left now?”

“Yes, yes.”

“You said that one hid here through a sewer pipe, so we will have to widen the search
around that area. Theon doesn’t know this information yet, right?”

“Yes…”

“Then I must move right away.”

I said that and got up from my seat. Sedina looked up at me, wondering if I was
already finished, but I thought she was rude, so she immediately bowed her head.

I unblocked the sound barrier and said,

“Sedina Rosen. See you next time if you have a chance.”

“Yes Yes! That…… Rudger, sir.”

Sedina blushes shyly while she speaks. Looking at it this way, she just seems like a
young girl of my age. How did such a child somehow end up joining the monstrous
organization called Black Dawn?

“Then.”

I left the cafe after emptying my coffee.

***

Flora Lumos was going to study at the library leisurely because it was a public class
today.

In her usual way she would have pranked someone today but she recently found
herself unable to sit still because a teacher ignited the magical will within her.

As she thought so, she was walking through an outdoor corridor lined with arched
columns.

‘Huh?’

Through the glass window on the second floor of a cafe not far away, she saw a
familiar face, Rudger Chelici. But there was something strange about the man’s
attitude.

‘Who’s the girl on the other side?’

Now, Rudger, who exudes a softer feeling than usual, was talking to a girl face to face.
‘What are you two talking about now?’

Rudger was having an in-depth conversation with a girl. At least that’s how it
seemed. However, no matter how much I paid attention to my ears, I could not hear
the conversation between the two of them from far away.

If that had been the case, Flora would have just thought that Rudger was giving
students career advice or talking about lectures but she saw that a strange magical
field was spread around Rudger and the girl.

‘What is that? Magic? Does the field block out the sound?’

Flora Lumos has a secret she hasn’t told anyone.

The reason why she was able to keep the title of genius even in Theon was because
she has a peculiar constitution called <Synesthesia of Mana>. She could feel the
‘color’ and ‘smell’ of mana.

Most people perceive mana or magical power itself only as a visual thing but Flora
also senses color. She sees a well-crafted magic recipe as a picture, and also feels the
scent of delicious cuisine.

Born in an aristocratic family, she is very sensitive to such things, so she can easily
find the difference in her manners even a little more than anyone else. It doesn’t
harmonize with other colors in particular, and it splashes out, or the stench mixes
between the good smells.

Naturally, when she feels the right magic, she sees it with a completely different
sense from other people. Like the colors floating around Rudger now. The magic that
spread almost around Rudger was perfect.

It was far away, so I couldn’t feel the smell, but the color of magical power was very
clear through the glass window of the terrace.
‘What the hell are you talking about?’

I was curious. If he was an ordinary teacher I would’ve ignored it but I couldn’t help
but wonder since it was Rudger.

‘Shall I just pretend it’s a coincidence and go?’

After thinking that far, Flora shook her head. Isn’t that too deceitful?

‘Absolutely not!’

Rudger was a wall she had to overcome.

On the first day, how much insult she felt in front of everyone. Of course, there was
no dispute about her defeat. The source code that Rudger showed off was so strong
that she had no choice but to lose.

‘Still…… It was something strange.’

When Rudger performed the source code magic, Flora’s first sensation was visual
pleasure and sweet fragrance that cannot be expressed in words. In particular, the
source code magic unfolded by Rudger was like looking at a beautiful painting in
which countless silver and gray metals were densely and firmly woven together.

Because of her unique constitution and talent, Flora felt boredom towards magic but
source code shown by Rudger, rekindled her passion.

‘One swipe…… ’

The moment Flora is about to move.

“Flora? What are you doing here?”

“Damn?!”

At the sudden voice coming from behind, Flora stood up and was surprised. Looking
back she saw that her best friend Cheryl was looking at her with a questioning gaze.

“Cheryl, what’s going on?”

“What’s going on? It was Flora who told me to study together in the reading room.”

“Ah, ah right. I did?”

“……Are you really okay?”

Cheryl gave her a subtly worried look. It’s already well known that Flora was
mistreated on the first day of class. Because of this, some students, who had always
regarded her with respect, ridiculed her.

“Yes? Just~. Nothing.”

“What is there? I think you were watching.”

“No no. It’s not like that. Come on, let’s go study.”

“Hmm.”

Flora pushed Cheryl and headed for the library. Still, her gaze did not fall from the
second floor of the cafe far away.

***

Having obtained information from Sedina Rosen, I left her a message that I would
see her next time, and went back to my private office right away.

I hung my coat on the hanger and sat on the comfy sofa, stroking my chin.

‘Let’s organize everything first.’

There is a place called the Shamsus School, where warlocks and mad scientists join
hands. It was them that made the werewolf as a test subject.

Although it is a separate group from the Black Dawn, they are still allies for now. One
of the Black Dawn executives, Victor Dreadful, joined hands with the Shamsus
School.

From Sedina’s explanation, I guess she was in charge of research within the Black
Dawn.
‘The problem lies with the Shamsus School.’

The three werewolf subjects that the Shamsus School had secretly experimented
with had escaped. I don’t know the exact location of the lab, but if I look at the riots
in Leathervelk, it’s probably in the vicinity.

If the werewolf had been captured as soon as possible at the beginning of the
incident, rumors would not have spread in the city. There were even deaths, so it is
impossible to simply cover it up.

One of the werewolves even sneaked into Theon and put two students in the
hospital. It is fortunate that there are no fatalities in Theon, but the problem is that
the situation is out of control.

‘It’s their fault, so it’s right to tell them to take care of it, but the problem is that the
Black Dawn gave some support for this Shamsus school experiment.’

My Rudger Chelici identity is also involved in this and if other members are captured
I might be caught as well. I want to survive, I have to catch the werewolves before
everyone else.

‘For now, my priority should be to get rid of the werewolf hiding inside the academy.’

At the same time, security patrols have been strengthened. Aside from the existence
of the werewolves, it is certain that there are monsters wandering inside Theon, so
the teachers will patrol until late at night.

No one would be surprised if I got rid of the werewolf here.

‘I thought I quit my job as a hunter a long time ago.’

Five years ago, I ended my blood hunt and practically retired because I was too
famous. Of course, I used the pseudonym of Abraham van Helsing in order not to
reveal my true identity. However, after hunting the Jevaudan cryptid, I became so
famous that more and more people tried to approach me so I retired and changed
my identity.

‘I changed my identity so many times.’

The last identity I used was Gerard, a wealthy middle-aged man with a lot of money.
It’s a fake life, not the real thing, but I didn’t feel that I was particularly dissatisfied or
frustrated. Was it because I was reborn in this world after I died once?

Little by little, my perception of life and death became different from that of others.

‘Even so, I don’t want to die again.’

I’ve already died once, so I don’t want to die again. If possible, I wanted to live longer
and more comfortably. But there were things that had to be done in order to do that.

Heading to the imperial capital this time was part of that but the train attack
changed my life forever.

‘For now, let’s focus on catching werewolves.’

This must be dealt with first before anyone else finds them. I shook my head as to
how to catch the werewolf.

***

Rumors of a werewolf among Theon students were like a hot potato.

Even the students, who had dismissed it as just a rumor, accepted the existence of a
werewolf when they heard that there were two injured students this time.

Naturally, the teachers had to suppress the curiosity and vigor of such students as
much as possible.

“Study! What nonsense are you believing? You’ll have an exam today, so focus on it!”

“Everyone, this is patrol reinforcement week, so please go home as soon as the sun
goes down. If you get caught walking around, you will be penalized.”

Some students, who were timid at the teacher’s warning, thought that they should
return to the dormitory immediately after class, but there were not a few students
who did not.

Naturally, the stronger the child, the more they want to do it when told not to do it.

“Aren’t you curious about the werewolf?”

“What?”

“Let’s do this.”

“What? Haven’t you heard that there is a penalty point for staying late outside?”

“Think about it. If we catch a werewolf, wouldn’t the school reward us for doing
well?”

“Then what if we get caught by the teachers before we find the werewolf?”

“We can’t get caught!”

There was even an official notice in the newspaper stating that if a werewolf was
caught in Leathervelk and a reward was published.

First-year students, who have not yet tasted the bitterness of the reality that they are
not that great in Theon, dreamed of becoming a hero by hunting the werewolf.

“Aidan, what do you think?”

Leo asked, looking intently at the students who were clamoring for what to do with
the bounty they would receive after catching the werewolf. At the same time, Aidan,
who had finished writing a formula on the magic board, asked when he heard the
voice calling him.

“Yes?”

“Weren’t you listening?”

“Why? What did you ask?”

“What do you think about the werewolf incident?”

“Oh, that?”

Aidan laughed softly.

The teachers told us to be careful, so I guess we should just do it. If we get caught,
we’ll receive a penalty point.”
“I thought you would say that.”

“Leo, are you?”

“I’m not the type to particularly like to go out. If there are going to be victims in the
first place, this is something teachers should take care of.”

A female student approached the two of them while they were having a
conversation. Her red hair was tied in large ponytails and her sharply raised
eyebrows were of a very attractive beauty. She stood in front of Aidan’s desk and
pounded her table with her palm.

Leo had a reaction like, ‘That woman is here again’, but Aidan was different. He
smiled brightly and greeted her girl, who was staring at them.

“Hi Tracy. Good morning.”

“Good morning?”

The girl who received the greeting, Tracy Friad, wiggled her eyebrows at Aidan’s
greeting.

Leo sighed in response.

“If you lost against Aidan then, isn’t it time to stop?”

“Lost? It was a draw. I haven’t been able to properly settle with Aidan yet and this is
mine and Aidan’s business. Would you mind not interfering?”

“Ugh.”

Leo shook his head.

It wasn’t long ago that Tracy Friad approached Aidan. The trigger happened during a
real magic battle. Aidan, who didn’t know anything yet, got into a match with Tracy,
and that’s where the relationship between the two began.

The situation was favorable for Tracy, but the problem was the unusual magic that
Aidan possessed.
“Let’s fight again with all our might.”

“Uh, huh? That, well.”

The match then ended in a rather ambiguous result of a draw, but Tracy could not
accept it. In order to revive the now-defunct Friad family Tracy has always done her
best to study magic and worked hard.

She wanted to be the best in the first grade, in fact her admissions grades were in the
top five. However, the fact that she could not win a proper victory over a commoner
hurt her self-esteem.

“In the evening after class.”

“I’m sorry, Tracy, I don’t think I can do it today.”

“Then tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow too……”

“Why!”

“Because there is a werewolf out there and we can’t be active at night. If caught by
the teachers, we’ll be penalized.”

“Ugh.”

At Aidan’s excuse, Tracy folded her arms, and then a smirk crept across her lips.

“Are you using that as an excuse to run away from me? I know everything. Are you
scared?”

Caught by this, Aidan said,

“Yes. Okay. Then like that.”

Aidan didn’t want to fight with his friend—even though he would vehemently deny
Tracy was his friend—so he decided to surrender.

Tracy raised her eyebrows and shouted into Aidan’s face.

“I will win Aidan!”

“Yes? What?”

“If you can’t fight, can you do something else?”

“No, so that’s……”

“Werewolf.”

When the topic came up, Aidan and Leo looked at each other and then stared at
Tracy again.

He was already worried about what kind of absurd proposal she would come up
with.

“Let’s say whoever catches the werewolf first wins the bet. How is it? Are you sure
you won’t be scared and run away?”

“No……”

“Okay. I will do it.”

“Leo?!”

Aidan tried to say no because it was dangerous, but instead he was astonished at
Leo’s action, which intercepted his words.

“Great! The loser grants a wish to the winner!”

Tracy replied ‘Of course!’ to Leo’s provocation and left the room.

“Leo. Why did you suddenly accept such an outrageous offer?”

“Idiot. If you don’t do it there, she’s sure to annoy us again. So, I gave it a fair shot and
passed it on. Look, she left right away now peace has come.”

“Still… Lying is bad. I don’t even care about the werewolf in the first place.”

“You idiot. Is that the problem now? After all, the teachers will take care of the
werewolf. We just have to stay still.”

“Unless she’s an idiot, she wouldn’t do such a reckless thing on her own.”

“…No way.”

Aidan and Leo looked at the back door of the classroom where Tracy had
disappeared at the same time.

“……”

“……”

No matter how reckless you are, you can’t do something like that.

“…No way?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Tracy was the kind of person who would do anything.

The two of them looked straight out the window. There, they saw the familiar red
hair sprinting and heading somewhere. The direction was on the opposite side of the
women’s dormitory.

It was in the direction of a dangerous forest where teachers had warned never to go
at the beginning of the semester.

“Something has happened.”

Sedina Rosen recalled her dreamlike meeting with Rudger with a hazy face.

‘First Order-sama acknowledged me. I was not wrong.’

Rosen, a family that is the most important object of the empire. Sedina was born
there. It may seem like a good family to others, but to Sedina, the Rosen family was a
more terrifying place than hell.

Her surname, Rosen, has always followed her cursedly, even when she came out of
her family. In order to break free from her hated family, Sedina joined the Black
Dawn.

She wanted to get rid of the Rosen name and to find the true self in the Black Dawn.
Knowing it was anti-social and unethical, she chose that path.

‘Here I can live on my own, not as a little girl from the Rosen family.’

But the reality didn’t work out that way.

Black Dawn was a place of resistance to the world and most of its members were
low-class or criminals who ruled the bottom of society. In such a place, Sedina, who
had the last name Rosen, was a very foreign entity.

-What? You have a surname? Really?

– Rosen? Why the hell is a person from such a great family here?

-Look out. She could be a spy.

-It’s like the damn upper classes.

Unlike them who came up from the mud, there was no way they could acknowledge
Sedina who came down from the top. That’s why even though she’s gifted in magic
and enrolled in Theon she’s still a Third Order.

‘I just wanted to be recognized.’

She wanted to get rid of that hateful family so she joined the Black Dawn. It wasn’t
her goal to eat well and live well. She believed that if she worked hard, their vigilance
and contempt for her would gradually reduce.

However, the Black Dawn members’ boundaries toward Sedina grew stronger, and
she became a target of envy and jealousy because she even had the ability to enter
Theon.

Without even receiving the attention of the First Order, she was kept at the end of
the Third Order because of the restraints of other members.

The name of the Rosen family could be used, that intention was conveyed so clearly
that it brutally pierced Sedina’s delicate heart.

‘But I met him.’

Now when she was tired and thought that everything was over new orders came
from the organization. She was ordered by the Second Order, to meet Codename
<John Doe>.

Unlike other First Orders, he was an unknown existence whose true form and
identity are not revealed. She was told to contact him and check the progress of the
mission.

This man, now known as Rudger Chelici, was a master of disguise and an executive
specializing in infiltration and assassination, who never revealed his true identity.
However, there was a flaw: his personality was very dirty.

If disturbed even members of Black Dawn were beaten on the spot or even killed in
extreme cases. Even such behavior was tolerated by the Zero Order, the leader of the
Black Dawn. Unless one was a First Order cadre, Rudger was a symbol of fear within
the Black Dawn.

To be given a mission to meet Rudger was the same as sending her to die at his
hands. Sedina Rosen was in tears from her displeasure. The Black Dawn’s comrades
told her to go die.
She even thought of returning back to her family.

‘I do not like it.’

She hated her family so terribly that she would rather die so she went to Rudger with
a mindset of being prepared for death. But when she got closer, the man’s charisma
was beyond imagination, and Sedina trembled without realizing it.

She made mistakes, and her voice was shaky. She committed almost everything she
was told not to do in front of him.

‘I might die.’

She thought so but surprisingly Rudger didn’t kill her. Even his murderous intent was
not revealed. As rumored, she felt that his personality was dirty and eccentric during
the conversation, but in the end that was all.

Rudger let her go without saying a word and today even complimented her for being
good at explaining. If it was just the words that came out of his mouth, she wouldn’t
have been so happy. But in Rudger’s words, there was sincerity in his actions.

He listened more carefully than anyone else, from correcting her to addressing him
as Professor Rudger rather than First Order.

She thought she might be able to help someone.

‘First order. No, Mr. Rudger Chelici is really great.’

From the first time they met, seeing him, she felt her heart pound. She thought it was
her because of her nervousness and fear at the time, but with their meeting today,
she was sure.

She has an endless adoration for someone she truly cares and desires to serve. She
doesn’t think she’s been treated this way because she’s special. She was only
rewarded a little for the misery and hard work she had been through.

Rudger Chelici may have done some good deeds for his subordinates as an executive
of the organization.

It is too early to judge him but for the first time she had been praised by someone for
doing something right.

***

When the sun was setting and it was time to go home, Rudger put on his coat and
checked all his gear. In order to hunt werewolves in earnest, speed was essential, and
of course he had to prepare all the necessary tools for hunting.

These are highly confidential items that are not revealed much on the outside, so
people passing by will not be suspicious of them. With that in mind, Rudger left the
classroom and met Hugo who had just come to him.

“Huh! Mr. Rudger!”

“……Sir Hugo Burtag.”

Marquis Hugo Burtag, leader of the Burtag family, a famous magician with a long
history in the Exilion Empire. However, the family is gradually declining because of
its excessive magic and authoritarian tendencies, unable to properly accept modern
science.

A man, who had a confrontation with the president, came to Rudger.

“Do you have anything to do with me?”

“Huh. This man Do I have to do anything big to find you?”

Hugo showed a friendly attitude that said he came to Rudger to make him an offer.

“You haven’t met the other teachers properly yet, right? You seem to be getting along
only with the other new teachers.”

“Is there any problem with that?”

Hugo’s eyebrows twitched at Rudger’s stern attitude, not even bending over, let
alone embarrass himself however Hugo decided to bear with it.

“I would like to introduce you to professors I am close with.”

“……”
At Hugo’s subtle restraint, Rudger knew at once what he had come to see him for.

‘Faction recruitment.’

Hugo intended to bring Rudger to a faction of teachers made entirely of aristocrats.

Even in this situation where students are trembling with anxiety because of the
werewolf, they are fighting to divide sides for power?

Rudger shook his head at Hugo’s funny attitude.

“I’m sorry, but I’m comfortable right now.”

“What?”

Hugo’s face turned red at Rudger’s direct refusal.

“Do you know how many years I’ve been a teacher here?”

“Should I know?”

“About 15 years. Except for Marie Ross, that old woman, I’m the next oldest person. I
should be a distant senior and superior to you!”

“Are you talking about superiors?”

“Yes!”

“That is strange. The only supervisor I have is the president.”

Hugo clenched his teeth at the word ‘President’.

To Hugo, the word president was not at all pleasant. Rather, it was more like a
repulsion that awakened his inferiority and anger.

“Mr. Rudger. I heard you were in the military before you came here.”

“It was just a short stay.”

“Wasn’t it said that while hunting cryptids, you also made a major breakthrough?”
Have you gotten that information already?

No, it was intentionally leaked from the Black Dawn anyway, so it wouldn’t be
strange to say that someone like Hugo knew about it.

Rudger nodded his head.

“I’m speaking in high regard for your abilities. Do you have any desire to re-establish
your family? With the support of our noble faction, this is possible.”

Hugo chose to make the most concessions where he could step back, he was
impatient.

The faction of the president was getting stronger day by day. In particular, the
current president, despite her young age, is a 6th-level Lexer-class wizard and
possesses her innate political abilities, making her an opponent that even Hugo
couldn’t be careless about.

‘If it wasn’t for that woman, I would have been the next president!’

Hugo was dissatisfied with that. Even now, instead of being nice to the noble
students, the president is showing more care towards the commoners.

There are as many as five new teachers this time, of which three are commoners, one
is a fallen nobleman and only one pure blood noble.

‘It hurts my self-esteem but we must bring Rudger Chelici to our faction.’

He already knew that Rudger was a Fallen Nobility. Normally, he wouldn’t have
looked at him, but the situation was urgent, so he had no choice. Besides, Rudger
Chelici was a wizard who reached the fourth rank at a young age, and he was quite a
talented man.

Aside from his origins, he was perfect in everything so Hugo himself had come to see
him.

“I can help you. So what about it? Holding hands with us.”

“What exactly do you mean by holding hands?”

This time, instead of rejection, a question came back.

Hugo continued, thinking that Rudger was finally interested.

“All we need to do is to build friendships with each other, get support from other
nobles, and take better care of their children.”

“In other words, you mean to provide convenience to noble students?”

“Uh-huh. It’s just a little bit of flexibility.”

Hugo thought Rudger was almost won over. The fact that this man was a soldier in
the first place must have been because he was planning to rebuild his family again by
obtaining achievements somehow. Hugo judged Rudger’s actions that way.

“Then I can’t do it.”

“What?”

Hugo, who didn’t expect an answer of refusal, asked stupidly.

“I appreciate the offer, but I will decline it.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. Saying that students should be treated differently, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”

“No discrimination! We just want to be flexible!”

“Then I will ask. If the president gives a better benefit to certain commoner students
and wraps it up as flexibility, are you willing to follow it?”

“What? No, are commoners and nobles the same? You have to say something that
makes sense!”

“That’s it.”

“What?”

Hugo had a blank face. That’s it. What do you mean by that?
“Flexibility is something that should be applied to both sides, not one-sided. But if
flexibility applies only to nobles, it is no longer flexible. It’s a privilege.”

“No, so the nobility……”

“There are no commoners, nobility, or royalty within Theon. All of them are just
students learning magic. I have no intention of giving up on this idea.”

“This……!”

Hugo clenched his teeth at Rudger’s words.

Shaking his anger, Hugo rolled up one of his lips and grunted at Rudger.

“Okay. I was short sighted. By the time I came here, I overlooked that the president
might have used her hand.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Rudger was sincere.

In the first place, he had absolutely no intention of joining a man like Hugo.

He’ll help build his family up? If he does, it will be revealed that this family is a fake.
From Hugo’s point of view, he said he would help, but to Rudger, it was only a hoax
that would reveal his identity.

In the first place, he had no intention of rebuilding a fallen family. His only purpose is
to stay here for two years without being discovered. Besides, he was concerned
about holding hands with Hugo and fighting the president.

No matter how he looked at it, Hugo and the president were not equal. Hugo himself
wouldn’t think so, but in Rudger’s eyes, the president was far more overwhelming.

‘If I do something strange and get caught in the president’s eyes it won’t be worth it.’

Tigers exist in the mountains, but there is no fool who holds hands with foxes. It
would be ideal to play tightrope without belonging to either side, but Rudger had no
choice but to make a decision when his opponent was so direct.
If he had to choose between the two, he would choose the president. It’s more
comfortable with the president, who treats everyone equally, rather than the
authoritarian character of the aristocracy.

“I have to patrol so I’ll take my leave. Sir Hugo it can be dangerous outside so you
should stay inside.”

“You will regret it.”

Rudger’s provocative words made Hugo’s face red like a boiled octopus. His thick
cheeks quivered, but Hugo didn’t say anything to Rudger’s back as he was already
leaving.

To be honest, it was because he was frightened by the sight of Rudger staring at him.
Hugo didn’t want to admit it but he was scared.

Hugo stomped on the pitiful ground with his feet and left, groaning.

He cherished the idea of penalizing a student if he catches one.

***

After leaving Hugo, Rudger went on patrol outside. As the sun went down, the magic
lamps were turned on inside Theon, and the light spread all around.

Rudger sighed inwardly and headed for the nearby bush.

“You must have been told to go back to the dormitory right away.”

Rudger said coldly, staring at the three students looking up at him with puzzled
faces.

“Or, you heard it, but decided to play around.”

“That teacher, that, not that……”

“All three of you will receive five penalty points.”

After that, I went on patrol, captured nearly 20 students, penalized them, and forced
them back to their dormitories.

Why do these bastards keep walking around at night? They’re freshmen, so they’re
immature but seeing sophomores also involved is giving me a headache.

‘That means everyone is interested in this werewolf incident.’

The sun has already set, and darkness is all around. Although there are security
guards and teachers patrolling, there are still quite a few students hiding inside this
beautiful property.

‘Students are children who can use magic, so ordinary users will not be able to find
the hidden ones.’

That must have fueled their sense of adventure even more. To be honest, I was going
to just ignore it and pass by, but every time I pass by, one or two stand out.

‘A lot of them.’

Most of the students were obsessed with their own ambitions to capture the
werewolf because an official notice came from Leathervelk. Anyone who could kill or
capture an werewolf would be rewarded.

‘In addition to wanting to become a hero, if they catch it, Leathervelk will pay them
money and increase their reputation, there is no one who will turn away from such a
chance.’

For commoners who lack money, the bounty obtained by defeating the werewolf
must be very attractive.

In the case of the commoners, there is a system that provides them scholarships
within Theon internally, but that doesn’t mean they will receive all of the magic
textbooks and other supplies. There are many things wizards need money for and
it’s the same for students.

If they become heroes and get noticed by some rich people they might get sponsored
by them.

Some boys seem to have done this because they couldn’t beat their youthful energy
just to get the attention of the opposite sex.

‘It seems that I have sent everyone back, so I have to start tracking the werewolf
again.’

I wasted a lot of time. Besides, I realized that the situation was more serious than I
had thought. I had no idea that there would be so many students.

The other teachers will feel something strange and work harder. If someone other
than me finds the werewolf first and discovers that it’s been created in a lab the
situation will get out of control.

‘So before that, I’ll take care of it.’

I headed to the sewage treatment plant, the most likely route for the werewolves to
sneak into Theon Academy.

As Theon has a vast site, it uses quite a lot of water, so there is a huge sewage
treatment facility on the outskirts of the campus. A place that draws in huge
amounts of water from the Lemzier River and at the same time discharges a large
amount of water through huge earth pipes.

Considering the size of the werewolf I encountered at that time, there is a high
probability that it came through the earth pipe.

‘Fortunately, no one seems to have come this far.’

Most teachers go on patrols and send students back just in case something goes
wrong. No one, like me, wondered where the werewolf came from and followed its
tracks because that isn’t the wizard’s way, but the hunter’s way.

After wandering around the darkened sewage treatment plant, I finally found a trace.
‘Footprint.’

The footprints clearly marked on the bushes looked like they had been engraved for
several days. When I got closer and wiped it with my hand, it was clear.

‘Comparing the size of the footprint, it’s slightly smaller than the one I saw at that
time.’

But there was one problem. There were two types of footprints.

Everyone believes that there’s only one werewolf but there might be 2 of them inside
Theon.

‘I thought there was only one, but looking at the imprints, it seems that the guy who
ate people from Leathervelk came all the way here.’

I moved slowly and followed the trail of footsteps. The two footsteps moved in the
same direction at first, but then split in two directions, small ones to the right, large
ones to the left.

I didn’t expect these guys to separate here. Wolves are pack animals so werewolves
who inherited that tendency are the same. Normally, they should have stayed
together.

I don’t know why, but they started to move apart so I had to make a choice.

***

‘It’s late.’

Rene, with her ash gray hair color, which is rare even in Theon, was running around
the lot with a magic textbook in her arms. It had been a while since she fell asleep
while studying in the library.

She looked out her window, pulling the hair clinging to her cheeks, and, seeing the
sun set, hurriedly ran out of the library. As she ran towards her dorm, Rene had no
choice but to blame herself.

‘You idiot! Why did you fall asleep there?’

Over the past few days, while reducing her sleep time, fatigue has accumulated due
to immersion in homework and study.

The teacher decided that students should go back to their dormitory after classes
but she fell asleep in the library. It is the duty of the students to control their physical
condition. Just because she fell asleep doesn’t mean it’s not her fault.

If the teachers caught her she had no excuse for getting penalized.

‘Still, it’s a bit painful to receive a penalty point.’

Running out of money, she was living on her scholarship. However, if the student has
a penalty point, the amount of the scholarship will be reduced. In some cases, the
scholarship application would be rejected when the student has too many penalty
points.

She hoped that she wouldn’t be penalized so badly for this incident, but the fact that
she would be penalized was a burden to her.

‘But can’t I just go back to the dormitory as soon as possible before I get caught?’

She had to avoid the dormitory supervisor’s eyes, but in the case of the non-teachers,
she was confident that she would not be found out. She already thought that the
penalty points were certain. There was a glimmer of hope that she might not get
caught, as she hid her body in the dark.

‘Even so, it was too much. How can no one wake me up?’

After thinking about that, Rene sighed deeply.

Originally, it was the basic thing for students attending the academy to make friends
and get to know each other, but in fact, from the beginning of the semester, she had a
quarrel with an aristocrat and was swept away by turmoil.

Because of that conflict she was targeted by the noble students and other commoner
students stopped approaching her. Still, there were some boys who asked if she was
okay the next day after the incident. They were all enamored with her appearance
and approached with certain thoughts.

She said that she didn’t want to be friends with people like that.
‘The librarian was also absent. They didn’t even want to wake me up in the first
place.’

Perhaps the person who works as a librarian is also on the side of the aristocrats.
Feeling embarrassed about her own situation, Rene bit her lip.

It was at that moment when she vowed to go home and wash up and organize the
contents of today’s class.

──Crush.

“Hey, why are you there?”

Rene unconsciously stopped his steps and shook her body. The fact that the grass
beyond the darkness, where the trees were planted moved wasn’t her imagination.

“Come out otherwise, I will call the teachers.”

The rumors of a werewolf that have been circulating recently had been well heard by
Rene and she couldn’t dismiss it as a mere rumor since 2 students have been injured.
Thinking that the werewolf was real a chill ran down her spine.

Rene moved her trembling feet and stepped back. At that moment, the rustling in the
darkness came swiftly towards her and something popped out from a bush.

Rene squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.

“I have no taste at all! If you eat something like me, you will only get a stomach ache!”

But the wolf’s cry was not heard. There was no pain either.

Rene opened her eyes and the first thing she saw in the light of the street lamp was
blonde hair.

The student had leaves all over her but her nobility never faded. She put her hands
on her waist and stared at Rene with a curious gaze. She was a year older than Rene
and was a princess of this country.

“Aren’t you too rude?”

“Uh, huh?”

Rene immediately recognized who was in front of her.

“Wow, Princess?”

Third Princess Erendir von Exilion.

Rene saw her in Rudger class, so she immediately shook her head. But when Rene
tried to bow her head, Princess Erendir stopped her.

“No, it’s ok.”

“But……”

“It was my fault that I surprised you in the first place but this is Theon and in Theon,
everyone is equal. You and I are the same.”

At Erendir’s confident words, Rene opened her mouth without realizing it. She didn’t
know that she would hear Theon ideology from the princess.

“Uh, why is that princess here……?”

“Don’t call me princess. Are you in 1st grade? Then you can just call me senior
Erendir.”

“Me, me?”

“I’m more comfortable with it. In the first place, I have no intention of arbitrarily
using my position in Theon. Junior, did you say that your name was Rene?”

“Huh? Do you know me?”

“You’re taking the manifestation class together. I have a good memory.”

“That’s great.”

“Well, actually, the class is very special. It remained in my memory quite strongly,
and most of the students in that class remember it. And you are quite conspicuous.”
Is she talking about hair color? Rene smiled brightly. The color of my hair attracted
the attention of the princess.

“So, why is junior Rene, wandering around here late at night? Didn’t the teachers
warn you?”

“Well, that’s……”

Rene candidly answered why she was moving alone this late at night.

Erendir, who had heard everything, widened her eyes.

“What? Nobody woke you up? Isn’t that too much?”

“In the end, it was my fault for falling asleep.”

“No! I can’t let this go. Why are they doing such a boring thing? I will talk with the
librarian right now……”

“More importantly, what are you doing here?”

Rene hurriedly changed the topic.

“Oh, you mean me? I am currently in the role of finding and returning students who
have not yet returned to the dormitory. Everyone is so noisy now.”

“Huh…… Aren’t seniors also students?”

“You do not have to worry because I am moving with permission.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Anyway, let’s go back. Oh, if you keep going like this, there will be a teacher, you
should go back this way so you won’t be found out.”

“Ah yes! Thank you!”

It was at that moment when Rene nodded and was about to leave.

“Crung”
Rene and Erendir heard a strange sound.

“……Rene. Step back.”

Erendir stared into the darkness and pulled out her staff. Two red eyes appeared in
the darkness and slowly approached the two of them.

A werewolf appeared in the light of a street lamp.

“……Werewolves are real.”

“The rumors, weren’t they fake?”

“What are you surprised about? You were surprised when you first saw me.”

“Oh, that’s… everyone is surprised when something pops out of the dark!”

“Anyway, this is a big deal.”

The werewolf in front of them didn’t look weak at first glance. There was an obvious
murderous intent in its eyes.

Neither Rene nor Erendir showed it but they were afraid. Still as rank 3 wizard she
couldn’t lose without doing anything.

“──Get out of the way.”

At that moment, a strong fire broke out in the air. A high-temperature flame engulfed
the werewolf and burned him.

“Kyaah”

The werewolf screamed and rolled on the floor. He didn’t die perhaps because of the
beast’s instinct to avoid fire, but his flesh and skin burned and melted, so he could
not escape the blow.

The wound was also recovering quickly, but they had enough time. Their eyes turned
to the place where the magic flew. A man was standing there.

Rene called out his name without realizing it.

“Mr. Rudger!”

Rudger Chelici.

Rudger’s ice-cold gaze moved from the werewolf and turned to Rene and Erendir
and slowly opened his mouth.

“Rene and Erendir von Exilion.”

“Yes!”

“Yes, teacher.”

They were glad that Rudger had come to the rescue, and waited for his next words.

“Both of you will receive five penalty points.”

“Yes?! Wait! Aren’t you supposed to ask if we’re okay at times like this?!”

Erendir thought she had heard wrong.

The teacher who saved them from the werewolf instantly gave them penalty points,
this seemed quite unfair to Erendir.

“Erendir, are you saying you did well?”

“I got permission from another teacher!”

“Noisy. Even if you get permission, you should act carefully. Don’t you know what
could’ve happened to you just now?”

“That, that…”

Rudger was merciless even if his opponent was a princess. Even Erendir couldn’t
really refute Rudger’s words.

It was her status as a princess that allowed her to wander around at night like this
and made it easy for her to make the excited students bow their heads and send
them back to their dormitory.

“Then, at least make up for the penalty points of this child.”

“What?”

Rudger’s gaze turned to Rene.

“Rene.”

“Yes. Mr. Rudger.”

“Why didn’t you go back to the dormitory?”

“That, that……”

“I admit that you are passionate about studying, but don’t you know that doing such
a thing in this kind of situation will cause trouble to others?”

“……I’m sorry.”

Rudger shook his head.

“Erendir.”

“Yes.”

“Take responsibility for Rene and send her back to the dormitory. That way, she’ll be
free of the penalty points she just received.”

“Yes? Really?”

“Should I say it again?”

“……No. All right.”

Erendir replied yes, but couldn’t shake the doubt that came to her mind.

‘Why is there such a big difference in the way I was treated compared to her?’

While complaining in her mind the werewolf caught in the fire jumped up.

“Over there sir!”

“I know.”

Rudger stood in front of Rene and Erendir, staring at the werewolf. Most of the
wounds from the magic had healed, but the guy was still distracted by the
shuddering pain.

The werewolf, who had been staring at them with eyes full of endless hostility,
suddenly moved but instead of attacking he ran away.
“Oh! It escaped!”

At the same time as Rene shouted, Rudger followed the werewolf. He never meant to
miss the werewolf he had barely found.

Rene and Erendir haven’t noticed yet, but that werewolf’s neck was also stuffed with
restraints. It was fortunate that the restraint ball was covered with hair and could
not be seen properly. However, if someone else finds it later, it will be difficult to even
destroy the evidence.

Rudger filled his legs with magic and ran.

As he chased the werewolf through the dark grass and across the garden, he saw the
werewolf crawling up the outer wall of the nearby research building to the roof.

Sharp claws pierced the exterior walls of the building with ease, and its gigantic body
eventually reached a rooftop full of spires.

‘Can’t let it escape.’

Rudger immediately soared vertically into the air using a wire launcher and landed
on the roof. Erendir and Rene, who were still watching the scene from afar, opened
their mouths in admiration.

“Is that just floating magic?”

“Maybe?”

The two people, who could not see the wire launcher because it was dark at night,
thought that all of Rudger’s movements were thanks to magic.

Two silhouettes stood on the roof facing each other. It was not clearly visible from a
distance, but it wasn’t difficult to tell who Rudger was based on its size and
approximate appearance.

“Full moon.”

The clouds in the sky lifted, and before long a cold and cozy silver light poured down
like the hem of a curtain. Tonight was a full moon night.
Rudger moved first and the werewolf also rushed to Rudger. The two of them
crossed each other and a close battle ensued.

“Wow.”

“Oh my gosh.”

There was something about Rudger’s appearance that was hard to take their eyes off
of. Under the moonlight, Rudger moves were like a dance, as he avoided the
werewolf’s attacks.

Even though the girls were far away, they could feel the trembling attacks on their
skin but nothing could touch Rudger.

He used multiple attributes magics arrows like fire, ice, wind and although their
power was only around second rank they precisely targeted the werewolf’s vital
parts and inflicted him with wounds.

‘It’s said he was in the army before he came here.’

Erendir thought of Rudger Chelici. She wasn’t particularly interested in him, but her
maid brought her his information, just in case, so all she saw was on a whim. As she
remembered, Rudger Chelici was in the army, and even achieved a record while
hunting cryptids.

As she watched Rudger fight Erendir thought that he looked more like a hunter than
a wizard.

The werewolf made a rough noise and rolled over the roof, then glided down the
slope. Rudger did not miss it as a predator that never misses the gap created by its
wounded prey.

Three ice spears the size of a fist pierced the werewolf’s body in a row and fixed it on
the roof. Even though a werewolf has excellent regenerative ability he still pierced
instantly because of this attack.

The fight was over.

‘Whoa. I’m tired.’

Rudger realized that he had expended considerable mana in the fight.

‘It’s not good to use a lot of magic power.’

Luckily, he met Hans and was able to bring his medicine back. If he hadn’t, it would
have been a big deal.

Originally he didn’t want to use magic against the werewolf but because he’s in
Theon and many eyes are watching him he couldn’t use other methods.

‘It’s impossible for a magic teacher not to use magic in front of his students.’

First of all, he is a famous teacher of Theon, but if he uses tools or other methods he
used in his hunter days, not magic, that would raise suspicions.

‘I need to finish it before it gets any more troublesome.’

Aside from this guy, there is still one more lurking in Theon.

‘I was planning to finish both werewolves by the end of today.’

As Rudger slowly approached, the staggering werewolf suddenly flashed his arms.

His doubts disappeared the moment he saw the fragments of the building thrown by
the werewolf.

‘What?’

Rudger immediately unleashed his magical powers, creating a barrier around his
body. The shards that flew in were hit and bounced off, but the problem was that the
werewolf bought time for his next move.

He immediately raised both of his hands up and slammed them hard on the roof. Due
to the werewolf’s strong muscular strength, the roof collapsed, and the werewolf
also fell. Debris spread and a cloud of dust rose around it.

Rudger narrowed his eyes at the sight.

‘A Werewolf his head?’

Even if they are artificial creatures that are not cryptids, as they are based on wolves,
their instincts as beasts are of course the most advanced.

Not only did he run away when he felt a crisis, but Rudger didn’t even expect that he
would throw up the wreckage of a broken building.

‘Did I miss it?’

Rudger, who entered the building through the hole in the roof, realized that the
werewolf had disappeared and clicked his tongue. However, he didn’t completely
miss it because there was a scent that subtly stimulated his nose in the air.

‘It was good that I buried the incense in the middle of the fight just in case.’

Rudger followed the scent of the werewolf’s traces. He still had the thoughts of
finishing the entire thing today because he wanted to live.

***

“Tracy! Tracy! Where are you?”

“Aidan. I can’t see her no matter how much I look around. Wouldn’t it be better to
just give up?”

Aidan and Leo were diligently searching out of sight to find Tracy.

The last time they heard that Tracy had gone to the forest to the east, the two
continued to search for her even as the sun went down. However, no trace of Tracy
could be found.

Leo, who was starting to get annoyed, spoke first.

“I thought Tracy couldn’t do it, so she would have resigned on her own. Wouldn’t that
be the case since we can’t find her?”

“It’s our fault for not properly rejecting Tracy’s bet, no matter how absurd it was.”

Leo put on a sullen expression at Aidan’s reply.

It was Leo’s fault that Tracy made the bet and he was feeling a little guilty, that’s why
he kept looking for Tracy even after nightfall.

“Still, if we get caught by the teachers, we are at risk too. Others will say that it is
only a penalty point, but from the point of view of the person who has to be
concerned about his rank, such a penalty point is too important.”

“I still can’t let it go.”

“Do you really believe Tracy is still looking for the werewolf?”

“If it was someone else I wouldn’t but Tracy…”

In fact, even Aidan didn’t know why he was so sure what he had said.

There was something familiar in Tracy’s eyes: it was the obsession of a person who
always wanted to achieve something. He thought that if she was like that, maybe she
could really mess around with her life to catch the werewolf.

“Ugh. Okay. Let’s search for another 30 minutes. If we can’t find anything we’ll go
back.”

Leo sighed as he looked at Aidan. He knew enough that this good-natured guy was
stubborn and didn’t make any compromises at important moments.

It was the moment when the two of them, who had taken a little rest, were about to
move again.

“Kyaaaaaa!!”

A girl’s scream is heard from afar. The strangely familiar voice was, of course, the
voice of Tracy Friad, whom they had been looking for.

“Leo!”

“Over there!”

The two ran through the grass and branches to where the scream was heard. At that
moment, the grass on the other side shook and someone jumped out and Aidan, who
was running in the lead, collided with it.
“What is it all of a sudden?”

“Okay.”

Aidan lifted his head as he felt the strong pressure on his body had fallen backwards.
The first thing he saw was red hair that did not lose its presence even in the soft
moonlight.

“……Tracy?”

“……Aidan?”

Tracy, realizing who she was hugging on top, got up in a hurry.

“You! Why are you here?”

“I heard your screams……”

“What?! What scream?!”

Seeing Tracy blushing and yelling at Aidan, Leo sighed, thinking that he was worried
about nothing but then the cry of the beast was heard.

“Ugh! Aidan, you heard it?”

“Huh. Is it really a werewolf?”

The vigilant gazes of the two men turned towards the bushes and they both pulled
out their wands but then Tracy stood in front of them.

“Both of you wait a minute.”

“Tracy what are you doing?”

At Aidan’s question, Tracy hesitated then placed a finger on her lips and motioned
for the two of them to follow.

Aidan and Leo looked at each other wondering what this was, but eventually decided
to follow Tracy’s footsteps. The three of them moved quietly and eventually reached
the front of the basin where the ground was swept away.
“Look over there.”

As they looked in the direction she was pointing in a quiet voice, they saw something
wriggling in the center of a basin full of fallen leaves.

“That……”

Aidan, a country boy with good night eyes, immediately recognized what it was.

“Werewolf?”

It was definitely a werewolf. There were scars all over the place, and he was still
gasping for breath, but that was definitely the case.

“Are you a kid?”

The small werewolf was a baby that had not yet become an adult.
Aidan and Leo only looked into each other’s eyes. The culprit who drove Theon into
the chaos was now in front of them but he was still a cub. Even the grunting made it
clear that he was injured somewhere

“I stumbled upon it a while ago.”

Why was Tracy screaming? She was wandering around without much thought and
suddenly found a werewolf. Tracy, who blushed as if she was ashamed of that fact,
immediately raised her nose.

“What do you think? Did I win the bet?”

“You just found it. Wasn’t the bet capturing it?”

At Leo’s point, Tracy immediately became furious.

“Yes? Then I, right now……!”

“Tracy, wait a minute.”

Aidan pulled Tracy back as she was about to descend into the basin.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh sorry. I did not know.”

“Aren’t you too rude to a lady?”

“That’s not what’s important right now.”

“What is it then?”
A smirk crept across her lips as if Tracy realized something immediately.

“Heh heh… Aidan Are you impatient because I found that werewolf? You were
secretly pretending not to, but you were also concerned about losing to me.”

“Tracy, didn’t you feel something strange?”

When a serious question came back to answer provocation, Tracy pouted her lips as
if she had lost steam.

“What?”

“Over there is a werewolf cub. Regardless of whether it is possible for a werewolf to

have a cub, the cub over there right now looks injured. I can’t seem to move
properly.”

“Yes. But why?”

“Look, there are fallen leaves all around. Besides, it’s a clever location that people
don’t notice around here. No matter how wide Theon is, I have never heard of a place
like this in the forest.”

“No, I mean, what does that mean?”

“Do you think that little werewolf settled down here alone and collected fallen
leaves?”

Having heard that Tracy realized something and kept her mouth shut. There’s no
way an injured werewolf cub could have come all the way here alone. It sounds like
there is something else out there that has helped him.

“Who the hell?”

“I don’t know who it is. Perhaps…… There may be another werewolf.”

Even as Aidan said that, he did not take his eyes off the werewolf baby because by
any chance, he might notice their existence and attack them all of a sudden.

Although he is a cub, he’s bigger than most large dogs. Risk factors could not be
ruled out.
‘Uh?’

Aidan, who was closely examining the werewolf, noticed something strange. Near
the nape of the werewolf’s neck, covered in fallen leaves and showing only a bust, it
was as if he had seen something glistening in the moonlight.

‘That’s a collar……?’

At that moment, Aidan decided that the werewolf was not simply a natural
occurrence.

“Aidan? What are you doing?”

Leo spoke, feeling that Aidan’s expression was unusual.

Aidan glided down the basin as if he had made up his mind to do something.

“Aidan! Hey, hey!”

Leo was perplexed, and so was Tracy. The two hurriedly followed Aidan, who came
down to the center of the basin that was more than 5 meters high and slowly
approached the werewolf cub.

“Aidan! What are you doing now! It’s dangerous!”

“There is something strange about it.”

Aidan wanted to confirm it with his own two eyes. At that moment, the werewolf cub
opened his eyes and stared at Aidan.

Aidan paused as he approached cautiously. Their gazes were entangled in the air, and
a suffocating tension lingered.

‘Gulp.’

Aidan swallowed his dry saliva and slowly reached out his hand.

“It’s okay. I mean no harm.”

The reason he said that was because he saw the werewolf’s eyes and there was no
hostility or intent to kill in them. Those transparent, clear eyes staring at him were
filled with only the innocence of a country dog.

A werewolf with those eyes attacked people and sent them to the hospital?

Aidan didn’t think so.

Leo and Tracy had no intention of stopping Aidan. The cub, who was staring at him,
immediately turned its head and closed its eyes again.

Aidan sighed inwardly and moved closer to the cub. As expected, he was quiet. He
even made a growling noise as Aidan swept his hair once with his hand.

“It hurts a lot.”

Saying so, Aidan looked at the wounds exposed outside the fallen leaves.

‘Isn’t it bitten by an animal?’

The marks on his body were not from being attacked by other beasts. Rather, it was
more like a cut.

He touched his neck with the hand that had been stroking his head, and felt the
touch of a hard, cold metal.

‘I thought he was just a werewolf, but there’s something more.’

While Aidan was thinking in the darkness the sound of something approaching was
heard. Leo, who recognized the abnormality first, shouted.

“Aidan! Be careful!”

As soon as Aidan heard the sound, he flew in the opposite direction of the sound.
Immediately after, a huge shock hit his body.

“Big!”

Aidan, who bounced more than 3m and rolled on the floor, corrected his dizziness,
and looked at the unknown entity that blew him away.
‘Werewolf!’

It was an adult werewolf, 1.5 times larger than the cub werewolf. He glared at Aidan
as if he was going to kill him, and then stood as if protecting the baby.

“Gee, an adult werewolf.”

Tracy trembled at the sight, and then, as if she was prepared for something, raised
her wand and generated magical power. The werewolf also glared at her if she
thought Tracy was doing something.

“What are you doing!?”

Leo tried to stop her, but Tracy didn’t listen. A werewolf, the root of all of the chaos in
Theon, was in front of her. If she could deal with it she could revive her family that
collapsed.

The figure of the mother who struggled to smile saying that it was okay for her and
trash-like people who turned to the subject that they usually cling to, as soon as their
family collapsed as she thought of that she became more agitated.

‘Only I can bring the Friads back to life. The werewolf in front of me is just a stepping
stone for that.’

Hunting only one werewolf does not resurrect a destroyed family, Tracy knew that. It
was okay just to collect the bounty from Leathervelk and establish her reputation. To
do that, she learned magic, and came to Theon to succeed.

‘I……!’

The werewolf ran towards Tracy, it was fast and very threatening. Tracy, who tried to
cast a spell, made a mistake because of the werewolf rushing towards her.

Because of her impatience the magic that had barely been gathered was scattered in
vain.

Beyond the disappearance of the magic the figure of the werewolf approaching with
its teeth facing her was seen.

‘Is this the end?’

As he thought that, Tracy felt her body shove to the side. The sharp claws of the
werewolf passed through the air right in front of her. As she rolled the floor with
someone, Tracy was stunned.

“Uh, huh?”

“Tracy, are you okay?”

It was Aidan who saved her from her crisis. He is a boy that she keeps bothering and
insists on fighting with. Had he been too late to push her, Tracy would have had her
head blown away.

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

“You, you. Why me……”

“My friend is in danger, and I can’t just stand by and watch.”

Friend, at that one word Tracy was speechless. Aidan looked at the werewolf, not
paying attention to Tracy’s reaction.

“There is something strange about his movements. I think it was seriously injured.
Maybe that’s why we were able to avoid it.”

As expected, there were three large unclosed holes in the werewolf’s chest, which
was revealed in the dark. Aidan swallowed his saliva and opened his mouth.

“Sorry. It wasn’t intentional. We have no intention of doing any harm to your child.”

“Aidan? What are you doing now! There is no way a werewolf can understand you!”

Tracy shouted from behind saying what a fool he was, but Aidan was serious. Aidan
continued to speak, staring at the werewolf in front of him with an unshakable gaze.

“You. Can you understand us?”

“What……”

Leo and Tracy looked puzzled. However, the werewolf’s reaction was strange. He
was staring at him like he was going to kill him but calmed down and went back to
the cub.

Leo, who watched the scene, did not keep his mouth shut.

“……Does this make sense?”

“A little while ago, it overreacted because it was afraid the cub would be in danger.”

“But he attacked two students. Right now, he’s quiet because of his cub, but I don’t
know when it will suddenly reveal his true colors.”

Leo’s point was valid, but Aidan felt something indescribable. He knew it because he
got very close to the werewolf cub. The moment he looked into the child’s eyes,
Aidan felt something.

‘He said please help.’

“Leo, Tracy I know what I’m saying is nonsense but believe me just once.”

Aidan said so and slowly approached the werewolf.

The presumed mother looked at Aidan and threatened him by exposing his teeth, but
Aidan raised his hands and made a gesture that it was not dangerous.

“It’s okay.”

With that the distance gradually narrowed and the werewolf who was glaring at
Aidan also stopped showing its hostility. Rather, it was because the condition of the
baby was not good.

“Use this.”

Aidan took out a small vial from the pocket he usually carried. It was a very basic
healing potion that was completed while taking the curse and pharmaceutical
classes.

It may not be able to perform properly due to his insufficient skills, but at least it will
be of sufficient help to improve the condition of the cub who is currently panting.

At that moment a pure white light flew from somewhere and penetrated the
mother’s body.

“Uh, huh?”

Aidan, who was approaching slowly, and Leo and Tracy, who watched the scene
while holding their breath from behind, were shocked and could not help but panic.

Penetrating the mother werewolf’s body was a shiny silvery metal. At first, it was
thought to be a sharp spear, but eventually its shape collapsed and turned into a net,
binding its mother’s body.

At the moment everyone panicked, a black shadow fell from the sky.

“What are you doing here?”

It was someone they know well.

“Mr. Rudger?”

Rudger, who subdued the werewolf with a surprise attack, narrowed his eyes at the
three students.

“Aidan, Leo, and Tracy Friad, what were my students doing in a place like this at this
late hour?”

The three of them trembled as their names were called. They knew that after getting
caught by a teacher in this situation they couldn’t escape punishment especially
since it was Rudger who caught them.

“I will hold the three of you accountable for this later. Just step back.”

Tracy and Leo followed suit but Aidan was different. He intervened between Rudger
and the werewolf, blocking Rudger’s path.

“Wait!”

“…Aidan, what are you doing?”

Aidan’s body trembled at Rudger’s cold voice, but he did not back down.
“Mr. Rudger, wait a minute!”

“Would you like me to wait?”

“There is something strange about that werewolf! No, I mean, to be precise…… You
seem to understand people! So please reconsider killing that werewolf for a second!”

Aidan spit out what he had learned like a rapid-fire cannon. Otherwise, he thought
Rudger would choke the werewolf out of breath at any moment.

“What nonsense are you talking about now?”

“It’s not bullshit. Maybe that werewolf……”

“I hate to hear it. Back off.”

“Mr. Rudger!”

“I told you to leave.”

Aidan did not step aside despite Rudger’s warning.

As Rudger gazed at Aidan, he noticed a figure of a werewolf baby over his shoulder,
licking with his tongue the face of his mother. Without any viciousness, he was just
purely worried about his family.

The baby lying down got up. When the fallen leaves covering the entire body are
pushed away and the rest of the body is exposed. Rudger saw it and his eyebrows
twitched.

“Uh?”

Aidan, who was staring at Rudger, immediately noticed such a subtle change in
Rudger.

‘Why is the teacher like that?’

Aidan tried to turn around without thinking. At that moment, his body flew through
the air as if strongly pulled by something and gently landed on the ground without a
wound. A buffering effect using the power of wind, it was all Rudger’s work.
“Teacher?”

The moment Aidan was about to say something Rudger’s magic was manifested. A
hot fire that erupted in an instant, it swallowed the two werewolves and scattered a
dazzling light in all directions.

He could feel the heat even though he was far away. It was obviously an attack magic
that would surely kill the opponent.

There was no screaming from the werewolves swallowed up in the flames. Because
there was no time for that, and without even feeling the pain, they became ashes and
disappeared.

When the magic fire was completely extinguished there was not even a trace of the
werewolves left, there were only black ashes.

“Go back to the dormitory.”

Rudger said so without looking back.

“You will take responsibility for your deviant behavior tomorrow.”

There was no emotion in his voice.

Rudger stood still, staring at the place where the werewolf had been before. He
burned it all down without a trace. All the evidence that he was a test subject, not a
real werewolf was gone.

‘It’s over now.’

But Rudger’s heart was not at all at ease. Until the other teachers who turned on
their magic lights from afar arrived at the site one by one Rudger stood still.

***

The werewolf incident that made Theon Academy tumult came to an end when new
teacher Rudger Chelici eliminated the werewolves.

Several students argued that this incident was simply an inflated rumor but Rudger’s
bloody battle with a werewolf on the roof of a building under the full moon has
already spread among students.

Students have already talked about this incident in <Akashic Records>.

-Is it true this time it was a real werewolf?

-I actually saw it. On the roof of the laboratory building, the new teacher was fighting
a werewolf, and it was really cool.

-It’s not a lie?

-Actually, a part of the roof of the lab 3 building was broken, and there were signs of
a fight.

-Wow. So, did the real new teacher catch the werewolf?
– Even if he’s a new teacher, it was said that he is a former soldier. Then it is possible.

-Awesome.

So there was a question as to what the werewolf was and where it appeared. Some
even argued that the werewolves were actually controlled by someone in the dark.
However, in the absence of any clues, such opinions were nothing more than gossip.

-Ah. I got caught and got 5 demerit points.

-Me too.

-Yes. I don’t mind with 5 points~. I got merit points in advance.

– Where do you live?

Most of the students who went out to catch the werewolves this time were caught
and were baptized with demerit points.

130 out of all students and there were even 3rd graders among the dogs, so it was
noisy.

They set out to become heroes but instead they got penalty points so most of the
students ripped their heads off in regret as to why they did it.

It was the same for Aidan, Leo, and Tracy.

“Aww! It’s ruined! After all, it was taken by Mr. Rudger!”

Currently, the three have been called to the interview room for a meeting with the
president.

Aidan had a serious face as if he was still pondering something, but Tracy was
different, she was restless.

She should have never have thought of using a loophole to rebuild her family, but this
werewolf incident did not compensate for it, but rather was stamped out by Rudger.

Tracy, out of anger, glared at her Aidan, but then she bit her lips and ruffled her hair
wildly. She couldn’t blame Aidan. It was, after all, Aidan who rescued her by throwing
her away from her werewolf attack.

‘Yes. I was just, I couldn’t do anything back then…… ’

Feeling so foolish for herself, Tracy grabbed the skirt of her uniform with trembling
hands. Did 10 minutes pass like that?

The door to the interview room opened and the three Musketeers Aidan, Leo, and
Tracy, who were sitting, jumped up.

The president had pure white hair on the outside but inside she had an unusual pink
e colored hair and she was walking into the interview room with a smile on her face.

Following in the footsteps of the president was a man with a sober impression. It
was Rudger Chelici, who had defeated the werewolf the night before.

Rudger looked as usual. His attire was a long red coat, not the black frock coat he
wore in the past, but his unwavering cleanliness was still there.

“Now. All three of you sit comfortably.”

At the president’s words, Aidan and the three other people looked at each other and
sat down again.

The president also sat in the empty chair.

“Sit down, Mr. Rudger.”

“I will stand here.”

“Well, if that’s what you’re comfortable with. So, let’s get to the point then. Do you
know why I called the three of you?”

No one answered hastily but they knew. There is only one reason why the three of
them are here. Because they witnessed the werewolf up close and got caught up in it.

Tracy, who didn’t know she was going to face the President, thought that Rudger was
really determined and sharpened her teeth. What does it mean to tell the president
not to just give penalty points? Isn’t this a declaration that it will never end with
ordinary discipline?
‘Damn!’

She was desperately holding back her tears. From that day on, she never forgot that
she had vowed to herself that she would never cry again. Above all, she was also
stimulated by the way Aidan and Leo were sitting casually.

“How are you doing?”

The President opened her mouth first but as she spoke, Aidan’s gaze did not depart
from Rudger.

“Why do you think I called you?”

“……It doesn’t seem like it’s just to give us penalty points.”

“That’s right.”

It was then that Rudger opened his mouth.

“The three of you ignored Theon warning and went all the way to the forest to
endanger yourself. If the situation had changed a little, someone in this place would
have been dead.”

The three of them had their mouths shut.

“There was no accident and no one died, but I thought you should know for sure how
serious your negligent behavior was. That is why I made a suggestion to the
president.”

They knew that those words had absolutely no good intentions for them. As a heavy
atmosphere lingered in the interview room, the president clapped with both hands.

“Now, now. Everyone, don’t look like the world is collapsing, think positive. Mr.
Rudger, your words were a bit harsh and scared the students.”

“President, this is not something to pass on like that.”

“Of course, it is true that no one was injured thanks to Mr. Rudger’s struggle, and it is
also true that the students behaved complacent. But in the end, it ended well, didn’t
it?”
“……I do not understand.”

“They are still children and Mr. Rudger already explained to me the situation. Aidan?”

“Yes Yes!”

When his name was suddenly called, Aidan hurriedly answered.

“I heard that you intervened to save Tracy from danger?”

“Oh no, that’s…… just.”

“Competition among students is important, but it is better to help each other live
than that. You also stayed with Aidan and faced the danger together.”

At the words of praise that came out of the president’s mouth one by one,
embarrassment lingered on Aidan, Leo, and Tracy’s faces. Why is the president like
that?

“Your actions are clearly wrong. So I decided to take Mr. Rudger’s opinion and give
you 10 penalty points each.”

10 points is twice the number of points the other students received.

“But.”

At that moment, the president’s clear voice awakened the three of them from their
thoughts.

“Your actions at that moment of crisis are definitely worthy of praise. So I’m going to
give all three of you ten merit points.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh, is that really true?”

The 10 penalty points disappeared in an instant but the president’s speech did not
end there.

“Aidan. You showed the courage to think of your colleagues before your own body in
a moment of crisis. I will give you an additional 10 merit points.”

“Ugh!”

“Leo. You did not forget to grasp the situation calmly even in an emergency, and you
deliberately left a trail here so that others can follow along.”

“How……”

“I’ll give you 10 additional merit points and Tracy Friad.”

“Yes, yes!”

“The courage to fight a werewolf without running away, some will say that you’re
naive but you’ve probably realized something. I hope you will keep that unshaken
heart forever.”

“Yes Yes! All right!”

“I will also give you 10 merit points.”

As a result the three of them received 10 merit points each.

“Mr. Rudger, don’t you have any complaints?”

“……If that’s what the president wants.”

Rudger took a step back and drew a line that he had no objections.

“Congratulations. Keep working hard in the future.”

“Ah yes! Thank you President!”

“But don’t overdo it. Alright you can leave now.”

The three students left the interview room feeling like they were still dreaming.
Aidan, who was going out last, stopped and looked at Rudger, but Rudger didn’t even
look at him.

‘What was the reaction that Mr. Rudger showed at that time?’
Aidan left the interview room with unresolved questions. The door closed, leaving
only Rudger and the President in the interview room.

“Mr. Rudger, are you satisfied now?”

The president said that when she completely lost sight of the students.

“I was really surprised. Mr. Rudger himself is asking me to take care of those
children.”

With her head tilted back and her legs waving, the President glanced at Rudger with
half-open eyes.

“Besides, do all these things like I did.”

“Because it wasn’t a very good picture to do like I did there.”

“I know. Are you saying good cops are bad cops? Do you consider yourself a villain?
Aren’t you sorry?”

“I just chose the most efficient way.”

“Oh yeah? Well, you’re fine, so I won’t ask any more. In the end, it was a good thing
for the students.”

The president jumped up from her seat, approached the window where she could
see Theon, and wiped the transparent window with her slender fingertips.

“Mr. Rudger. You said you dealt with the werewolves yourself?”

“Yes.”

“What did you see there?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did something unusual happen?”

Despite the president’s words, which seemed to be somewhat sharp, Rudger’s

expression did not change.
“I didn’t feel that way.”

“Okay?”

“Yes. I just pursued the werewolf and removed it for fear of being a threat to the
students, just like I did in the military.”

“Hmm. Well, then there is nothing I can do.”

The President did not ask any further questions. Rudger’s protection of students and
fighting werewolves was already famous enough to spread throughout the school.

“Anyway, I have to thank Mr. Rudger once again. Thankfully, no one died.”

“I was just doing my job.”

“Such a proud attitude, I like it. Can I expect more from you in the future?”

Rudger nodded without a word and returned to his office.

As Rudger sat down, leaning against the back of his chair, he remembered what had
happened the night before.

He was surprised to see that the body of the werewolf cub that was hidden in fallen
leaves that others had not yet discovered was obviously of a human child without
animal hair.

‘The Shamsus School did not use wolves as subjects to create werewolves.’

Rather, it was the opposite: they used humans. Instead of substituting human genes
into wolves, they captured humans and forcibly mixed them with the elements of
beasts.

The bizarre behavior of the werewolf, who threw the shattered debris with his
hands when it became an emergency, was now understandable. He wondered why
his head was spinning so well that he didn’t seem like a beast that should have no
reason.

’A cub and his mother?’

The three werewolves who made Leathervelk and Theon noisy were a family. Child
and two parents, just ordinary people caught up in an unfortunate incident. Rudger
killed the three with his own hands.

He clenched his fists.

‘I have no regrets for my actions.’

If he had gone back to that time, Rudger would have made the same decision.
Otherwise, he would have been in danger. All subjects had to be eliminated, and the
clues that he was involved in the situation had to be erased. There was no other way.

There have already been deaths due to werewolves. They killed and ate people so
they were killed. Yes, that was it.

‘Pupil.’

Those clear eyes of the baby that looked back at him at the end while licking his
mother. Even while he was preparing his magic to kill them, the eyes staring at him
did not contain any rebuke or anger towards Rudger.

“……”

Rudger stood up.

Aidan, Leo, and Tracy, who were sitting on a bench in a quiet garden, thought that
what had just happened was like a dream, and had not returned to reality yet.

It was Tracy who came to her senses first.

“We really didn’t get punished. It still feels like a dream.”

“I know.”

“I can’t believe the president stepped forward and supported us.”

“I know.”

Leo, who had always had a sharp conversation with Tracy, completely agreed with
her opinion this time around.

The eyes of the two of them eventually turned to Aidan.

“Hey Aidan. Aidan?”

“Yes? Uh, yes.”

“What are you thinking about?”

Unlike the two people who were happy to receive the merit points, Aidan had a
serious face all the time.

“Aidan, what are you worried about?”

“No. Should it be a concern? That…… It’s kind of strange to come and say something
like this now.”
“What is it? Don’t be stingy and tell me!”

When Tracy slapped him hard, Aidan hesitated, and then he confided his concerns to
his friends.

“It’s just something strange.”

“Strange? What’s strange?”

“You may not have seen it, but the werewolf had a strange silver restraint on his
neck.”

“What?!”

“Shhh!”

As Tracy’s voice rose, Leo immediately told her to be quiet.

“Quiet. What would you do if someone heard it?”

The three of them looked around to see if there were any other witnesses, and then
put their heads together and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Keep talking. Is that real?”

“Yes. That’s why I tried to stop Mr. Rudger.”

“Are you saying that werewolf is no ordinary werewolf?”

“I wonder if it really isn’t a subject that someone deliberately created.”

If that was true, it couldn’t have been more serious. Leo also opened his mouth with
a heavy expression as if he was thinking of something.

“I, too, have heard some news recently.”

“What?”

“There are suspicious people hiding in Theon.”

“Suspicious people? What is that, some kind of secret organization? Isn’t that just a
secret club made by students or a rumor?”

There was nothing special about Theon students having secret meetings.

Leo shook his head at Tracy’s question. If it was just that, he wouldn’t even say that
he was suspicious.

“I’m not even sure. However, it seems certain that a secret organization that has not
been revealed has infiltrated Theon. I realized this while watching the werewolf
incident.”

“Wait a minute. Then there are dangerous people in Theon.”

“It’s still at the stage of doubt, but I think so. Aidan, do you think so too?”

“Yes. To be honest, it’s not a good thing to doubt someone, but he definitely has
something to do with it……”

Aidan was about to say something, then shook his head and bit his mouth.

“No, no.”

“What?”

“Is it because of Mr. Rudger?”

Aidan couldn’t help but nod his head at Tracy’s piercing remark.

The reason why Aidan’s heart had been heavy for a while was because of the radical
behavior that Rudger had shown the day before.

“I don’t want to suspect Mr. Rudger,” she said, “but the teacher I saw last night was
somehow suspicious.”

“Was he suspicious?”

“You guys may not have been able to see it properly because you were behind Mr.
Rudger, but I was facing him from the front. Mr. Rudger saw something.”
Aidan didn’t miss Rudger’s reaction but before he could ask, Rudger forcibly
removed him and set the werewolf on fire.

Hearing Aidan’s words, Leo bit his chin.

“That means Mr. Rudger was trying to destroy the evidence?”

“What? Mr. Rudger? Does that make sense?”

“What kind of stupid thing is that?” asked Tracy.

“It’s not certain. However, I keep thinking that Mr. Rudger might know something.
The teacher at that time seemed desperate to hide something.”

“……”

“……”

Maybe it was an illusion. There’s no way a Theon teacher would do such a dangerous
thing. But what if it’s real? What if Rudger Chelici belongs to a secret organization
that is too dangerous to even talk about?

What if the werewolves were actually killed to destroy evidence?

“Are you stupid? Anyway, you went too far.”

Tracy rebuked the two, putting her hand on her waist and shaking her head.

“Mr. Rudger must have had something in mind and when we met the president
earlier, didn’t you think something was strange?”

“Uh? what?”

“I didn’t feel anything.”

“Ugh… Stupid guys. Do you remember what the president said when he praised us?
She gave each of us a little bit of a hint that we did well and what we did.”

“Oh, right. I didn’t even think of it because I was concerned about other things.”
“Think about it. How would the president, who was not present at the time, have
known that?”

“Uh, that’s……”

“Of course, someone told the president everything. Who could tell her what we did?”

Rudger Chelici, was the only one who knew.

“Mr. Rudger definitely saw everything we were doing. If he had tried to scold us, he
would not have told the president what we did well.”

“Ah.”

Hearing Tracy words, it certainly seemed that way.

It is the same with the fact that only the president and Rudger entered the interview
room, and when the president said that she would give them merit points, Rudger
took a step back and made concessions.

“You mean it was all Mr. Rudger’s plan? Why?”

“I don’t know that either. Still, Mr. Rudger was considerate of us and only said good
things to the president. To be honest, isn’t it too far-fetched to be suspicious of Mr.
Rudger?”

Aidan and Leo had nothing to say, even if they had ten mouths.

If Rudger was a dubious person, would he have taught them the groundbreaking
magic source code from his first class?

A person, who has to hide his identity, rather than trying to reveal himself, is
contradictory.

“Is it?”

Aidan scratched his head, but couldn’t shake his subtle suspicion about Rudger.

He’s definitely a respectable teacher, but there’s no denying that he’s got something
odd about him.
“Yes. Tracy I think you’re right. It is meaningless to even think about it right now.”

“Huh. It’s okay to know.”

“I’m hungry. Have you guys eaten?”

“Not yet.”

“Tracy?”

“Why me?”

“If you haven’t eaten, why don’t we go to dinner together?”

“What?”

At Aidan’s words, Tracy wondered if she had heard wrong.

“Meal? With me? Why?”

Embarrassed for nothing, Tracy twisted her hair with her fingertips and muttered a
little with his flushed face.

“With friends……”

“Are we already friends?”

“……!”

Seeing Aidan smiling brightly as he looked at her, Tracy dyed her earlobes red as
well. Leo, who watched the scene from the side, sighed and shook his head.

It seemed that their Theon life would be eventful in the future.

***

“Ah! Mr. Rudger!”

On my way back to my dorm, I met Selina who ran towards him looking more like a
student than a teacher.
‘Aren’t you really lying about your age?’

“Are you off work?”

“Yes.”

“I heard the news. Yesterday, I heard that Mr. Rudger caught a werewolf.”

“Yes. I took care of it.”

“Wow. Really?”

Selina-sensei looks at him with a burdensome gaze. Still, she’s also a new teacher,
but I think she’s looking up too much.

“Recently, I’ve only been hearing about Mr. Rudger. How did you catch the
werewolf?”

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

“I’m a little busy today, so we’ll talk about it later.”

At my resolute remark, Selina nodded her head slightly with a pale face like a child
scolded by an adult.

“Oh, I’m sorry. You’re busy.”

“No. Not to that extent. Selina, please rest well.”

“Yeah. Mr. Rudger too.”

I said goodbye to Selina and parted with her.

Unlike other teachers, she is a good person who cares about me. However, I couldn’t
get close to anyone because I was in a difficult position.

It’s possible to eat together as a group, but that’s all. And above all, I had one thing to
do now.
When I returned to my private residence, there was a parcel at the door. Having
packed the parcel, I went inside the house and checked the contents.

It was the material that Hans sent me, about areas where missing people and certain
people gather in Leathervelk recently.

After lightly checking the contents, I headed to my personal study. On one wall of the
study was a map of the city of Leathervelk, along with pictures pinned everywhere.

I cut out some content from the document and pinned it to one corner of the map, an
area full of abandoned factories in Leathervelk that has a laboratory nearby.

After finishing the work up to that point, I immediately took out a portable crystal
ball.

[Brother, have you checked all the materials I sent?]

“Yes.”

[As brother told me yesterday, I checked the area. In an abandoned factory, about ten
strong men rushed to and fro. I’m pretty sure it’s there.]

“Right.”

[And I checked out what you personally told me to find out. Some workers have
recently gone missing on the outskirts of the city.]

“Was there a family of three among them?”

[There was. It’s the only case where an entire family has disappeared. The police
didn’t do much research and let it go, but the neighbors should have been very
anxious.]

“……I get it.”

I left those words and cut off communication.

After staring intently at the map fixed on the wall for a moment, I walked out of the
dormitory wearing a dull brown coat, unlike usual.
 ***

The factory area of Leathervelk where even the light of the stars and the moon
disappeared due to the thick clouds in the sky.

The chimney of the factory, which stood tall without emitting soot, was itself a
tombstone in memory of those who died in the shadow of the city. Considering that
there are people who actually died in difficult circumstances, the term tombstone
was not particularly wrong.

The slum district, called the abandoned district, had no street lights, which gave a
strong feeling of desolation. All he could see was a rat that quickly swept across the
floor.

Rudger arrived at the place where even the vagrants gave up begging and escaped.

“Are you here?”

Hans, who had come first and was waiting, greeted Rudger.

Hans looked at Rudger’s walk and shook his head, sticking out his tongue. Although
he looked casual on the outside, Rudger was already heavily armed.

From the chill that was flowing from him, Hans felt that he was thoroughly prepared
for the fight to come.

“Are you going alone?”

“Will you help me if I ask for help?”

“No, I just wondered if you would be able to deal with them alone.”

“Alone is enough. What about the guys inside?”

“There are about forty. However, these guys know that their feet are on fire and are
slowly trying to escape. If I was only three days late, they would have disappeared.”

“What are their powers?”

“It would be nice to see that even a trivial person has at least one gun. Well, my
brother, who is a wizard, doesn’t like firearms, but there are about three of them
wearing reinforced armor.”

“Elite power?”

“Two warlocks.”

“Right.”

Rudger, who was about to head straight to the laboratory, stopped his steps and
asked Hans.

“Hans, the family I asked about.”

“Yes.”

“How old was the child?”

With his back against the wall, Hans looked up as if to recall something.

“He was seven years old, such a young kid.”

“……Seven years old.”

Rudger headed towards the entrance to the secret laboratory, which was decorated
with a large wastewater pipe. The rust and stench everywhere looked real, but as
soon as he went a little deeper, that changed.

The inner wall became clean and even the stench that was wafting disappeared.

Rudger immediately killed his presence and moved slowly.

“I’m bored to death. How much longer do we have to stay here?”

“We still have more than two days left, so shouldn’t you wait a little longer?”

“I mean, why did those damned subjects have to escape?”

“Maybe it’ll be okay because they haven’t caught the tail yet. They’re trying to
organize everything and leave.”

“Still, it would be better to stand guard like this. It’s crazy to organize the equipment
inside right now.”

“If only those dog-like bastards didn’t escape.”

Rudger leaned his back against the wall, listening to their conversation. The two of
them, who were bored of standing by the guards at the entrance, did not stop
chatting.

“I was out then, how did that happen?”

“They must have made a mistake. It was said that the kidnapped kid didn’t get his
medicine well, so his cryptidization was incomplete. Maybe it happened because he
was young.”

“So?”
“When I pulled him out to give him more test drugs, resistance developed.”

“I heard that medication is very painful, is that true?”

“The problem was that his parents interfered.”

“What? Parents? You said they were already werewolves, but they were trying to
protect their cub?”

“Yes. Scientists didn’t even know that could happen. They did more than expected,
and the inside was a mess.”

“Damn. So did they escape? Isn’t it a bit dangerous then?”

“Pooh! The risk is bullshit. Do not worry because someone they trust was asked to
deal with them. Anyway, if he had been there then, those bastards would have been
unable to escape. We would not have to suffer like this.”

Rudger felt he no longer needed to overhear their conversation because he knew

everything about how things went.

At the sound of Rudger stepping on the stagnant water, the two men, who were
chatting, immediately shut their mouths and stared in his direction.

“Who is there?”

“Maybe rats?”

Magic lamps were illuminating around the entrance, but the place where Rudger was
standing was relatively dark and invisible.

The two pulled out guns from their waists but before that, two rays of light flew out
of the darkness and pierced their foreheads. Without even screaming, the two men
guarding the entrance collapsed from their seats.

Rudger slowly walked out of the darkness. From shin-high leather boots, black pants,
a gray vest with full pockets with a shabby brown coat over it. A black hood was
draped over his face, reaching up to his nose, and covering his head.

***
“Aww! Help me!”

The man patrolling near the entrance desperately ran away from the monster that
appeared from the dark and killed all his companions.

Like a mirage, he appeared out of nowhere and instantly killed all of his comrades
patrolling with him.

‘What did the bastards who guarded the entrance do?’

The moment he thought about it, his vision changed.

“Uh?”

His body leaned forward and fell.

“Why?”

He looked down at his legs and only then did he realize. His two legs were cut off
under the shin. The moment I realized it, the pain came.

“Agh!”

He clenched his teeth and glared at the darkness behind him. Beyond the huge
passageway, all the lights were off and it was pitch black.

There was the sound of footsteps. His back became cold and the hairs all over his
body stood up.

It was the intruder who suddenly appeared and killed all his companions, he’s
already been chasing him.

The intruder slowly emerged from the darkness. He appeared through the black veil,
and his identity was unknown because his face was tightly covered but looking at his
strong physique, it was clear that he was a man.

He warned in a trembling voice.

“Did you think you will be okay if you touch us? I don’t think you know who you are,
but you’re dead.”
The man had no reaction, rather, the eyes seen through the shadow on the hood
became sharper.

His lips were dry and his throat burned. The moment he was wondering if he should
beg for his life, a large number of people rushed through the passage.

“Over here!”

He saw mercenaries approaching this way with magical lamps from afar. They were
all carrying firearms, and among them, a particularly heavily armed figure stood out.

“This way! Hahaha! You are finished now!”

Rudger thrust his dagger into the man’s mouth. As he drew his dagger, blood
spattered and his body fell to the side. It was at that time that the troops that arrived
just in time discovered Rudger.

“There! Shoot it!”

As it was a well-trained force, they aimed their guns straight at Rudger without
asking anything. Rudger, meanwhile, remained silent.

“Shoot!”

They pulled the trigger right away.

“Uh?”

“What?”

No matter how hard they pulled the trigger, their bullets didn’t go out. It wasn’t that
the gun itself was broken, it was that the gunpowder had stopped working.

A cold sweat ran down the cheek of the captain who gave the order to shoot, he
knew from his own experience.

“[Silence of fire]! A wizard!”

A considerable amount of time has passed since the appearance of weapons made of
gunpowder as the world changed. But even so, wizards and knights maintained their
positions with one of the best powers in this world.

It was because guns were not a threat at all to knights and wizards. Knights with
superhuman physical abilities could easily dodge or cut through ordinary bullets.
Conversely, the wizards did not need to do that because the magic called [Silence of
fire] made it possible.

[Silence of Fire]

Literally, it is a magic that suppresses the performance of gunpowder within a

certain range centering on the wizard. Its power can be used to neutralize even
machine guns when used by a 3rd-level wizard. If it is used by a rank 5 or so, it can
neutralize cannons.

If it was used by a Lexorer-class wizard of the 6th rank, the war would change from
then on. Even when the age of guns and gunpowder came, the wizards and knights
were able to keep their place.

However, the magic that Rudger can use ended at the 3rd level. Then, Rudger
realized that he could not go any further and made up for his weaknesses by
strengthening his existing magic.

When a normal 3rd-tier wizard uses [Silence of Fire], the maximum effective range is
a radius of 20m. And the effective range of [Silence of Fire] used by Rudger was
200m.

“Damn it! Pull out the knives!”

Those who belonged to the Shamsus School were quick to judge. They threw away
the meaningless firearms and immediately took out their swords and clubs and
grabbed them.

An electric current flowed over the clubs. Rudger looked up and raised his hands. In
each hand he held a revolver.

“You idiot! If you use [Silence of Fire], your weapons are useless……!”

The man who was laughing at Rudger fell backwards, blood spraying from his
forehead.
Everyone watched the scene with a pale complexion. What just happened?

“What?”

“How……?”

Rudger shot him but it wasn’t a bullet he fired, to be precise it was magic in the
shape of a bullet, therefore was not affected by [Silence of fire].

“This person……!”

“Did you want us to have an equal fight?”

Rudger laughed at the soldiers and fired magic bullets at random.

“Bang! Bang!”

But even though it seemed like rough shots, his muzzle was aimed precisely at the
forehead and blew off the mercenaries heads. Blood and screams erupted in an
instant.

“You idiots! Everyone out!”

A figure dressed in huge armor stepped forward. The reinforced armor made of
black synthetic metal easily deflected the magic bullets Rudger fired. It was an
external suit called reinforced armor made thanks to the development of
engineering.

Although the speed was slow, it was very sturdy and produced an enormous amount
of power to be used exclusively against knights.

“Die!”

The warrior in reinforced armor ran towards Rudger with his arms wide open.
Rudger wasn’t frightened and after retrieving the lifted revolver, he pulled out two
crescent-shaped karambit daggers from his waist and held them.

“A wizard fighting with daggers?”

The moment he stretched out his arm to almost grab Rudger by the neck, Rudger
disappeared.

‘What? Where did he disappear?’

The moment the man in reinforced armor was bewildered by the sight, a terrible
pain ran down his forearm. Blood gushed out through the gaps in the armor.

“Aww! What!?”

It was because a dagger was pierced through the seams of the armor.

“How? No, it was so fast I couldn’t even see it……”

The moment he tried to move his left arm, there was no force in it. It was because
something cold and sharp grazed past his armpits.

“Uh, what……”

Then it was both ankles.

Before he could come to his senses, the tendons in both of his legs were cut off and
he knelt on his knees and lastly cold steel touched his neck.

“Live……”

Rudger listened no further and cut off his throat with a karambit dagger.

“Damn it! Gabe died!”

“Move! I’m out!”

What came out this time was a slightly different form of reinforced armor. He was
wearing brass armor that was more yellowish than black and white steam gushed
out from behind his shoulders.

A reinforced exoskeleton made from a steam engine. He held a giant barrel in both
hands, and the tip of the barrel was connected to a large Tesla coil hanging from his
back.

“Die!”
A purple current engulfed the passage. The high-voltage current of the Tesla gun,
which cannot be suppressed by [Silence of Fire], spread in all directions.

“Kah ha ha! How about this?”

But he had to stop laughing.

It was because the high-voltage electric current he had fired was not moving as if it
had been blocked in front of Rudger’s nose.

“What?”

No, to be precise, it was seeping into a single piece of metal that rose in front of him.
Was that metal magic with alchemy? Perhaps he was a wizard who handled metal
among the elemental elements?

The Tesla gun that fires high voltage does not work against wizards who use metal
elemental magic. He realized that, but it was already too late. Rudger pulled out his
revolver and shot. It hit the muzzle of the Tesla gun and it exploded.

Electricity spread all over the place, and everyone nearby was charred. The only one
who managed to survive, leaning his back against the wall, stared at Rudger, who
was slowly approaching him. His half body was already charred and he was barely
breathing.

“This crazy bastard. Why are you doing this to us?”

He asked that because he didn’t understand, but Rudger didn’t even respond and just
passed him by.

He couldn’t survive in that state anyway, so he decided to leave him in the pain
longer.

‘How many people have I dealt with so far?’

About twenty people so only half are left inside. Seeing that they weren’t coming this
way, it was clear that they were preparing to fight him inside.

Most of all, I felt the gaze. The gaze pierced through the cracks in the pipes that filled
the wall.
‘Is it black magic using worms?’

Hans said there were two warlocks inside. Some of the warlocks share vision with
worms so they can explore hard-to-see areas. It’s probably one of them watching him
right now.

“Whoa.”

Rudger exhaled lightly and lifted his right foot, rolling it lightly to the ground.

“Tung”

The sound of crashing the floor was heard and it became a wave that spread wide.

***

Inside the laboratory the scientists had no choice but to tremble with great anxiety.

“Is this okay? We need to destroy the data right away and get the experimental
drugs……”

“Oh, it’s okay because I said it’s okay.”

It was a blond man with a tattoo on his neck that stifled the ill scientist. His attire
was also quite light, and he didn’t even have a weapon, so it looked as if he was out
on a picnic.

But everyone knew that this man was the most influential warlock in the laboratory.
The same goes for the tall, bald-haired man who was quietly standing next to him.

The bald man’s name was Veron and the blonde man was called Bruno. Although
they were not related by blood, the two were called worm brothers.

“After all, there is only one opponent.”

Bruno divulged the information he had discovered.

Surprisingly, there was only one intruder. Only one person wiped out an army
equipped with firearms and two people in reinforced armor alone.
“Damn, who……”

“Well, we don’t know. Perhaps the Imperial Security Agency noticed us.”

An organization made up of only the most elite of the Empire, they even had a knight
order belonging to them, the Nightcrawler Knights.

Of course, they are slightly different from the ordinary knights. The scariest thing
about them was that their individual force was powerful, but they used any means
and methods to achieve their goals.

Although they’re knights, they don’t act as sternly as other knights. Rather, they
thoroughly scrutinize the opponent’s weaknesses, dig into them, and kill them. They
can mercilessly kill even a three-year-old child if judged to be harmful to the country.

“The way he fights is a little bit strange. I wanted to see more with the bugs, but I
don’t know what kind of trick he used, that all the signals from the bugs were cut
off.”

“Maybe he noticed that you were watching.”

“Brother we need to prepare.”

“Yes.”

The older brother, Veron, got up and the men guarding the laboratory were also very
nervous and raised their shields and weapons. They stared intently at the passage
from the entrance to the center of the laboratory and got ready to meet the intruder.

A strange wave swept through the interior of the laboratory, then all the lights went
out and darkness fell.

“What?! Come on, turn on the lights!”

“Use the reserve generator!”

Seeing the men moving in haste, Bruno turned to his older brother.

“Brother, I think he must have done his tricks.”

“……”

“Brother?”

There was no answer from Veron.

Bruno looked at Veron and even in the dark, his bulky figure was clearly
distinguishable by his silhouette but his head was cut off and rolled on the floor.
“Damn it! Brother!”

As soon as Bruno saw that Veron’s head had been severed, he responded
immediately. Countless insects squirmed from the crevices of his clothes. Bruno
quickly shook his head.

‘He used sound waves and even metal.’

Attribute elements are divided into a total of 10.

<Fire> <Water> <Wind> <Earth> <Wood>

<Lighting> <Metal> <Ice> <Dark> <Light>

And unknown ones that have not yet been discovered.

In the case of sound magic, it used vibrations in the atmosphere, so it was often
viewed as a derivation of the wind element and when Rudger stopped the Tesla Gun,
he used <Metal> attribute magic.

‘Metal element is derived from the earth. Attribute elements that can be used usually
consist only of similar series.’

Bruno judged that there were three elemental magic’s Rudger used: <Wind>,
<Earth>, and <Metal>.In the case of ordinary wizards, there are only two or three
attributes that they could use.

No matter how much ability they have, up to 4. From 5, it can be said that is the
realm of innate talent. As a result, wizards basically set their opponents to three
elements because that was common sense and it was natural.

‘When it comes to the wind element, tiny flying insects are not good. If that’s the
case, then I’ll have to release the big guy.’
He did not rule out the possibility that Rudger could use a fourth element, just in
case.

Protruding from Bruno’s sleeve was a giant centipede with a thick carapace. It was a
worm that was not found in the general ecosystem, but was created through black
magic and subspecies hybridization with a special object caught in the southern
jungle.

However, the head of the centipede that Bruno pulled out was cut off in an instant. It
took less than a second for that sharp sword to target his neck.

“What!”

By twisting his body, Bruno was able to deflect Rudger’s blade and block it. Hard
scarabs were wrapped around his body, hidden under his clothes, like chain armor.

‘A close-up fight? Maybe it’s a war mage?’

Bruno immediately tried to distance himself from Rudger but at that moment, a
formula was engraved on Rudger’s face. Bruno’s eyes widened.

‘That’s [Fluttering Flame]!’

The third-tier flame elemental magic, the fluttering flame, blew out intense flames in
less than a second and engulfed Bruno.

“Aww!”

With Bruno’s scream, a fire broke out and the surroundings became brighter. The
soldiers, who had been staring at only the entrance, looked back and widened their
eyes.

“The enemy!”

“How the hell?!”

But in the meantime, Bruno twisted his body in the scorching heat. Fire was the most
difficult magic for those who deal with bugs.

He was using an element completely unrelated to the other three. It was

unbelievable.

“Damn, how can you?”

All the bugs managed to survive, but Bruno’s condition was not very good either. His
face half melted from his full body burns, and he flopped down, staring at Rudger.

“Who the hell are you?”

“……”

Instead of answering, Rudger pulled out his revolver and blew off Bruno’s head. At
the same time, the reserve power was activated and the light returned to the inside
of the laboratory.

“Huh!”

“The bug brothers are dead.”

The soldiers who were in charge of the security inside were at a loss as they saw the
bodies of Bruno and Veron. The soldiers lost their will, they couldn’t fight a monster
like that.

Everyone backed away from Rudger in fear, but a change took place in Veron’s
corpse, which had fallen after his neck had been cut off.

“……!”

Rudger responded immediately. The moment he threw his body forward, a huge
hand scraped through the space where Rudger had been a while ago. It was an
insect’s forelimbs, full of sharp thorns on a bare carapace.

The other people who were watching the scene were stunned.

“Isn’t he dead?”

Rudger asked as he looked at Veron moving with excitement.

After his head was cut off, Veron’s body stood up again. What struck Rudger a while
ago was his bizarrely deformed right hand. Veron held out his left hand, which was
still in human form. The palm of his hand had a mouth.

“You became an insect?”

“Surprised?”

Bruno dealt with bugs. Conversely, his older brother, Veron, was large and did not
deal with insects. But then I wondered why they are called worm brothers.

‘It was like that.’

Veron was a warlock whose body itself mutated into a kind of bug. Since such a body
could not change naturally, he actually used his body as an experiment in black
magic.

Why Warlocks are crazy people, Veron gave a clear example of that.

“Even so, your head was cut off, but you’re fine.”

“My body is no longer like a normal person.”

At the same time as those words, Veron’s body changed with a horrifying sound of
‘Kudduk!’The black robes surrounding his body swelled and then countless thorns
popped out.

Rudger stepped back. Still, the gigantic Veron turned even bigger and looked down at
Rudger. He was a monster that looked like a mixture of several insects. At this point,
Rudger couldn’t tell if he was a warlock or a cryptid.

[You killed my brother. I’m not sad, but you have to take responsibility for that.]

Veron’s arms were being pulled back, and then shot towards Rudger like an arrow.
Rudger immediately flew upwards using a wire launcher. Veron’s stab passed almost
under Rudger’s feet, and the soldiers behind him were pierced instead.

“Aww!”

“Run away!”

Even though his men were screaming and dying, Veron didn’t care. Veron lifted his
head and looked at Rudger.

“Kugugung!”

At that moment, the steel structures on the ceiling collapsed and fell on Veron’s head.

Even though a significant amount of reinforcing bars had fallen, Veron remained
intact. There were only a few scratches on his carapace, but no wounds.

[Did you mean to draw my attention with something like this?]

Veron turned his gigantic head and looked at Rudger as he rode the wire and landed
on the ground. He was clearly provoking him, but Rudger didn’t show much of a
reaction.

‘It bothered me.’

Veron’s body was already out of the realm of ordinary bugs. With such a gigantic
body, the carapace that wraps around it was also hard, so it was no wonder that it
was actually called a monster that surpassed a warlock.

‘That’s why I hate warlocks.’

Rudger stopped firing the revolver and retrieved all of his weapons. Because he
realized that even if he shot a hundred bullets, he wouldn’t hurt him.

[Are you giving up?]

Veron laughed at Rudger’s behavior, but instead he stretched out his hand towards
Veron.

[What are you trying to do?]

Rudger’s gesture of extending his arm toward him not only stimulated Veron’s
curiosity, but also aroused discomfort.

Was he trying to use magic? However, it was virtually impossible to damage Veron
unless it was a 4th rank or higher magic and he judged that Rudger was a wizard of
the third rank.
The speed of the magic unfolding was bizarrely fast, but that’s all. He didn’t think
that such a Rudger would be able to deal a decent blow to him.

Veron decided to wait and see what the intruder would do.

“I didn’t want to use something like this in this situation.”

[Hmm?]

“Well, I can’t help it.”

A pure white light filled the inside of the laboratory.

***

“Whoops. It’s still chilly.”

Hans, who was waiting for Rudger outside the abandoned factory, trembled as he put
his hands in his pockets in the still chilly night air.

Thirty minutes have passed since Rudger went inside.

‘The end is near.’

Rudger didn’t try hard enough, but Hans realized he was a bit angry, after all, he did
it himself.

They kidnap a 7-year-old kid and his parents and use them as human experiments.
No matter how dishonest he is, there is a law called “goodness” that must be
observed even for those who do such things. That Shamsus School crossed that line
too badly.

‘He’s a little late. Is it because there were two warlocks?’

Especially if those warlocks were the Bug Brothers but Hans didn’t think Rudger
would die. He’s known him for several years and if Rudger would’ve died it would’ve
happened a few years ago, that’s how strong he became.

Wasn’t he a human who hunted monsters in Jevaudan alone when he was working as
a hunter in the first place? The number of knights that the monster ate alone was
over five but Rudger hunted it alone.

Rudger was not only the only hunter named ‘Abraham van Helsing’ he was also a
private detective, a thief, crime consultant, mercenary, artist and so on.

He had many faces, and the masks he wore in the past always made a big impact.

Flash!

At that moment a strong light that hurt his eyes was emitted from the entire
abandoned factory. At the same time, the light turned into flames, turning the
abandoned factory into a sea of fire. The terrifying power that blew up a large
factory.

Hans knew very well whose work it was.

He once asked Rudger what it was and the strange answer he got was ‘real magic’.

‘If it’s magic, it’s magic, what is real magic?’

Anyway, the fact that Rudger used it would mean that the opponent was formidable.

***

Rudger came out with the materials in the laboratory and the experimental drugs
used on the subjects in a suitcase. Hans, who was waiting outside, greeted him.

“Are you here? Let’s leave first. Even if the factory was abandoned because it was so
flashy, the police will come.”

“It’s all taken care of.”

After defeating Veron, Rudger checked the depths of the laboratory. He saw the
appearance of terrible subjects trapped in iron cages in the dark. All of them were
ordinary people who had their own daily lives however, their daily life eventually fell
apart.

Those who suffer as their bodies mutate, lose their reason, and cross borders where
it is difficult to call them human. The only mercy that Rudger could bestow upon
them was to let them go without pain. So Rudger blew up the entire laboratory, killed
the scientists, and left with their research reports and experimental results.

“Is this it?”

Hans asked, looking at the tube with the red liquid inside the suitcase he had
received from Rudger.

“Yes.”

“The world is very scary. There must have been some people in a place like this who
did experiments on humans. I never imagined that scientists and inventors would
have teamed up with warlocks.”

“It’s not just that.”

“What else have you found?”

“How do you think they hid a secret lab that big?”

“That……”

“There is someone behind the scenes who has given them a huge amount of funding.”

“……I don’t think that’s normal.”

They would need a large amount of money to build a laboratory like that without
anyone else’s knowledge.

“Don’t worry. Because I already know who they are.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

At Rudger’s answer, Hans felt uneasy.

“Take this.”

Hans immediately accepted the suitcase.

“I will go to the hideout first. Stop by after work.”

Hans left without hearing Rudger’s answer.

Rudger stood still for a while. From afar, the bright red flames from the burning
factory lit up the dark abandoned factory area. It was like a candle burning most
brilliantly just before it went out.

***

Inside a gorgeous mansion Richie Bellbot Rickson threw a plate of food brought to
him by his maid. The maid hit by the plate fell bleeding from her forehead. The food
on the plate stained her clothes and face but no one supported or helped her.

The old man in his 60s, with a white beard growing tired of it, glared at the maid
disgustedly.

“Did you serve this as food? It’s like garbage that can’t properly pay for it even if I
give it money.”

Bellbot got up and left, he was a man who stood out as a very successful capitalist in
the changing times. But when he achieved success, he was an old man full of tiny
wrinkles. In the end, he sacrificed his youth to get to this position.

He wanted to get his youth back so he supported the warlocks in some kind of
experiment. Recently, he heard that some of the subjects escaped and the
experiment was disrupted.

‘Damn! Stupid bastards! Garbage bastards!’

Bellbot was so angry inside and returned to his room.

‘Still, the experiment wasn’t meaningless. Sooner or later, the right results will come
out.’

A drug that will restore a weakened human body to its heyday, the elixir of youth was
not far away. It’s not just about getting younger, it’s about becoming healthier and
stronger.

Thinking like that, he was about to turn on the light in his large room that had been
turned off.

“Bellbot Rickson.”

“What?! Who are you?”

There was someone in the middle of the room. Bellbot tried to turn on the magic
light, but something went wrong and the light wouldn’t come on. In the darkness
where even the moonlight does not enter, Bellbot was trapped in a room alone with
an unidentified intruder.

“Guards! Security!”

“They can’t hear you even if you scream.”

There was already a sound barrier around the room, of course, since it is the house
of a wealthy man. If he used that kind of magic, an alarm would go off right away but
Rudger’s magic was so secretive that he didn’t activate the alarm magic.

Rudger, who was sitting in his chair, got up and slowly approached Bellbot.

“Bellbot Rickson, I will ask you one thing.”

“What? Who are you? Reveal your identity!”

“A seven-year-old child desperately tries to survive this horrific reality while

watching himself and his parents become monsters.”

“Aww!”

Rudger reached out his arm, grabbed Bellbot by the collar, and brought him close to
his face. His eyes glowed red in the darkness.

“How do you think a person feels when they have no choice but to burn a child to
death despite understanding its pain.”
Rudger still remembered that moment. Those clear eyes that looked up at him while
licking his injured mother. Even though he used magic to kill them, he was grateful
for that innocence.

“I don’t know! How do I know! Who are you?”

“You don’t know?”

Rudger tossed the Bellbot Rickson to the floor. Bellbot, who was old and ill, fell to the
floor and grabbed his waist.

“Great. you, what are you?”

“Do you know what this is?”

Rudger took a pre-packaged test drug from his pocket and tossed it in front of the
Bellbot. A red liquid that looks like melted ruby was inside the transparent glass
tube.

Bellbot who gave the instructions for it to be made couldn’t ignore it.

“This!”

“Now do you understand?”

“What do you want from me? Do you want money?”

Bellbot realized his opponent caught his weakness. He was capable of sneaking into
his own room, and he didn’t know how he got it, but he even had a drug from an
experiment he was involved in. Maybe he was from the Nightcrawler Knights?

‘Damn! How the heck did those worm brothers do their job!’
He invested a huge amount of money into the experiment and now a stranger
entered his residence but he couldn’t show dissatisfaction. He didn’t know who the
man in front of him was but he was holding his lifeline.

“I won’t hold you accountable for sneaking in but you must want something since
you decided to see me in secret.”

“What do I want?”

“Do you want money? I have a lot of money and I can give you anything you want.”

But the answer that came back from Rudger was far beyond Bellbot’s expectations.

“Answer.”

“What?”

“Answer the question I just asked.”

Bellbot shook his head as much as he could, trying to recall Rudger’s question.

“Were you the one who got rid of the escaped specimen by any chance?”

“……”

“So it was you! I think there was a misunderstanding. Thanks to you, the situation
didn’t get much worse.”

“Just answer my questions.”

“Oh, okay! That 7-year-old child test subject, right? What’s wrong with that? He
already became a monster, and he’d rather die before being discovered.”

“……”

“Aren’t they low-class citizens who people don’t even know that they exist? No
matter how many of them died, what would be sad about that? Rather, they gave
their lives to achieve great results, so they made a noble sacrifice.”

Bellbot said they were making a noble sacrifice.

Workers or the poor, how many of the lower class who roll in the mud of society die,
what does that have to do with him?

Rather, if they become a cornerstone for completing a drug that brings human
youthfulness as test subjects they would at least contribute to mankind.

“Even if dirty people work in a factory for a hundred days, sweating profusely, how
much money can they really make?”

It was far more productive to use that meaningless life for something more
important.

“Is the answer enough?”

“Yes. That’s enough.”

“Then……”

Rudger grabbed Bellbot’s neck. Bellbot rolled his eyes and grabbed Rudger’s forearm
with both hands, but his hand was too strong to be resisted by Bellbot’s old body.

“Why?”

I answered correctly! Bellbot’s eyes were protesting towards Rudger.

Rudger did not answer, but instead placed the bottle of the drug he had brought in
front of Bellbot’s face and poured it into his mouth.

Bellbot desperately tried to resist, but even that was impossible because his neck
was caught.

The red drug passed through Bellbot’s throat. At the same time, changes began to
take place in his body.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Along with the pain as if it was being torn apart, Bellbot’s body began to slowly
swell. After Rudger released his neck, he retreated and watched the scene.

As the time passed, his wrinkled skin became taut, and eventually split to the left and
right, and his hair grew abundantly. But his changes did not stop there. The hair that
had grown out fell out, revealing the reddish skin, and it started to swell like a
bubble.

Bellbot drank an entire bottle of the drug while the test subjects were only
administered a small part of a bottle at once. The amount that Bellbot drank had
already far exceeded the standard.

“Ouch! Why! Why!!!”

Even as his body was torn, twisted, and changed, Bellbot couldn’t help but cry out to
Rudger. His face was strangely contorted and half mixed with that of a beast and
from his throat came a cry that didn’t sound human or animal.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
”

“No matter what I say, you won’t even understand, let alone repent.”

You don’t have to understand. Instead, feel the pain you inflicted on others. Rudger
canceled the sound blocking magic he had spread out.

“Tirriririring!”

At the same time, an alarm in response to magical power went off throughout the
mansion. After that, the screams of Bellbot, who had become a monster,
reverberated.

“Kwaaaaaaah!”

“What is this sound?!”

“It’s an intruder! The alarm came from Bellbot-sama’s place!”

“Thud! Thud”

A guard from outside knocked on the door. Suddenly, the locked door shattered and
strong men rushed inside. Among them was a freelance mage hired to guard Bellbot.

“A monster!”
“Where is this monster from?”

“Everyone get out of the way!”

The wizard immediately performed fire magic and burned the monster. Contrary to
its bizarre appearance, the monster caught fire so easily.

Thanks to its tenacious life force his body regenerated as it burned and the process
of burning it down continued. Even the wizard felt a sense of crisis and poured out
all his magical powers to set off fire.

An hour passed like that and the monster’s body, which could no longer regenerate,
collapsed.

“Ugh. It’s finally over.”

“What about Bellbot?”

“Find him.”

No matter how bad-tempered he was, he was the employer who paid their salaries,
so people were desperate to find Bellbot Rickson.

However, no matter how much they looked around, they could not find Bellbot, and
there was no trace of him. They had no choice but to come to the conclusion that
Bellbot Rickson was eaten by the monster.

At the same time they did not know that the secret safe hidden inside Bellbot’s room,
which contained his entire wealth, was stolen.

***

“Are you here?”

The hideout that Hans told me about was a shabby house nestled deep in the
alleyways of Leathervelk commercial district.

However, the only bad thing was the exterior, and when I went inside, there was no
smell and the interior was very neat. It looks like an ordinary tavern from the
outside, but it was just a trick.
“You picked a pretty good place.”

“It is a commercial area adjacent to the factory area.”

“What about the surrounding area?”

“It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but it is certain that the ecology of Leathervelk
Backstreet is quite complicated. We need more time.”

“Right.”

Rudger said so, and he put the safe he had brought on the floor.

Hans’s eyes widened.

“What is that? It must have taken a lot of effort to bring it.”

“Not really.”

“So this is a safe?”

“Yes. It had magic security, but I unlocked it on the way.”

Hans opened the door to the safe to check the contents, and immediately closed it.

“……So many?”

“Spend some of it on work and hide the rest in a suitable place for now.”

“Understood. Are you going to go now?”

“Yes.”

“You look a little tired, so go take a break. I also have a separate room for you.”

“I will check it later. It seems that I will come back soon anyway.”

“With what kind of status will you come next time?”

“The thing that suits you best when you’re moving in the underworld.”
“Oh, you mean that?”

Hans didn’t ask any more since Rudger must have been quite tired from today’s fight.

“Get a good rest. I will try to finish my work as soon as possible.”

“Yes.”

Rudger came out of the hideout with weary steps. The air in the back alley, where
people don’t come and go, melted and stuck to the skin like glue.

While walking Rudger could sense that people were watching him from beyond the
darkness of a deeper alley. They hyenas in the back alley glanced at Rudger but
withdrew, realizing that they were no match for him.

When he was completely out of the alleyway, Rudger took off the hood over his head
and pulled down the fabric that covered his mouth and nose.

As he was still gazing at the Ramzier River, where some steamships were roaming, a
loud bell rang out from the towering clock tower in the center of Leathervelk.

“Dang! Dang! Dang!”

It was the sound of midnight.

Rudger continued to stare at the darkened Ramzier River.

***

[The death of the rich man, Bellbot Rickson]

It was a headline that adorned the front page of a newspaper issued to the city of
Leathervelk the next day.

The death of Bellbot, a vicious entrepreneur and one of Leathervelk richest people,
was enough to heat up Leathervelk. Even more so if his cause of death was from a
werewolf attack.

The monster was exterminated by the wizard who was guarding the inside of the
mansion, but the death of Bellbot himself was quite a big issue.
Some said that Bellbot had been punished, while others said that Bellbot used evil
black magic and died because he couldn’t control it. Reporters have been clamoring
for days in front of Rickson’s mansion to be let in.

A black car stopped behind the reporters.

“Yes?”

The reporters stared at the man who got out of the car.

There were a total of three people who got off, and they were all wearing the same
outfit, black uniform with golden epaulets.

The reporters’ eyes widened when they recognized the attire that only authorized
people could wear commonly referred to as a black coat.

“The sheriff!”

“It’s also the Nightcrawler Knights!”

The Sheriff’s Office wasn’t exactly a secret organization. On the contrary, it had a
tremendous reputation in the bright field, and a terrible notoriety even in the shade.

The reporters gulped their saliva.

They came to the entrance of the mansion simply for the sake of gossip, but if the
security bureau stepped in, the story would be different.

‘Scoop.’

One word kept running through the reporters’ heads.

‘We won’t be able to get inside anyway, so we have to write something related to the
security department.’

‘If the security bureau stepped in, it means that it was a serious matter. Even that
person at the forefront…… ’

Cold silver hair that perfectly contrasts with the black coat with gold and red
stitching in harmony. The woman with the sharp impression who turned it up to
reveal her forehead was a very famous person.

“Trina Ryanhowl.”

The head of the marquis Ryanhowl family, who symbolizes the protection of the
empire. She belonged to the Security Bureau, and was the Knights Commander
leading the Nightcrawler Knights. Her nickname is widely known as Lord Protector.

The reporters quickly got out of the way as they saw Trina walking towards the
mansion. With a sharp charisma, she was the idol of all knights in the empire.

“Open the door.”

When the security bureau stepped in, even the guards guarding the entrance had no
choice but to sweat.

“Don’t let anyone in……”

“Door.”

Trina said, pointing her finger at the guard.

“Open it.”

“Yes Yes!”

The contemplative guard moved immediately.

The gate of the Rickson mansion, which had been firmly shut, opened wide.
When Trina Ryanhowl and her two lieutenants appeared, the Rickson mansion filled
with tension. The police inspecting the scene of the crime saw her and saluted by
standing upright.

“Marquis Trina! It’s an honor to meet you! My name is Inspector Tevoran!”

“Oh, yes.”

“May I ask what the cause of Marquis Trina’s coming here is?”

“As of now, all investigation rights into the murder that took place at the Rickson
Mansion will be done by our Sheriff’s Office.”

“The Sheriff Office?”

Inspector Tevoran, with a long beard and sideburns, swallowed his saliva.

He didn’t think it was just a simple murder case, but it’s had to be extremely
dangerous if the security bureau came.

“Sir, I’m sorry! Everyone get out!”

The inspector and his subordinates quickly escaped from the scene. What they had
to do now was to stop reporters from the front door, who still had their eyes on what
was happening inside the mansion.

As their sight faded, the younger of the two lieutenants, a man and a woman who
followed Trina, relaxed.

“Ugh. I’m bad at setting the mood.”

“Enya, even if others don’t see, act up to the reputation of the Nightcrawler Knights.”
Enya rolled her eyes at the nagging of Lloyd, who was scolding her.

“No, old man. Anyway, there is no need to go all the way here.”

“Enya, you……”

“Stop it, Lloyd. You just have to not show yourself that way in front of others.”

“Look. That’s what the manager said too.”

“This little thing…”

Lieutenant Lloyd finally shook his head and raised the white flag.

The Nightcrawler Knights was a place where only the elite gathered like the knights
that guard the center of the empire, but it was also a place where seniors and juniors
talked comfortably among themselves. It was all because Trina, the commander of
the knights, liked that kind of atmosphere. However, the rules were not loose.

Above all, the fact that the discipline of the Nightcrawler Knights has not collapsed is
proof that the current leader, Trina Ryanhowl, possesses great power and charisma.

“Do not forget why we came here.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

This case was evaluated not as an ordinary case, but as a serious matter that even
the Security Agency had to step in. In particular, in terms of the connection between
cryptids and black magic, it was unusually serious because Trina, the commander of
the knights, came out directly.

“Although it’s still just a rumor, the dead Bellbot was a man on our security bureau’s
list of things to watch out for because of his suspicious behavior. The fact that he was
suddenly killed by a monster cannot be considered a mere coincidence.”

Lloyd and Enya nodded at Trina’s words.

The three immediately began exploring Rickson’s room. Broken windows that
looked like an intruder had entered and black marks that could be said to be traces
of a dead monster. There was also blood, presumably belonging to Bellbot, scattered
around.

According to eyewitness accounts, a monster appeared and Rickson was murdered.

Given that their statements are all identical and consistent, she didn’t think they’re
lying.

For more than 10 minutes, they moved in search of clues, but there was no sign of
anything special. Lloyd was about to say something, thinking he had searched
everything. It was then that Trina, who had been contemplating with her arms
folded, suddenly strode towards a wall.

“Chief?”

“Come here.”

Trina stared at the pictures hanging on the wall. Bellbot, as one of the wealthiest
people in Leathervelk, decorated his room with all kinds of colorful artworks.

She came closer to the wall and touched the frame borders of the picture then she
lifted it in the corner and set it aside.

“Chief, what is that picture?”

“There is space behind it.”

Enya asked, staring at the empty space with curious eyes.

Trina crossed her arms and said in a hoarse voice.

“Given its size and location, it was probably the place where he hid a secret safe.”

“A secret safe?”

“Because Bellbot Rickson was notorious for being a wealthy man and a vicious
entrepreneur he must have evaded the eyes of the Empire and hid his black money.”

“Is this the safe where he kept them?”

“But there is no safe.”

Lloyd, realizing something about, opened his mouth with a heavy face.

“Someone took it.”

“Yes.”

“Then who took it? The users of the mansion? Shall we start with the most
suspicious butler first?”

At Enya’s words, Trina shook her head.

“No it won’t make any sense. The butler has nothing to do with this.”

“Yeah?”

“There is no way a man like Bellbot would have entrusted his slush funds to anyone
else. He probably hid it thoroughly so that only he knew.”

“But this place is empty.”

“Just because he didn’t tell doesn’t mean people don’t know.”

Trina also discovered this secret space right away.

“Entrepreneurs, wealthy people, and merchants all have the same thoughts. They’re
not very fond of opening an account in a bank. They always want to have a spot or
gold coins within their reach that they can use right away. That makes them feel
comfortable.”

“Then who took it?”

“We have to find out. It’s just a guess, but the person who stole the safe must have
something to do with Rickson’s death.”

“But everyone said Bellbot Rickson was eaten by a werewolf.”

“I doubt it was a werewolf. Look at the traces that still remain. Nearly half the floor
of this spacious room is on fire. It was burned by magic, so it did not spread into a
fire. They say it was burned only with a precise range of flames, but it is still that
size.”

“That is……”

“The height of a werewolf won’t exceed three meters. It is very large, but even if you
burn such a being to death, the traces won’t be of that size.”

And it is said that those who actually witnessed the werewolf mistook it for a
“monster” at first.

“The result is that someone was involved in the death of Bellbot Rickson. Unnatural
death, the appearance of a monster and even the bad rumors about Bellbot, there is
still a lot left to check.”

What bothered Trina more than anything was the ability of an unidentified intruder
to take the safe that should have been inside without leaving any trace.

‘No way. There must have been a safe here. Until last night, too.’

The proof is that the floor has not yet accumulated dust. Even in an enclosed space,
air and dust are bound to pass through.

‘If so, who took it?’

This feeling of trying to grab a blurry mirage with her hands was not unfamiliar to
her. She felt a sense of deja vu.

A few years ago there was a thief who made the continent tremble. Blurred as if
wrapped in the darkness of the night, his movements were so unpredictable that no
one had ever seen his true face. The person who easily broke through any strict
security and wiped away valuables without leaving a trace, making many rich people
weep, Phantom Thief <Arsene Lupin>.

‘Maybe that phantom…… No, no. It’s been a few years since he stopped working, but
now he came back?’

Even if it wasn’t him, she couldn’t deny the possibility that it was an acquaintance, an
accomplice or a disciple.
“Lloyd.”

“Yes, chief.”

“Isn’t there anything unusual about the incident that happened in Leathervelk?”

“Uh, um. There was one thing.”

“What?”

“One of the factories in the abandoned factory area has been burned down in a fire
on the same day Bellbot died.”

What could have caused an abandoned factory to be burned down?

***

The werewolf situation that had made Theon and Leathervelk noisy came to an end
with the death of a rich man. By the way, I was ill right now in my dorm room.

‘If I had known this would happen, I would have prepared a little more. It’s a good
thing I don’t have classes today, otherwise it would have been a disaster.’

Rather than my aching body, the subtle headaches are the most painful.

Lying on the bed, I took out three pills and popped them into my mouth. Others may
think of it as a headache or pain reliever, but this is literally a chewable mana potion
that replenishes magical power.

Usually, when it comes to recovering magical power, it is mainly to recover

automatically over time or drink a potion but now, with the development of
pharmaceuticals it became possible to grind the magic recovery potion into a
powder and drink it with water, or to mix it with starch and eat it like me because
powder or pills are easier to store and carry than to hang around with potions.

In other words, the pill itself that restores magical power is not a very strange
product. Now it’s just the difference in how effective the same drug is. Therefore,
what is important in pharmaceuticals is the efficiency of how well it works
compared to the ingredients used.
Effect risk and efficiency. Combining these three factors, the drug is graded from the
best grade 1 to the lowest grade 10. The pills I am currently taking are my original
recovery pills that I made myself.

An item that maximizes the effect at the cost of slightly increasing the risk because of
my “body condition”. Because it’s my special product that wasn’t entrusted to clinical
trials, a grade tag wasn’t attached.

‘The problem is that I used too much force. I always finished my battles quickly, but
who would have known that he was a warlock who had changed his body in that
way?’

Because of the older worm brother Veron, I had no choice but to use the ‘real magic’,
not the magic of this world. It’s not about magic or knowledge of this world, but
magic with the occult and mythological knowledge of the world I used to live in.

If there’s a problem, it’s that the aftereffects aren’t a joke. The fact that I periodically
take medicines that replenish my magic power was something I had to go through
because I learned this magic.

[━━━━━]

The sound that kept tormenting me gradually fades away and then disappears. This
voice can only be suppressed by using magic power, so I have become a constitution
that consumes magic power even if I normally breathe. Therefore, it is necessary to
periodically replenish my insufficient mana.

‘It’s a little better.’

As the headache subsided, another thought occurred to me. This werewolf incident
was able to end once I took the initiative. Since they were all burned without a trace,
there is no way to find any evidence.

If there is a problem, it must have been an eyewitness at the scene.

‘Aidan.’

A first-year student who stopped me from killing a werewolf.

With brown hair that doesn’t stand out that much, he has a pleasing impression but
perhaps the greatest thing about him is his personality. It was a rare act to take a risk
to protect a friend, or to take action on his own when he thought he might be in
danger.

To put it bluntly, he was like the main character of a boy cartoon-style game or novel.

In the case of the students taking my class, I remembered them all, and Aidan in my
memory was a model student who focused on my class with brighter eyes than
anyone else.

Unlike other people who learn magic as if they are being chased by something, he is
a hard worker who enjoys learning because he purely likes magic. Such a guy
witnessed the secret of the werewolf.

If this was a game, it would probably be [Act 1]. The title ‘The Werewolf of Theon’
came to my mind.

‘Maybe I’m being suspected because I killed that werewolf.’

Fortunately, Leo and Tracy Friad, who were also there, didn’t notice but if Aidan tells
them, the story will change.

How the heck did a freshman get caught up in an incident like this and approached
the truth? It wasn’t intentional, but things were twisted and turned like this.

I put my hand on my forehead and brushed my bangs back. If things keep going like
this should I kill him?
Contemplating whether to kill Aidan, I remembered him carefully approaching the
werewolf, that stupid act of taking out a crude recovery potion, holding it, and
smiling at the cub.

Contemplating Aidan’s life or death, I shook my head. If I had to deal with him, I
could do it as carefully as possible, but I couldn’t completely rule out the situation in
which I was suspected.

What happened to this situation where I became a teacher who got caught up in a
terrorist attack while riding a train? In the end, it’s normal for something completely
unexpected to happen.

There is something called the Black Swan Theory. When an event that was
completely unpredictable occurs, it is analyzed by fitting the cause through the
results, and in fact, it is claimed that there was a precursor to the occurrence of this
event and that it could be predicted.

It is said that post-mortem analysis is easy, but pre-investigation is difficult without

realizing it.

‘More than anything else, I can’t touch Aidan even more since he got the president’s
attention through this incident.’

Of course, I was the one who suggested the president to give them a prize. But this
was unavoidable. It cannot be denied that Aidan, Leo, and Tracy were present at the
scene at the time.

And in a situation where the president has not yet cast doubt on me, what would
happen if I told her to punish Aidan thoroughly? Rather, secretly suggesting that
Aidan be rewarded in order to make a good impression was a much better choice for
managing my image.

In fact, the president didn’t like the aristocratic-oriented atmosphere of the academy,
and was satisfied with the appearance of a commoner boy who played a big role this
time.

‘Besides, Aidan is a commoner, but he also possesses a rare [Unusual] type of magic.’

It is said that his master, who was a wandering wizard, taught him when he was
young.

Anyway, Aidan is a guy who knows how to use such unusual magic, so he has subtly
attracted the president’s attention. Touching Aidan is risky and suspicious.

‘How about using Aidan?’

The same goes for the [Unusual] type magic he possesses, but I had a strong feeling
that it was going to bring all kinds of events. If it were Aidan, I thought that he might
even face the Black Dawn hiding in Theon.

‘It’s not bad, but I’ll just keep the possibility open.’

I don’t even know what Aidan thinks of me after that night, and no matter how much
he learns unusual magic, he’s still only a student.

It would be better to watch him the next few days, or weeks. It will not be too late to
make a judgment at that time.

‘For now, let’s focus on recovery.’

The voice had completely disappeared, but I still ached from the after-effects. I’m
worried about tomorrow’s class, but based on my current situation, I’m sure I will be
completely restored by tomorrow morning.

I thought so and closed my eyes.

***

Trina Ryanhowl frowned at the burnt marks. The site that used to be an abandoned
factory was now left with nothing but black traces of what used to be a factory.

“Captain. What can we check from this condition?”

“No matter how you look at it, it looks like everything is burned out.”

As the two lieutenants said, the factory was completely burned down, leaving no
clues or anything about the incident.

Trina tapped the ashes with the tip of her boots.

“It’s strange. A fire breaks out in an abandoned factory where no one has come and
everything in this area is burned down.”

“Did they burn everything fearing that they might be discovered?”

At the time she heard the news of the fire, she vaguely assumed it was something like
this but when she saw the ruins where there was actually nothing left, she felt a
bitter taste.

Terry patted her chin to organize her thoughts.

‘The death of Bellbot Rickson, the unidentified thief, the werewolf and the
abandoned factory fire all occurred on the same day.’

All the pieces of the puzzle are in place, and a picture is drawn to some extent.
However, there was a big hole in the center of the puzzle, which is the most
important part. The culprit behind the incidents was unknown.

“Lloyd, have there been any other incidents besides these?”

At Trina’s question, Lloyd pushed her rimless glasses over his face to the tip of his
finger.

Lloyd, whose hair was also neatly tucked into a pomade, had an appearance that was
closer to a scholar rather than a knight. In fact, his main tasks were related to
obtaining and organizing information and identifying incidents.

“There was nothing special, but.”

“But”

“I heard the news that a werewolf also appeared in Theon Academy.”

“Theon Academy?”

Not even Trina knew about Theon.

The Empire’s best educational institution that trains wizards established with the
full support of several kingdoms had a history and tradition that spanned hundreds
of years.

In particular, it was famous not only for the aristocrats and wealthy people, but also
for the commoners and the lower classes, where anyone with ability was given equal
opportunity.

It is within the Empire, but a place that is freer from the influence of the Empire than
anyone else.

A werewolf appeared in such a place?

“Yes. It appears that the Werewolf of Leathervelk entered through the sewer pipe.”

“It must have been a big deal for the students.”

“Fortunately, there were no fatalities. There were a couple of wounded, but none of
them were life-threatening.”

“What happened to the werewolf hiding in Theon?”

“A teacher killed it.”

“As expected of Theon’s teachers. What about the werewolf body?”

“He burned it.”

“Burned?”

For a moment, she thought that the teacher was related to the factory fire, but this
must be an overestimation. In the first place, fire the elemental magic that can
effectively defeat monsters like Cryptids.

“Hmm… Theon……”
“Would you like to go to Theon? We might get some clues that we might not be aware
of.”

At Lloyd’s question, Trina shook her head.

“Not yet. For now, let’s focus on gathering clues in this area.”

However, it seemed necessary to keep in mind that there might be something in

Theon.

“Someday I will find out.”

Because she had to uproot the beings who are secretly hiding in the Empire and
restore national stability. That was the mission and significance of the Nightcrawler
Knights.

***

The classroom where Rudger’s manifestation system magic is taught.

The students who had gathered there kept talking among themselves about what
had happened. Naturally, the topic of conversation was werewolves and Rudger.

“Did Mr. Rudger really hunt werewolves?”

“He said he was a soldier. I heard that he also had a history of subjugating Cryptids,
which is probably true.”

“Wow. From the first day, I thought he was no joke, but it was true.”

In addition, Rudger stopped the fight between Rene, a commoner, and Dunema
Rommli, a nobleman. Even before the start of his first day of classes, the evaluation
of Rudger among students was not so good.

As Rudger’s past activities were revealed, the evaluation improved, but there were
still negative views. But the groundbreaking magic source code that he showed in his
first class caused the students’ evaluation of Rudger to change.

The fact that Rudger was a new teacher and a fallen aristocrat alone was not only
disappointing to the students who did not attend his classes, but there were also
some students who tried to change their lecture hours and enter Rudger’s class.

It is said that even 4th graders, who will be busy preparing for graduation, applied
for lectures late and were rejected. Even teachers were interested in Rudger’s source
code magic, and rumors have spread that the news has also reached the tower.

Now, among the first and second graders, the name Rudger Chelici was known by
everyone.

‘Mr. Rudger’s name is often mentioned.’

Erendir, who was quietly listening to the conversation about Rudger, recalled the
appearance of Rudger that day. The man who spoke coldly about her princess
identity. No, that attitude, which seemed to be oddly hostile to her, was definitely
upsetting. No matter how wrong she is, what could she say?

‘Besides, he was kind to junior Rene.’

At that time, the situation was so urgent that it passed, but now that she thought
about it, something was wrong. There are people in the world who ignore a princess
and take care of the commoners. Isn’t it usually the other way around?

Of course, that thought came to her as she watched the scene where Rudger was
fighting a werewolf under the moonlit night. Just then, the back door of the
classroom opened and a female student entered. Ash gray short hair with relatively
long side hair, it was Rene.

She shuddered at the burdensome gazes of some students who turned to her.
Because of an incident with Dunema at the beginning of the school year, the
aristocratic students hated Rene. As a result, she could not even make friends and
was always alone.

Seeing the almost full seats in the classroom, Rene was forced to go to the only
empty seat in the end, the most burdensome place next to princess Erendir.

“Hi junior Rene, how have you been since that day?”

“Erendira-senpai.”

Even aristocrats who wanted to make a connection with the princess and avoided
the burden, and Rene, a commoner, was given the seat. As Erendir greeted her
warmly, the gaze of some students had no choice but to become mysterious.

What is that commoner doing now? When did she become so close with the princes?

Rene had a hard time raising her head as the gazes on her increased.

‘Why are you only doing this to me?’

It was her honest feelings that she didn’t want to get involved with anything. What
happened at the beginning of the semester was just an accident.

After she did something wrong, Dunema was punished accordingly, so she didn’t
want to say anything more.

Suddenly the front door of the classroom opened and all the students shut their
mouths.

“……”

“……”

They all stood with their backs straight and stared at Rudger entering through the
open door.

The man was the same as they had seen the first day. His movements were
restrained, and his steps silent. The only difference was his clothes. He wore a black
frock coat and a silk hat over a gray suit on the first day, but this time he had a long
white coat with a black suit on the inside.

He wore a red tie and a long wine-colored scarf around his neck and didn’t wear a
hat. His sharp gaze and sculptural appearance were clearly revealed.

The students were drawn to the sight and some of the girls stared blankly at Rudger
with hazy eyes.

“Class begins.”

At the same time as his words, the pile of papers that Rudger had brought scattered
in the air. A total of 80 sheets of paper were blown away by the wind and landed
naturally on the students’ desks. It was a handout printed on a copy machine with
the content to be taught today.

“Today, I will explain the basics and principle of <elemental attribute>, which is one
of the specialties of the manifestation system.”

<Elemental attribute >, one of the four specializations of the manifestation system. It
is the most important field for wizards, and it was also the most popular
specialization that most people think of when they hear the word ‘magic’.

Even though magic has developed in various directions, children still think of magic
that evokes fire, water, ice and wind but that was just the basics that most freshmen
who have just entered Theon have learned.

When it comes to re-learning it, the students who were expecting a unique class
were somewhat disappointed.

“But this alone will not satisfy your passion and greed for learning. So today I am
going to teach you a new method.”

“New method?”

When the students were all puzzled, some who had already taken the advanced
course noticed what Rudger was trying to do.

“A way to increase the power of the elements that you can use from a minimum of
20% to a maximum of 80%.”

“Is there such a thing?”

“How is it?”

Rudger asked, scanning the classroom.

“Are you interested now?”

Some students had bewildered faces.

Rudger pointed to one of the students sitting in the front row.

“The student in the front row. Anthony was it?”

“Yes teacher!”

“Which elemental attribute can you use?”

“That, that…… Water, ice and plants.”

“Which of them are you most confident about?”

“The ice element.”

“Then, can you show the ice element right here?”

To Rudger’s words, Anthony answered yes and a magical sphere appeared in his
right hand. The basic mana emission began, and the properties of mana were
included in earnest.

It was a pure white sphere. To be precise, it was close to a ball of snow that had been
pressed tightly.

“It’s normal.”

“Thank you.”

“You sound like a no-brainer.”

“……”
Anthony’s face darkened at Rudger’s words.

“Look at what I do.”

In Rudger’s right hand a magical sphere appeared. It was a mass of ice properties
like the one made by Anthony, but something was different. No, it was still changing.

“Do you feel it?”

The student did not respond to Rudger’s words. He was just staring at the chunk of
ice he had created as if possessed. The sphere Rudger created was much colder and
sharper than his, and it felt like the perennial snow sleeping deep underground in
the North Continent.

Rudger compressed the sphere even more and turned it into ice crystals. The blue
crystals blew a cold chill around, creating the illusion that the classroom itself was
covered with ice.

“Can you see the difference?”

The students still stared blankly at the place where the element was. Although it was
the same ice element, Rudger’s and Anthony’s manifestations were very different.

Did he use more magic power? No, the efficiency itself was different. And that’s what
Rudger was trying to teach them today.

“Is there really something different?”

“How did teacher do it?”

The atmosphere in the classroom gradually heated up. There is no magician who
would refuse anything that would make his magic skills better.

“Of today’s two hours of class, 30 minutes will be about basic theories, and in rest
you will learn how to increase the manifestation efficiency of your elements.”

The students all focused on Rudger’s words, with their eyes shining brightly.

“Before we get into the principle of manifestation, let’s get into the basics of
<elemental attribute >.”
All students glanced at what was written on the handout.

“Elemental attributes are a specialization with a deep history and genealogy that
even appeared in the manifestation system right after the release of magic.”

Magic can only be used with magical powers and primordial magic, a very primitive
form of magic, is based on the manifestation of this magical power.

That was the first specialization of the manifestation system, named <Magic
release>.

From the release of such magical power the <Elemental Attributes>, which contains
the elements of nature in the magic, was developed.

“It has now been established as a part of the manifestation system, but in the early
primitive forms of magic, elemental attributes were called the basis of all magic.”

Rudger said so and floated 4 magical spheres in the air.

“Currently, it has been established to manifest the power of an element that matches
one’s own magical power through natural science, but in the early days of
manifesting elemental attributes, we focused on the relationship between nature
and humans.”

Each of the magical spheres began to take on one attribute.

Fire, water, earth, and wind.

“These are the first four attributes. Compared to now, when the number of attributes
has increased to 10 or more, the number is very small. However, we cannot see this
simply as an attribute. These four elements are not just pure elements, because they
contain the symbolism people thought of in those days.”

Earth is hard and strong.

Fire is powerful and destructive.

Water is soft and acclimatized.

Wind is freedom.
The students listened to Rudger as if possessed. A theoretical teaching on origins
should be boring but no one thought so.

‘I already know this.’

Flora was dissatisfied with the content.

After all, she knew the origins of elemental attributes, having to listen to what she
already knew were terribly tedious and laborious. But even knowing this, she was
humiliated by the way she was subtly drowning in Rudger’s voice.

“Since then, elemental attributes have been developed and analyzed from a rational
point of view rather than a natural symbol. The number of elements that used to be
four has increased to ten.”

‘He keeps saying words I already knew.’

“A conflict has arisen between the mystic school, which values tradition, and the
natural science school, which seeks to further develop modern science by applying
it.”

‘It’s just that you have a pretty face and a good voice.’

“In the end, we have no choice but to adapt to the changes in the world. Not the
teachings of the Order, but where to use the magic of nature.”

‘…… Still, it’s worth listening to.’

Rudger, who removed the magic that was floating in the air, glanced around the
classroom and asked a question.

“Does any student know for what reason elemental magic has developed so
dramatically? I’ll give 5 points to the person who answers correctly. An example is
the flame element.”

The students immediately raised their hands.

Rudger named them one by one.

“There.”
“It is to light the light and drive out the darkness.”

“Wrong. Next.”

“It is to clear the forest by burning it.”

“Too formal. Next.”

“Uh, um. Is it to get rid of the primal human fear of darkness?”

“You would be more suited to writing poetry.”

Laughter erupted among the students.

Flora Lumos raised her hand proudly.

“Yes. Flora Lumos.”

“To burn something to death.”

Silence lingered in the classroom because Flora’s words were so direct and
unconventional.

“Can you tell me exactly what it is?”

“Of course it’s a person.”

The students rolled their eyes in a frozen state. Everyone in this room now had the
same thoughts. Rudger is going to rebuke Flora hard but Rudger nodded his head.

“That’s right. Flora Lumos, you receive 5 points.”

The eyes of the students rested on Flora and then turned to Rudger again.

“For what did elemental magic develop? The answer is slaughter.”

After civilization was established and took shape, magic continued to develop. The
hierarchy was divided, and the higher the magic hierarchy, the stronger the power
and the higher the lethality.
“The first target was a monster. However, even after the monsters were driven out to
the continent of shadows, magic grew stronger. Why? Because of the cryptids. But
there are very few cryptids so for whom was magic made stronger and sharper?”

Magic was developed to kill humans.

War, colonial rule and violence were the driving force that further strengthened and
developed magic. In the current era of peace those words were nothing short of
taboo for the students learning magic.

To compare magic history and tradition to something like murder meant that Rudger
was just telling everyone here right now that they were pre-murderers but this was
undeniably true. It was also a reality that wizards who value tradition deny.

“Fire to burn, water to drown, wind to cut, electricity to support. Magic that
developed along with human history grew with the driving force of war and
slaughter. It is a truth that can never be denied. Yes. After all, the elemental attribute
we learn is the Tower of Babel built on top of countless lives and corpses.”

Rudger took a breath and continued.

“You who learn it are the executioners of the slaughter.”

“Gulp.”

The classroom was enveloped in silence to the extent that the sound of someone
swallowing saliva echoed through the classroom. The subject Rudger was talking
about was sensitive to all wizards, not just students learning magic.

“But we can change.”

Rudger’s voice gently wrapped around the entire classroom.

“There is no guarantee that this has been the case in the past and that this will be the
case in the future. Now that the world has changed, fire is not only used to burn.
Look at the back of the handout I gave you.”

Come to think of it, there was a handout handed out right away as soon as he entered
the classroom but they were so focused on Rudger’s teaching that they forgot.
The students hurriedly turned over the handout and looked at the contents of the
back page. There were crude pictures of various structures printed in ink. However,
there was no difficulty in recognizing the picture itself.

“Fire doesn’t just burn, it provides energy with its burning power. In the cold, fire is a
symbol of survival, not destruction.”

The flowing water turns the water wheel, and the river that collects the water
becomes a passage for countless ships.

The wind drives the windmills to provide wind power, and the electricity itself
replenishes energy and emits light.

Water and ice wash away the heat in the blazing desert.

“As we learn, the meaning of an element changes depending on how we behave in

the future.”

Rudger’s voice echoed through the classroom.

To make something, not to destroy it. Not to erase the world, but to lead it in a better
direction.

“That is the basic mindset you need to learn before learning the elemental
attributes.”

No one dared to open their mouths. It felt like a huge wave came crashing down and
engulfed their body. However, what they felt was not unpleasantness, but rather a
refreshing feeling as if something covered in their heads had been removed.

Even Flora Lumos, with her mouth wide open, stared intently at Rudger.

Rudger showed them a new world.

“Strive for a better world. The teachings of my elemental attribute are a lesson for it.”

Rudger grinned at the students and came down from the pulpit.

“Now, let’s start implementing elements in earnest.”

The students gathered in the classroom started learning the elements in earnest.
What element they are specialized in is to be learned fundamentally from the time
they first learn magic.

The children, who had been taught magic before entering Theon, used their magical
powers without difficulty and covered them with their own elements.

Rudger walked slowly through the classroom, pointing at the elemental spheres the
students had made one by one.

“Joseph, concentrate the flow of magic a little more. The element itself is fine, but the
release of magic power is inexperienced. Are you really a Theon sophomore? Don’t
be distracted.”

“Yes!”

“Irena Caroman, did you make a plant attribute now? The plant attribute should
embrace the freshness of nature but yours is like seeing rotting leaves on the ground
in late autumn. Keep your mind straight and make a strong image in your mind of a
sprout that has just broken through the ground.”

“Yeah……”

Rudger never spoke kindly. Every time he threw a word, the faces of the students fell
horribly but what was even more unfortunate was that Rudger’s words were not
wrong at all. Beyond that, his advice was far too accurate.

It may sound harsh, but Rudger sees the weaknesses of his students, and at the same
time provides a way for them to get better. His words seem to hurt their pride but
when they meditate on them the students realize that Rudger is helping them. But
even so, Rudger’s Spartan teaching style is scary to young students.

Every time Rudger took a step towards a student, that student was not able to
properly manifest his attribute elements because they were concerned about
Rudger.

“What are you doing now? Does magic look like a joke? If you can’t stay focused, it’s
not even worth taking my class.”

“Sorry!”
“Before you speak, pay more attention to your magic. Close your ears and look only
in front of you.”

“Yes!”

Every time Rudger passed by, the students’ voices spread like ripples, forming
harmony. Aidan, a commoner boy attending Rudger’s class, broke into a cold sweat
as he saw the teacher getting closer and closer.

This was because Aidan had not yet been able to properly manifest his elemental
attribute.

Rudger stopped in front of Aidan. His sharp gaze turned to him, who was unable to
do anything.
I looked down at Aidan, who had grown pale, and was a bit perplexed inside.

‘What the hell is he doing?’

At first, I thought he was doing something against me. I asked him to stop at that
time, but is he expressing his dissatisfaction subtly now?

‘Looking at his reaction, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case.’

He doesn’t know what to do. There’s no way he’s acting. In other words, Aidan
doesn’t really know how to manifest his elemental attribute, which can be said to be
the basis of elemental magic.

I can’t believe it. The owner of a rare [unusual] type of magic can’t do such a basic
thing?

‘How should I do this?’

I thought he was a promising player, but seeing that he is blocked in this part, it
seems that he is not. Was it because of the special type of magic that he was allowed
to enter Theon in the first place?

‘Ignoring him like this would be the way to go.’

There is no need to take care of a guy who can’t even follow the basic lessons. The
more I do that, the more I eat up the precious time of the other students.

Wasn’t that something I said when I had the 1st and 2nd graders listen together in
class in the first place? I have no intention of being considerate of a guy who can’t
keep up.

It may be nice for me that Aidan, who may know my secrets, will fall behind in class
on his own. Yes, I don’t need to do anything. The world is, by nature, a cold place.
 ***

“Aidan. What are you doing?”

Aidan closed his eyes tightly saying that it was finally coming.

“I, that……”

“You can’t even manifest the elements. Are you going to rebel against me now?”

All eyes of the students turned to Aidan and Rudger.

Rudger frowned and turned to the students.

“Have the students who are paying attention to this area already perfected their
element manifestation? I’ll have to check it myself.”

The students immediately turned their heads and began to focus on their elements
again.

Aidan was sweating profusely and didn’t know what to do.

Rudger asked, leaning back.

“Aidan.”

“……Yeah.”

“Have you not been able to properly express the elements yet?”

“……Yes. I’m ashamed.”

Aidan wanted to hide in a mouse hole. All the other students who came in were
following the course content brilliantly, but he was lagging behind.

Aidan’s entry into Theon was also due to the fact that a kind of ‘special exception’
was applied, and the basic magic that other people could do basically was still
lacking.

“What attribute elements can you use? Do you know that?”

“Fire, water and wind.”

I thought he would specialize in more elements just because he dealt with a special
type of magic, but he wasn’t. It is common knowledge that the more talented a
person is, the more elements he can handle.

“Then I’ll start with fire.”

“Yes.”

“I am going to teach you because I can’t just let students fall behind from the first
class.”

“But I……”

“I absolutely loathe having such a guy in my class. Disagreements are not accepted.
Concentrate.”

“Ah yes!”

“Gather your magic. A basic manifestation should be possible, right?”

“Yeah.”

Aidan nodded his head and created a sphere with magic. It was a basic manifestation
that anyone could do if they learned a little magic, which could not be called first-
level magic.

“Think of turning that magic power into an attribute. As I just said, it’s a flame.”

“I’ll do it.”

Aidan looked intently at his magic sphere.

Tracy and Leo silently gave Aidan their supportive gaze.

However, no matter how focused Aidan was, it was difficult to properly manifest the
fire attribute. At the moment when he wondered if this was the case, Rudger, who
had been watching silently, opened his mouth.
“Don’t overthink it and take it easy. No matter how hard you try to think of fire in
your head, it is difficult at first. So don’t just think with your head, feel with your
senses.”

“Feel……?”

“Use your senses. Picture the image of a blazing fire. Close your eyes and focus.”

“Yeah.”

Aidan concentrated on Rudger’s advice, and an image of fire came to his mind,
however it was not easy.

“Concentrate. Relieve the moment when fire was the most intense in your memory.”

“Yes.”

When he said that, he felt like he was holding on to something. Concentrating his
mind, Aidan was able to slowly recall the most impressive moment from his memory.

—The feeling of burning firewood in a country house.

His family watched the fire. At that time, the scarlet fire fluttered to and fro inside
the hearth.

Rudger’s voice rang in his ears.

“Now think of the sound of fire.”

Instead of answering, Aidan followed Rudger’s instructions.

The sound of fire rising in the wind and the sound of burning firewood at the same
time. The puzzles were put together one by one in Aidan’s head.

Rudger’s voice was heard.

“Next is the sense of smell.”

Aidan traveled to the depths of his unconscious. The pungent odor from burning
firewood and the subtle scent of charcoal. Aidan’s family used to cook stew over such
a fire.

“You have no sense of taste, so think of the sense of touch. It’s about reliving the
sensations you felt with your skin when you faced the fire.”

Following Rudger’s guidance, Aidan created a picture-perfect memory of his past.

The senses that were put together one by one vividly recalled the memories of the
past.

He recalled a memory from 8 years ago. One day during the cold winter a blizzard
blew through the dark blue windows outside. Wrapped in thick clothes to avoid the
cold, he put firewood into the stove to keep the burning fire from going out.

His two sisters clung to him and whined that it’s cold so the whole family sat down in
front of the fireplace and ate together. His sisters chattered, his mother nagged, and
his father smiled softly at them.

He couldn’t even eat fancy food, and a cold wind blew through the cracks in his
clothes that weren’t tucked properly. Clearly, the memory of that time is as vivid as it
had just happened a moment ago.

The fire was not hot and wasn’t scary either. The flame he felt then was warm. He
remembered being able to spend the cold winter comfortably.

“That’s it.”

“Ah.”

Aidan opened his eyes at the sound of Rudger’s voice and saw a small sphere of
flames burning in front of his eyes.

“……!”

Aidan widened his eyes as if in disbelief. It seemed to be like the flame that existed in
his memory. It was warm rather than hot, soft rather than destructive.

“Not bad.”

Aidan was stunned at Rudger’s compliment. Rudger, who had only cruelly criticized
the students who were called geniuses, praised him. He wondered if he could call
that a compliment, but Rudger’s words were positive.

Most of the other students, who had pricked their ears, pretending not to pay
attention, were astonished by what he said.

“The flame is more than a normal element, it can be called your own flame. Rather
than copying what others have taught and blindly manifesting that, you are
expressing the fire element that you felt. That is your magic.”

“Is this my magic?”

Aidan stared at the sphere of flame he had created, like a man half lost in spirit but
he lost his concentration and fire disappeared like a mirage.

“Aidan.”

“Yes, teacher.”

“Don’t forget that feeling.”

Rudger left those words and moved to find the next student.

Aidan still felt like he was dreaming. Leo and Tracy, who were watching anxiously
next to him, tapped Aidan’s arm.

“Aidan, you are awesome!”

“How did you do that?”

“Uh, huh?”

Rudger’s praise for Aidan fueled the enthusiasm of the students who had not yet
been evaluated. He glanced at those students and opened his mouth.

“As you may have noticed, this is the method I was trying to tell you at the start of the
lecture.”

All the students pricked up their ears.

“The application of the senses through experience.”

The students waited for the next explanation at the words application of the senses.

“Elemental attributes should be based on a basic understanding of the element. Even

a three-year-old knows that fire is simply hot and ice is simply cold. If you are a true
wizard, you have to put something special in it.”

“Something special?”

“Think of the element you wish to manifest, not as a vague memory, but as an intense
moment you actually encountered. Use not only sight, but the five senses to feel the
elements.”

After following his advice, the students responded with joy from all over.

“Wow!”

“Much better than before!”

The students, who felt the joy of learning magic, focused more on not forgetting this
lesson.

Rudger’s words were not false. By comparing their memories and experiences, they
recalled the elements more meticulously and understood them, much more intense
elements were manifested than before.

Even the feeling of the element itself changed according to their experience and
inclination.

At that moment, a strong shout erupted from one side.

“OMG. Crazy. What is that?”

“Nested elements? Is she already using that?”

Flora Lumos was at the center of the place where the astonished gaze turned. She
created an element with a confident expression. To be precise, it was a combination
of two elements into one.

Fire and ice.

The shape of the blazing fire had changed to light blue ice but it was moving little by
little, like a ripple. It was the so-called frozen flame.

‘Huh. This is nothing.’

At first, Flora was planning to create only one attribute element in moderation. It
was simply because she thought it would be enough to keep her from getting
criticized by Rudger.

She had already learned how to manifest elements through her five senses, and her
unique magic Synesthesia made it possible to manifest the elements with a much
higher degree of perfection than others.

But when Rudger carefully taught a first-year kid, and even praised him at the end.
Something hot jumped up in Flora’s heart and her pride did not tolerate this
situation.

‘You’ll praise me too.’

It is not enough to simply implement one element perfectly. She was Flora Lumos
and even within Theon, she has never given up the title of genius.

Wouldn’t it be damaging to her self-esteem if her magic was only a single element?
So she made two elements, fire and ice, which can be said to be opposites.

Fire and ice can coexist if the two magic techniques are coordinated so that they do
not infringe on each other and are weaved together. Their characteristics are merged
and transformed into a new form.

The nesting of elements that can be said to be an advanced level of <elemental

attributes>.

Flora Lumos could easily combine two elements but she suddenly got greedy. She
thought that it was because she was in a strangely good condition and was in a high
state of mind. Maybe if she were now, she’d be able to achieve triple element nesting
that she had never done before.

‘Frozen fire. If I put the wind element’s magic in it and make it swirl.’

Flora started making another new magic. Three overlaps of elements by adding one
element to the existing two elements overlap. She never managed to do it before but
she felt that could succeed now.

When she imagined how Rudger’s face would look after she succeeded she felt like
laughing but it didn’t take long for Flora’s complexion to change.

‘Uh, huh?’

Flora was the first to “see” with her eyes. The moment the three colors were about to
blend beautifully, they suddenly lost their shape and started to collide with each
other. That meant that the magic flowed in a direction different from her intentions
and failed.

‘No!’

In the end, greed turned to anger.

The three attributes collided with each other, generating intense energy. Flora
clenched her teeth and tried to restrain them, but it wasn’t as easy as she thought.

The magic that had already crossed the threshold was out of her control. As the three
elements merged into one, they began to emit increasingly intense light.

“Uh, huh?”

The intense magic felt in the center of the classroom also made the students realize
that something was strange.

“Flora! Stop it!”

Her best friend Cheryl, who was sitting next to her, shouted, but Flora couldn’t
answer. Biting her lips tightly, she could only desperately suppress the magic that
was about to run wild. However, she began to lose control more and more.

‘I have to stop it somehow!’

If this continues it will explode. In that case, with a determination not to inflict any
damage on the surroundings, Flora surrounded herself with a magical barrier. Even
if the magic goes wild like this, the magic storm will not spread outside.
Flora tightly closed his eyes but at that moment she felt a warm hand.

“Uh?”

Flora opened her eyes and Rudger was standing in front of her. He faced her, his
hands gently clasping the back of her hand, grabbing her magic.

‘How?’

Rudger, who came in after breaking the barrier of magic so easily, added his own
magic and said,

“Concentrate, Flora Lumos.”

“Sir?”

“Don’t give up, control your magic.”

Flora stared blankly into Rudger’s eyes. There was no sign of fear in Rudger’s eyes,
even in front of the magical power that might explode at any time.

“I will help you.”

Rudger’s magical energy gently wrapped around the magic that was about to
explode. The overlapping elements that were exploding in all directions gathered in
a circle and gradually began to stabilize.

When Flora saw the scene, she thought she was going to stop breathing. At that
moment, Rudger’s voice awakened her mind.

“It’s not over yet. Don’t lose your concentration.”

Flora regained her consciousness and concentrated on manipulating her magic.

“If you stop here, your magic will vanish without achieving anything. Can you accept
that?”

At those words, Flora clenched her teeth.

The magic that was about to go astray gradually returned to stability, but if it
stopped here, it wouldn’t work either.

‘Yes. I can’t stop now……!’

She couldn’t let the magic she was trying to unleash disappear like this. Flora
responded by squeezing out all of her remaining magical power. She had to perfect
this spell now, even in order to live up to the expectations of Rudger who helped her.

The three elements gathered in a circle gradually decreased in size, and eventually
began to take on the form of something. Flora’s eyes widened at the sweet scent that
brushed the tip of her nose.

‘Color.’

The color that had been scattered and ran wildly returned to its original position.
‘No.’

Beyond that, it began to harmonize beautifully.

‘Ah.’

With trembling lips, she stared at the magic that was embodied in front of her.

The reason she challenged the overlap of 3 elements was because she wanted to get
praised by Rudger. For Flora, innately gifted with her talent for magic, even the
difficult, high-hierarchical magic was something she could eventually achieve
someday. For this reason, Flora’s magic was considered so easy and natural.

She was not happy with her success but also did not dwell on failure. Because it was
something she could reach naturally one day.

She thought that even if she succeeded in what she had failed so far, she wouldn’t be
happy.

“You succeeded.”

At Rudger’s words, Flora’s voice did not come out.

It felt like something was pounding in her chest. Her gaze was nailed to the finished
element. A white wind whirls fiercely in orbits around a frozen flame like a sharp
awl.

She managed to combine 3 elements into one. Flora felt the illusion that her soul was
taken from her beyond her gaze at the dazzling beauty that it gave off.

“Pretty.”

Sheryl, who was watching the scene nervously next to her, said so.

Yes, the magic she wanted to create was as beautiful as a work of art. Flora’s reaction
was far more passionate than that of the other students.

What excited her more than her vision and olfactory pleasure was a feeling of
invigorating her spirit that bubbled up deep in her chest.
She completed a magic that she has never done before and felt a sense of
accomplishment that she had overcome a wall. Although she did not achieve this on
her own, she could not deny this joy.

The magic that had exhausted all its strength eventually turned into a splendid
powder of light and disappeared. As he watched the scene as if possessed, Rudger
opened his mouth.

“Flora Lumos.”

“Yeah. Mr. Rudger.”

Flora appeared calm but that was only on the outside.

If Rudger had spoken words of praise here to her, she might have shed her tears from
so much joy.

“You have done something stupid,” he said.

“Yeah…… Yeah?”

But at the chilly words that came out of Rudger’s mouth she realized what she had
done. She almost endangered the entire student body in the classroom for her own
greed.

When she faced the reality she had forgotten about her joy of having succeeded in
magic, Flora had no choice but to bow her head in gloom.

“Anyone can try new magic and fail but in the end, you have to bear the price of that
failure yourself. Not the other students, but you.”

“……Sorry.”

What Rudger said was a hundred times right. She almost put the other classmates at
risk. At the end she felt a sense of responsibility and surrounded herself with a
magical barrier, but could she have completely stopped the damage with it?

If Rudger hadn’t come forward someone may have died.

“But above all else, I rebuke you Flora Lumos, for the immaturity of your magic.”
“Yeah?”

“When you first overlapped the elements, you mixed fire and ice, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Fire and ice are opposites to each other so it’s hard to mix them together. Beyond
making sure that they do not collide, you need to create a stronger effect by
harmonizing them.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

And Flora Lumos did it.

By mixing opposing powers, she embodied a single magic.

“……How is my magic immature?”

There was a mix of sadness in her voice. If he was just going to rebuke her, he could
point out her overlapping of 3 elements but Rudger pointed out the perfect overlap
of fire and ice.

Flora thought that Rudger was trying to use her mistake as an excuse to devalue the
existing overlapping elements.

‘No, but still…… ’

When she was in danger Rudger helped her control her magic or else she would’ve
died. There was absolutely no reason for Rudger to simply belittle her after helping
her.

Just as she was about to be disappointed, Rudger used his magical powers and
created spheres of ice and fire.

“I will show you why your magic is immature.”

Rudger merged the two elements he had created into one while adjusting the magic
so that the magical powers of both attributes won’t collide.

Flora stared intently, not wanting to miss any detail. The whole process was
obviously similar to what she tried but the results were not the same.

“Uh?”

Because the overlapping elements the Rudger created were different from Flora’s.

Flora Lumos compared the overlapping elements she had created herself with those
created by Rudger. In terms of elements, there is no difference at all; however, the
results produced by the two elements were very different.

The energy of the overlapping elements was fundamentally different. Flora, who is
particularly sensitive to magic, could feel it more clearly than anyone else. The color
and smell were different from hers.

“Flora Lumos. Do you know what this overlapped element I created is like?”

Flora hesitated for a moment, then nodded her head.

“……Yeah.”

“Then please explain.”

“……The overlapped element you created has different wills of magical power. The
spread of the flame and the power to engulf the surroundings, and the chilling of the
ice attribute coexist.”

“On the other hand, what about yours?”

“Yeah?”

“I asked you what about yours.”

Flora only licked his lips, but couldn’t speak. In the end, Rudger opened his mouth
instead.

“Flora Lumos the overlapping element you created is a magic that is only beautiful in
shape, and has no practicality.”

At those piercing words, Flora trembled.

“Magic must be practical. If not, at least there shouldn’t be any magic without
meaning. This is the base of all magic.”

Rudger said to the students.

“You need to use magic in a better way. Magic it’s not about killing, it’s about creating
something that will lead the world in the right direction. But Flora How was your
magic?”

“I……”

“Frozen fire it’s in the form of the ice element wrapped around the fire element. Yes,
it’s beautiful but that’s all.”

“……”

Flora had nothing to say because everything Rudger said was true.

“Are you planning on getting a job in a circus with this magic? Or, were you planning
on going to the Crystal Palace in the capital and displaying your magic in a beautiful
way?”

“……It’s not like that.”

“Then what is the significance of your magic? Is it just a show off to show off that you
can overlap elements?”

Rudger’s point was irrefutable. She didn’t know where it can be used, it’s just
beautiful magic. She wanted to brag about being able to overlap elements, nothing
more, nothing less.

“You even tried to mix wind with ice and fire but in the end you failed.”

Flora bowed her head at the last wedge.

Cheryl, who was sitting next to her, looked at her with a worried expression, but she,
too, could not offer the consolation she would have liked in this situation.

Rudger threw the magic sphere he had created into the air. The overlapped element
climbed up close to the high ceiling of the lecture hall and exploded like firecrackers.
For a moment, all the students in the classroom had the illusion that they heard the
sound of ice “burning.”

The white frost-like cold air spread widely throughout the lecture hall without even
touching the ceiling. It fell and melted away before it even reached the students.

“Flora Lumos combining 3 attributes was quite interesting. I’ve never seen a wizard
with that level of skill at your age.”

Flora’s eyes, which had been taken away by Rudger’s magic, turned to Rudger again.
The moment she met the face of the man looking at her with regretful eyes she felt
guilty, and her heart sank.

“But the direction of your actions is wrong. I’m not discussing your skills. We’re
talking about something much more fundamental than that.”

“……”

“Don’t just use your magic to show off; this will lower your value, Flora.”

Flora had no choice but to agree with Rudger’s words. He said that the magic she had
created was just a gimmick to show off her skills and to win the praise of others.
Conversely, what Rudger made was much more practical, even with the same
elements as her.

‘Again, I lost.’

She thought she would get recognition this time, but she didn’t. Flora realized how
impatient and immature he was.

‘I’ve never had anything like this before.’

Above all, the sincere gaze that Rudger showed her. It did not disappear from her
mind. Rather than ridicule or despise, it was an attitude of genuine concern.

‘Is there anyone who looked at me like this?’

There was no one. The gazes on her were always envy and jealousy. Not to mention
her family, her brothers and sisters who hate her. Not only her classmates, but even
her seniors were jealous of her and the same was true of Theon’s teachers.
Even after more years of learning magic, Flora’s talent quickly caught up with them.
Whenever this happened, the eyes of the teachers were always enveloped in
unbearable flame-like jealousy.

Flora knew it, but didn’t show it. Because that’s what her real talent was. There was
no need to flinch in the eyes of those who were jealous of her talents.

But today for the first time in her life, Flora was taken aback by Rudger’s unfamiliar
attitude.

‘Mr. Rudger.’

He saved her, who almost failed her magic and helped her overcome the barrier of
three overlapping elemental elements that had not been crossed before.

Flora suddenly realizes that she is now dizzy and short of breath. She wanted to
overlap 3 elements and consumed too much mana.

‘I feel like I’m going to die of exhaustion, but is the teacher okay?’

Rudger, who suppressed the exploding mana, would have consumed much more
mana, but he did not lose a single breath.

For the first time she felt the real ‘wall.’ And that wall was so high and thick that she
wasn’t sure if she could ever get over it. Still, she didn’t want to give up.

Flora felt good and made a strong promise to herself that next time she would
definitely surpass him.

‘Hmm?’

Rudger trembled involuntarily as he chewed the magic recovery pill he had hidden in
his mouth.
Ever since I pointed out to Flora, I have been monitoring the condition of several
students and giving them advice.

‘It’s not that difficult to tell.’

The manifestation of elemental attributes is the foundation of the basics. Some may
think that it is easy and trivial, but there is nothing more important in < Elemental
Attributes> than to get the basics right.

‘Actually, I didn’t even know the foundation would be so important.’

Elemental magic used by wizards is slightly different from simple elements that exist
in nature. To be precise, the mana floating in the air is close to mimicking the
elements with a strange power. Of course, if the world recognizes that ‘imitation’ as
‘real’, and is hit by fire magic, it burns.

Naturally, things that cannot occur naturally, for example, the warm and cozy flame
that Aidan created a while ago, can also be created with magical power. In other
words, the element created by magic coexists in two contradictory terms, both fake
and real.

Elements created by such magic naturally follow the inclination of the wizard. The
ice magic used by a cold and sober person and the ice magic used by a hot blooded
person produce completely different results.

A wizard who has more and more diverse experiences while wandering the world
can put more diverse ’emotions’ into the magic than a wizard who is confined to a
room.

After all, magic itself is close to putting human emotions into magic. Just like there
are songs that have emotions in them and songs that don’t. However, as the current
magic unfolds only through theories and calculations, this method is very old and
doesn’t remain in the history books anymore.
Perhaps it was written in an old and worn out book in the far corner of the tower’s
library. It’s not that everyone doesn’t know, but still, only a small part of it is known
compared to the past.

‘Even though Master originally taught me to maximize elements through the senses.’

This method was only taught to me as a disciple, but this insensitive disciple is now
disclosing Master’s tips to the public because he wants to live.

I’m sorry, Master. However, if I don’t do this, my life will be in jeopardy. Anyway,
magic is such a mysterious science.

‘I remember the first time I learned it.’

When I first found out that magic existed in this world, I believed that I would
become an archmage that would go down in history. The fact that I was reincarnated
in another world was enough to make me hope.

Of course, that dream was soon abandoned because I didn’t have a great talent to
learn magic. It’s possible up to the basics, but that’s all.

It was virtually impossible for me to be a great wizard who will go down in history.
So I had no choice but to change the direction of learning magic.

Basically, my limit is up to the 3rd rank, and if I overdo it I can use the basic magic of
the 4th rank.

In terms of my level, I am at the beginning of the 4th rank and this is also my limit. I
couldn’t use more magic than that, so I chose to increase the quality of magic that
could be used up to the 3rd rank.

It was for that reason that the foundation was laid down. Above all, because I had
memories of my previous life, I was able to look at magic with a slightly different
perspective from others.

For them, the scientific knowledge of the early 21st century was grafted into the
procedure. Source code was a prime example of that.

In addition to that, I received Master’s spartan teachings, so I was able to confidently

say that my basics of magic were more solid than anyone else’s and the method I
have been adhering to so far has shone in Theon.

‘At that time, I complained about why I had to do this, but now that I think about it,
there is nothing better than this.’

Perhaps magic using the five senses is a method not taught even in the Magic Tower.
It’s like a secret sauce for a restaurant that’s only told to the important talents that
are pushed from within by the schools and I said it in the open.

In fact, the students were satisfied because there were noticeable changes or
achievements.

‘Still, I can’t help but be vigilant.’

Overlapping elements is not simply merging different elements together. It is

necessary to modulate the composition of the magic so that they do not collide with
each other, but it is a dangerous thing that could lead to more serious consequences
if mishandled.

Therefore, when overlapping elements, those that are compatible with each other
were often combined. Like water and ice, fire and wind, wind and electricity.
However, Flora superimposed elements opposite to each other: fire and ice. However
that alone was not enough and she tried to overlap 3 elements.

I realized anew that Flora wasn’t called a genius for nothing in this group of people.

‘Even so, it would have been a failure.’

I desperately suppressed it, consumed too much mana and got dizzy. Fortunately,
there was a magic potion that I had poured into my mouth beforehand, and I
recovered quickly, otherwise I might have staggered in front of the students.

That’s why I didn’t feel like I was scolding Flora a bit harshly. In the past, I was so
confident in this new magic trick, but I was so broken by Master. At that time, I also
did a lot of dangerous things, thinking that I would unleash some great magic.

Flora’s shrugged nose after successfully stacking two elements overlapped with my
old self while learning magic from Master. That’s why I pushed Flora a little harder.
Belatedly, I thought I was a bit harsh but she’s still a girl called genius, so I’m sure
she’ll get through this.
I decided to turn off Flora and focus on the rest of the students.

‘Because this is Theon, I only give some simple advice, but everyone made good
progress.’

There were a few students who stood out in particular. The first one was a brown-
skinned schoolgirl with beast ears on her head that embodied an element that
looked as if it had pulled up a vein that existed deep underground.

‘Iona Obeli was it?’

I saw her on the first day. In the first place, she was the only benefactor in this
classroom. She looked back at me to see if she felt my gaze. I simply nodded her head
lightly to express that she embodied her element nicely.

Was my behavior strange? She said ‘ah’ and opened her mouth. I ignored her and
looked at her other students.

Next was a blue-haired girl with her hair in two braids, wearing large, round glasses
that covered half of her face who was manifesting the wood element. Her looks say
‘I’m good at studying’, and she was a girl supported by the Alchemy School, who had
a reputation for herself among the freshmen.

‘Her name was Clara Harness? She’s pretty good.’

In addition the twin sisters from aristocratic families that are quite famous in the
Eastern Kingdom, and even newcomers who are supported by the tower. This rookie
seems to have quite a rivalry with Flora Lumos.

‘I heard that only amazingly great students gathered for this year’s freshman year. I
also came in at a very odd time.’

Can they be called the golden generation? At first glance, it seemed that Selena had
heard that there are many such children in this first year and surprisingly, most of
them are taking my classes.

When I try to teach these good guys one by one, I feel like I’m getting nervous.

It was then.
As the class was almost over, I found a student who was the only one who couldn’t
manifest an element.

‘That kid.’

I was familiar with that striking light gray hair and heavenly beauty.

“What happened, Rene?”

“Ah. Mr. Rudger.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no. That’s……”

Rene hesitated to answer.

Next to her sat princess Erendir. Have you two been friends since then? When I
glanced at Erendir, she shook her head without saying a word.

Eventually, Rene sighed and released her own magical energy, floating her sphere.
She has the basic knowledge and talent for magic as long as she was enrolled in
Theon.

She was fine up until there, but the problem was next and I caught exactly what the
problem was.

“It seems that the element cannot be manifested. No. To be precise, the element itself
does not exist.”

“……Yeah.”

Rene was a possessor of non-attribute magic that was said to appear very rarely.

***

‘Ruined.’

Rene was afraid that she was wasting her time for nothing. As she bowed her head,
the clock bell rang in the classroom, signaling the end of the class.
“Today’s class will end with this. Let’s all review what we have learned today. The
homework will be replaced by that. Don’t even think about going overboard. I’ve
memorized all the elements you used today, so I’ll check it out in the next class.”

Once again, some students, who were delighted to hear that there were few
assignments, hurriedly averted their gaze when they met Rudger’s.

“The guys who don’t practice properly will get a kick out of it. I look forward to that
time.”

The students ran out of the classroom. Just as Rene was about to get up from her
seat, Rudger called her.

“Rene.”

“Yeah? Yeah!”

“You follow me to the office.”

“Ugh!”

Rene swallowed her breath involuntarily.

The remaining students looked at Rene with pity. In the manifestation class,
elemental attributes are the most important specialization after magic release, but
non-attributes are not like that.

Perhaps he is calling her to advise her to look into other lectures because she cannot
participate at the lecture properly. Although this is only the second week, Rudger’s
class has already been rumored to be one of the best in the world.

In particular, his teaching, which strengthened the foundation of their elemental

attributes, was enough to set a wedge in the students’ expectations. Not being able to
take such a class in the future was more than just learning in Theon and it’s probably
a loss of nearly half of her life.

She wouldn’t know if she didn’t participate from the beginning but it was a different
matter for her to drop out of a class she had already taken. Of course, most of the
students were relieved that the subject was not themselves.
Following Rudger’s slow walk down the hallway, were Rene staggering footsteps

‘Why did he call me? Maybe a personal interview? Is he trying to kick me out of
class?’

Although she had only seen him three times, including the incident at the training
ground the day before, Rene knew enough about who Rudger was.

‘Ahhh! I’m done.’

Rene got depressed for nothing, so she bowed her head. It was very painful that she
had to change classes during the semester. She accidentally picked up a jewel on the
way, and nothing would be sadder if she had to throw it back on the roadside.

“Come in.”

Arriving at the office, Rudger opened the door with his nameplate on it and went
inside. Rene entered Rudger’s office with the spirit of a death row prisoner heading
to the gallows.

The interior itself was quite stylish and neat. Was it said that the place also
resembles the owner? It was a space with an old-fashioned atmosphere like the man
was.

“Sit down.”

“Yes.”

At Rudger’s words, Rene sat down on the sofa, completely frozen. Obviously, the
leather of the luxurious sofa was too soft and should be comfortable, but Rene had
no choice but to keep her back straight.

Rudger sat down at his desk, opened a drawer and pulled out a pile of papers. Seeing
that, Rene closed her eyes tightly.

‘Ahhh! He’s trying to send me to another teacher’s lecture!’

Should I get on my knees and beg him to let me go to his class? But what if he would
despise me even more?! At that moment when my head was spinning, a thin book
was suddenly handed to her.
Rene closed her eyes tightly and shouted.

“I’ll do anything you tell me to do, so please don’t tell me to stop taking classes! If I
can’t attend this class, I’ll be in trouble!”

Despite Rene’s desperate appeal, Rudger did not waver.

“What are you talking about? This is not about that.”

“Yes Yes? This…… Isn’t this a course change application?”

“What do you mean?”

“Wasn’t it that I couldn’t attend Mr. Rudger’s class anymore?”

“You sound weird. Come on and get it.”

Rene politely accepted the book Rudger had handed over with both hands.

‘What kind of book is this?’

With that thought in mind, Rene, who looked at the title of the book, had no choice
but to open her eyes wide.

[Understanding non-attribute magic]

The large letters on the cover of the book caught her attention.
“Uh, huh? Mr. Rudger? What is this……?”

“Read.”

“Yes?”

“If you read what’s there, you’ll at least see a road you’ve never known before.”

Rene still didn’t understand how this happened. Why did Rudger bring her to his
office and gave her a book?

“Is this real?”

With a look of disbelief, Rene stared intently at the title [Understanding Non-
Attribute Magic].

To her knowledge, her non-attribute magic is extremely rare, and she never used it
in public. When she looked closely at the cover, the name of the author was not on
the book, and there was not even a seal indicating that it was published.

‘Isn’t this fake?’

It was natural to have such doubts.

“It is natural to doubt it.”

“Yes? Oh! Oh no! It’s not like that……!”

Did it show on her face? Rene hurriedly touched her cheek and controlled her
expression.

Fortunately for her, Rudger didn’t seem to have any intention of reprimanding her
for that.
“It’s okay to read and judge. It will be more helpful than not knowing anything.”

“Even in the tower, there was no information about non-attribute magic……”

“Is my source code a magic that existed in the tower?”

“……”

In response to such a wonderful rebuttal, Rene bit her lips tightly. So is this really
real?

“Uh, where did you get something like this……”

“I was able to obtain it through a connection.”

At that, Rene’s head tilted slightly to her side. What kind of connection could obtain
something like this book?

Confused Rene asked Rudger.

“……Do you, Mr. Rudger, also know anything about non-attribute magic?”

The Rudger Rene saw was so natural that she had no choice but to think that he had
acquired knowledge by actually experiencing non-attribute magic.

If he was the Rudger who created the magic source code, she had the expectation
that he might know something that others didn’t know.

“I met such a person once before.”

“Oh my gosh. There were other owners of non-attribute magic besides me. So where
is he now?”

“He is dead.”

“Ah……”

Rudger’s voice as he said that seemed to be somewhat remorseful, unlike usual. At

least, that’s how Rene felt because Rudger’s usual cool and sharp appearance felt like
a cotton pad soaked in water at this moment.
“I’m sorry.”

“It’s a thing of the past.”

“Then, is this the last book he left?”

“Yes. It is the result of his research on his own magical powers during his lifetime. It’s
something that doesn’t even exist in the tower.”

“Why……?”

Did he not hand it over to the tower and gave it to Rudger? Rene couldn’t keep up
with that.

“Because she wanted it.”

Ah! She was a woman.

Rather, what does he mean by she wanted it? Rene suddenly wondered who the
other non-attribute magician was.

“But wouldn’t it be better for the public to hand it over to the tower?”

“Even if you hand it over to the tower, a place full of greedy old people will not
recognize this book. No, some will admit it and they won’t show it to anyone else,
they’ll just keep it among themselves. It is far better to give it to someone who really
needs it. So I will keep it until I meet someone who is worthy of this book.”

In response, Rene looked at Rudger again.

“If you read the book and work hard, you will surely find a new way there.”

“Then, is there no way to learn magic of other attributes?”

“As far as I know, yes.”

Although she did not show it, she had a desire to use elemental magic that was as
colorful and beautiful as her others.

“Are you disappointed?”

“To be honest, yes. Even just one element is good, so I wanted to use it.”

Others deal with two, three or more, and talented people deal with five or more.
Suddenly, Rene remembered what Rudger had shown her in class.

Come to think of it, how many elements could he use? He showed fire, water, earth
and wind, and even used the element ice at first. Then 5?

“One element.”

In fact, Rudger quietly pondered what she had said, not knowing Rene’s heart.

“Rene, you’re saying it because you don’t understand, but using just one element is
never to be taken lightly.”

“Yeah? Wouldn’t it be nice to use one?”

“Everyone, to be exact, wizards have at least two innate elements. So, if you only deal
with one element, what do you think will happen?”

“Uh, um. No talent?”

“Rudger shook his head.

“No.”

“A person who uses only a single element is a person with endless talent that is
unmatched in that element.”

As Rudger spoke, Rene opened her mouth in disbelief she could not believe but
Rudger’s words were not false.

There were only a few of the wizards who could only use one attribute element. But
they weren’t weak because they couldn’t handle other elements. Rather, it was more
than that.

“Rene, do you think the elemental magic used by a wizard can affect magic of the
same attribute? For example, a sorcerer who deals with fire element suppresses
flames.”
“Uh, isn’t it normal?”

Rene had that kind of common sense.

Being able to use fire elements doesn’t mean you can actually handle fire. It is also a
factor that many people misunderstand. If you’re a fire wizard, you can handle fire,
so you won’t be affected by fire.

If it is a magician who handles metal, he can handle all kinds of metal, so why not
show great power in war?

That’s wrong. The ‘expression’ of an element and ‘handling’ of the element are two
completely different concepts.

“Yes. Usually it is. However, there are wizards who are born with only one element.
The magic they use is completely different from the elemental elements that
ordinary wizards deal with.”

Instead of being unable to manipulate other attribute elements, they can ‘control’
only the elements they are using.

“A single attribute wizard known to the public is given the title ‘color of the element’
in the magic tower. They are all said to have reached the extreme of their element.”

“So this is what using a single element means……”

Rene felt that her own knowledge was lacking, and her face reddened.

How could even a single element be such a great wall? If so, does she really have to
live like this for the rest of her life without being able to deal with the elements?

Rene was terrified.

“Rene, what do you think of non-attribute magic?”

“Uh…… Doesn’t it literally mean that properties don’t exist?”

Rene answered.

“If I ask a passing child about that, I will get the same answer.”
“……Sorry.”

“The world says it has no attributes, but it is not clear whether there are actually no
attributes in non-attribute magic.”

“Really?”

“A typical example would be the magic of sound.”

Rene opened her eyes and tilted her head slightly at the words magic of sound.

“Does the magic of sound exist?”

“Yes.”

“But sound is, precisely, a kind of wave that travels through the medium of the
atmosphere……”

“Do you think it’s the same as the wind attribute?”

“I just knew that.”

“Wrong. Wind and sound are completely different things. Although it is derived from
it, sound is more precisely like a wave caused by vibration.”

“Uh, something else?”

“Even if it is not air, the sound wave spreads through water. Then can sound be said
to be a property of water?”

“That…… No.”

Rudger asked again.

“Then what is poison?”

“Poison…… huh?”

“It is a little more common than the so-called non-attributes, but even so, magicians
who deal with poison are rare. Can the poison they deal with really be an element of
nature?”

“Uh, um…… Similar to plants?”

“Then what is the poison of animals?”

“Yeah, there’s that too.”

Rene explained poison from what she knew.

“Ugh. In the first place, poison itself is a kind of self-defense created by plants or
small animals to survive in an ecosystem, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be a bit vague to call it
an element of nature?”

“Yes. It is unreasonable to regard poison as a property of nature in today’s era of

chemical knowledge along with the development of science. But poison exists as an
attribute after all. Magic itself corrupts and melts something. Otherwise, the
decomposition property might have to exist.”

“That’s right.”

“But in the ten elements except for non-attributes, poison and sound cannot be
included. Why is that?”

“Uh, is it because the number of people using it is small?”

“If you look at it that way, people with the magical powers of light and dark
attributes also fall under that category. They are also rare cases.”

“But light and darkness exist in nature.”

“Then I will ask. Rene, what is nature?”

“Hmm……”

What is nature? What are the properties and elements implied therein? Nature? Isn’t
that the world? But is the world too inclusive? Then what about elements?

“……Come to think of it, I don’t think I can clearly define nature.”

“Of course. Because humans cannot define the world in the first place.”

“Yeah?”

At the words that were unlikely to come out of her teacher mouth, Rene immediately
put on a stupid expression.

Watching her open mouth, Rudger kept his relaxed expression and continued

“Magicians judge themselves to be rational and try to see the world by putting
themselves within the framework of such reason.”

“Yeah, of course it is. In the first place, magic is the expression of mystery through
human reason and will……”

“From that point on, it was a stereotyped idea. Rene have a more free mind. When do
you think the metal that exists among the ten properties now appeared?”

Metal was not even originally evaluated as an attribute element. Metal comes out of
the ground and has been grouped together with soil as an attribute of the earth.
However, as science advanced and all kinds of machines and tools made of iron
became more and more popular metal was proudly added to the list of the 10
elements.

“It is the same with ice. Ice is just a change that eventually happens when water goes
below its freezing point. After all, aren’t water and ice the same thing?”

However, in the end, the properties of water and ice are separated. The same goes for
light and darkness.

“Rene, you think of the magic that exists now as something perfect, with no room for
improvement.”

“Ah……”

At Rudger’s words, Rene felt a lightning bolt hitting her head. Her shoulders
trembled and her back stood erect. Up until now, she had thought of magic itself as
something that could no longer be touched, something at a very distant stage. But is
it really? Can magic no longer change?
Rudger, noticing that Rene felt something, shook his head.

“I finally figured it out. A wizard should control magic, not be controlled by magic.”

Rudger got up and walked towards the window. Through the transparent glass
window, he can see the scenery of the Theon Academy, which will be responsible for
the future of this era.

“The world changes and, of course, we who are part of that world change too. It’s the
same with magic. Attributes that were initially four have now become ten, but those
ten do not constitute everything. There may be unknown attributes that have not yet
been revealed. It could be 20, 30 or even more.”

Rene’s heart was pounding when she heard him speak.

“The same goes for the non-attribute magic you have. It is non-attribute now, but in
the future, it may get a name as a new attribute. Not now, but definitely at some
point in the future.”

At those words, Rene saw a vague vision of something. She had nothing but a
successful future in which she achieved great achievements in one field. It was the
look she had dreamed of, and she was so dazzling that she unwittingly clenched her
fists.

Rudger looked away from the window and turned around.

“Ah.”

Rene, who returned to reality, let out an exclamation without knowing it. For some
reason, the appearance of Rudger looking at her with his back to the light coming
down from the window was very different from his usual coercive appearance.

The man who was like a pillar of steel was nowhere to be found. Standing here was a
seeker like her.

“Don’t be afraid to be different. Don’t be afraid of the unknown. Trust that you can
become a pioneer that will go down in history.”

Rene opened her lips to say something, but no voice came out.
As if something heavy was pressing on her chest, even her thoughts were distorted
and her words could not be expressed but it didn’t feel tedious and painful. This was
the greatest joy she had ever tasted.

Rudger’s words ripped open the precarious future she had been holding until now.
No words came out but she still wanted to say thank you.

“So, good luck in the future. Be sure to read the book given to you today. This is a
personal assignment given only to you.”

Rudger said so and created a light breeze. The wind gently wrapped around her
body, lifted her up from her seat, and led her out of her office.

“Ah, I……!”

Rene turned back and tried to say something to Rudger but the door closed before
she could speak.
After the talk with Rudger, Rene walked down the hallway with a hazy expression as
if she were dreaming. In her arms, there was a book about non-attribute magic that
Rudger had given her. Even though she was lost in her mind, she instinctively felt
that she had to treat the book as something precious.

Rene, who was walking down the hallway at a rapid pace, stopped her steps when
she heard a voice calling her.

“Rene.”

“Uh, what?”

A soft and pleasant voice called her; it was Erendir, the third princess of the Empire.

“What is senior doing here?”

“I was worried, so I waited for you since you’ve been called by Mr. Rudger.”

“Yeah? It’s alright hehe…”

“???”

Erendir felt suspicious at Rene’s strange reaction.

“Rene. Maybe Mr. Rudger did something to you……”

Erendir didn’t like Rudger’s actions even before this. Probably because her first
impression of him was the worst.

During the first orientation, Rudger didn’t even say what he was going to teach in his
class. Because of that, there was a lot of talk among the students in <Akashic
Records>, so it must have been disappointing.
For her, with her values of justice, Rudger behavior was almost unacceptable.
Afterwards, the content of his class was quite impressive, and she admired it, but
that alone did not immediately dispel the bad perception that was ingrained in her at
first.

Rather, her attitude towards Rudger worsened during the werewolf incident so
when Rudger took Rene to his office it was normal for her to have bad thoughts.

“No way!”

Rene hurriedly defended Rudger.

“Mr. Rudger was just giving me advice……! He never touched me! Mr. Rudger is not a
pervert!”

“What?”

Having said that, Erendir was rather perplexed.

“I, I didn’t mean to say that. Junior Rene’s…… pretty sassy.”

“Yes?!”

“I was just thinking that he would force you to take another class. I remember the
relationship between a man and a woman……”

“Uh, huh? Come on, wait! Not like that!”

Rene also realized that she had made a big mistake, and her face flushed red from
embarrassment.

At this sight Erendir started laughing.

“Ahaha. Okay. It didn’t happen that I was worried about you, so I’ll take it that way.”

“……Senior Erendir!”

“So nothing really happened?”

“Yeah.”
“Then what is that book?”

“Ah.”

Erendir found Rene holding a book she had never seen in her arms, and she pointed
it out.

What she did not know was that Rene was now handling the book with care as if it
were something very precious.

“This is from Mr. Rudger.”

“Mr. Rudger?”

Rene nodded her head and Erendir opened her eyes a little in disbelief.

She didn’t know much about Rudger, but she never thought he would take care of
Rene, since she couldn’t keep up with his class due to her nature. She thought he was
going to kick her out of class.

“Yeah. He told me that learning this would help me a lot in following the class.”

“Really?”

Erendir couldn’t believe it even more when she saw Rene smiling bashfully. Rudger
would do her this favor?

Wasn’t that man poignantly and cruelly pointing out the students’ manifestation of
attribute elements even in the previous class? Of course, that’s all true, and she
understood that it was a way to inspire motivation by touching the other person’s
self-esteem but Erendir didn’t like it.

‘For a moment, he seemed to have been particularly kind to Rene.’

When the werewolf attacked she remembered Rudger being rather harsh on her, the
princess, and speaking a little softly to Rene. Of course, the memory at that time was
slightly distorted due to a bad feeling towards Rudger, but the overall context did not
change.

If she looked at the fact that he called Rene separately this time and handed her the
book.

‘No way…… ’

A word came to Erendir’s mind but she didn’t say it, instead Rene asked her.

“Is it possible that teacher likes me?”

“……”

The thought that Erendir had been holding in her mind was actually brought out by
Rene herself. Erendir shook her head as she pondered how to explain this.

“No, that’s not it.”

“No?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Even Rene thought that she had said something that was not true but when she
actually said that, she became suspicious.

‘Mr. Rudger really doesn’t like me?’

It sounds like she’s proud of her saying this, but Rene was confident in her looks.

‘Aren’t I pretty enough?’

Rene actually had a beautiful appearance that drew the attention of even a few
nobles. Her hair color is also a rare hair color, but the heavenly beauty that goes with
it was enough to make Rene’s name rise among the male students of Theon.

Suddenly, Rene imagined the scene where she was with Rudger. She thought they
would be a good-looking pair, but Rene hurriedly shook her head.

‘Ah, anyway. Being with someone you don’t know well yet…… ’

Rene had a strong conservative personality in this direction.

Erendir asked her carefully, seeing her blank face and then shook her head.

“Have you eaten?”

“Yeah? Oh no, not yet.”

“Then do you want to eat together?”

“Are you really okay with that?”

Rene was so happy at the princess’s suggestion, that she didn’t know where to put
herself. It was because she thought that if it was Erendir, there would be people
waiting in line to eat with her other than herself.

But that was Rene’s mistake, Erendir had rarely traveled with anyone until now. Her
status as a princess was great, but she was shunned by other students because it was
so high.

Occasionally, there were students from noble families who spoke to her, but they
only contacted her for political purposes. They didn’t come because they were purely
in love with the person named Erendir. All they saw was that she was the third
princess, she wasn’t Erendir.

‘Oh my gosh. It’s the first time a senior has asked me to eat together!’

In the eyes of Rene, who was alone all the time because of the incident at the
beginning of the semester, it reflected like the great mercy of seniors.

Perhaps she thought Rene would refuse since her reply was delayed and Erendir said
as she rubbed her blonde hair with her fingers.

“If you don’t like it or feel uncomfortable, there’s nothing you can do about it……”

“No! I want to eat!”

At this moment, Rene and Erendir have become friends that will eat together for the
first time.

***
Having sent Rene back, I sat alone in the school office and remembered the meeting
with her a while ago. It seems she doesn’t know herself, but I do know what power
she has.

‘Non-attribute magic. It is not so surprising that the attribute itself does not exist.’

For me, it is a new form of magic that has not been discovered before because it has
no attributes, and there was nothing new about it. Because magic has always been
new to me.

Since I was living in a world without magic, the magic that exists in this world has
always given me a mysterious experience.

Ironically, compared to the wizards who are residents of this world, I, who has the
memory and knowledge of another world, perceive magic as magic differently.

Today’s wizards with a clogged mindset were isolated and stagnant in their lives but
after being reborn I must say that my brain limiter has been released.

Other wizards reaction when discovering new magic.

‘-Non-attribute magic? There can be no such thing!’

But for me.

‘-Non-attribute magic? In a world where magic exists, there could be such a thing.’

I reached the point of being flexible. Even my point of view was different from that of
the wizards in this world, it was very different. Even that strict master stuck out his
tongue in this area when he taught me.

However, what I paid attention to as I looked at her was not the magical powers she
possessed, but her eyes. Her non-attribute magic is only a part of her power she
possesses. The real thing is her ‘eyes’.

‘Those eyes. I think I saw her somewhere.’

My master had all kinds of old books that I can’t find now, and the typical ones were
books about monsters and demons that are hundreds of years old.
There are no monsters except for a very small number of cryptids now, but it is said
that in the past, this continent was full of monsters and even demons that controlled
those monsters.

I thought of Rene’s eyes. Her eyes were pale blue however, while we were talking a
while ago, I noticed that the color of Rene’s eyes had changed subtly.

Among the deep blue irises, a pure white light shone like the stars in the sky. Her
eyes resembled the calm waters of the Milky Way in the night sky. There was no way
I could not have been unaware of those peculiar eyes.

‘An eye to distinguish between good and evil, the Judgment. Unless I’m mistaken,
Rene is the owner of that eye.’

The Judgment is an eye that distinguishes between good and evil in others, and
clearly shows whether there is any hostility or not. A power that can’t be called
magic, but is literally close to a miracle and a mystery.

The great thing about this eye is that it can reveal the appearance of ‘demons’ hiding
in the crevices of humans.

‘Now, those demons are only treated as legends.’

To people today, demons are just bad guys with horns on their heads and red skin
that appear only in fairy tales. A product of lies to scare children, however, looking at
the old books, it seems that they exist.

‘In a world where magic exists, there must be demons. I also died and came back to
life, isn’t there something like that?’

And Rene’s eyes had a lot to do with it.

I have seen with my own eyes that the Judgment that only existed as a record is real.
In other words, the existence of the Judgment that distinguishes demons determines
whether demons exist or not.

Another characteristic of the Judgment is that if it appears, a big event will occur
regardless of the age. Fortunately, Rene’s Judgment was not in a state of being fully
awakened, and it seemed that she didn’t even know that she had that kind of ability.
But someday she will realize.

‘Is this also a relationship after all?’

No wonder the book she wrote ended up with Rene.

‘It hurts a little.’

It seems that she doesn’t remember but one day she will.

To think that I would find the owner of the Judgment eye and face a past relationship
like this.

‘To be involved in this kind of thing in Theon.’

I sighed and got up from my seat.

I thought that if Rene can use the Judgment properly, maybe I will be able to find out
all the members of the secret society who are hiding in Theon.

In particular, the most threatening thing to me right now was the First Order, which
is still difficult to identify.

‘They are as vigilant as possible, but there must be something that I can find.’

As long as I didn’t know where the first order was and what it was doing, I had no
choice but to be as careful as possible. However, if Rene’s Judgment works properly,
maybe it will be of great help to me.

Aidan and his friends plus Rene. If I cleverly use the power of these children,
maybe……

After putting on my coat and opening the door to leave the office, I finally heard a
creaking sound outside the door and had to stop.

“Ouch.”

A blue-haired girl sat on the floor, clutching her head. Looking down at her, I spoke
with a cold voice, contrary to my bewildered heart.
“What’s going on here, Flora Lumos?”
“Flora Lumos, what the hell is going on here? Why are you hanging around my door
like a thief?”

At Rudger’s words, Flora jumped up from her seat and coughed, wiping the dust off
her school uniform skirt.

The forehead Rudger bumped into as he opened the door was still red and flushed,
but she tried to pretend it was okay and opened her mouth.

“Hmmmm… I came here because I wanted to ask you something.”

She acted gracefully, but she couldn’t hide the subtle trembling of her voice.

“If you have any questions related to the content of the class, you can come to me
anytime, don’t wait outside like this.”

“No, not that. First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Rudger.”

“Gratitude?”

“I, that…… You saved me by stopping magic that almost went crazy.”

So it was because of that. She came here to say thank you? As Rudger stared at her
with a look of surprise, Flora was furious.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It is nothing.”

Perhaps it was because she had never expressed gratitude to anyone like this, so
Flora was very awkward about herself. She felt something tickling her skin to say
this, but she was determined to say it.
“Thank you for saving me.”

“I just did what I had to do as a teacher.”

Rudger spoke so succinctly, that it seemed like he had no feelings of selflessness at

all.

Flora seemed fortunate, but it also strangely hurt her self-esteem. Still, since she
came to apologize, she decided not to complain about the little things.

“……I thought that what the teacher said was not wrong at all.”

She rubbed the hair with her fingers and hit her feet.

Rudger pondered what else to say and immediately realized what she was talking
about.

‘Use meaningful magic. Do not lower your value.’

“I wish I had known.”

“……Rather, are you okay, sir?”

At Flora’s question, Rudger asked, wriggling his eyebrows.

“What do you mean?”

“The power consumption must have been great. I too was exhausted from
suppressing my magic power, wasn’t it harder for teacher than for me? The burden
of helping people is several times higher.”

“I’m fine.”

Rudger said so, but in fact, he almost passed out from the depletion of his magical
powers.

He had a magic potion that he had prepared in advance in case of any unforeseen
circumstances, otherwise he might have collapsed in front of the students.

He was fortunate enough to have a lot of medicine in case he would be short of mana.
Of course, he ended up using almost all of the medicine he had prepared to stop
Flora’s magic.

‘Well, I can make it again.’

This is Theon so there are places that teach pharmaceutical classes, and there is also
a pharmacy room where teachers can freely enter in the research building.

Since the pharmacy room, where he can make any number of medications you want,
is equipped with all kinds of materials, it doesn’t matter if the teachers just fill out an
access list whenever they want and start experimenting right away.

Flora wiggled her fingers and asked.

“How many elements does Mr. Rudger handle?”

“Why are you asking that?”

“You talked about 5 in class. Isn’t that quite a lot?”

Rudger suddenly wondered why Flora was asking him so many questions. Most of
the children called geniuses move on their own, and because of their strong ego, they
don’t have much conversation with others.

Rudger thought that Flora was like that. In the class, he thought that she tried to
combine 3 elements because of that reason.

A student is still a student, right? She probably wanted to check the level of skill of
the teacher who teaches her.

Rudger pondered what to answer.

‘Actually, I know how to handle almost everything.’

The 10 most common elements. Rudger knew how to use them ‘all’. He was the exact
opposite of a single attribute wizard who achieved the ultimate in that element.
However, for that reason, he did not achieve a certain level in any element.

In the eyes of others, he may seem like an all-rounder with great talent, but in reality,
Rudger himself evaluated himself as an incompetent bastard.
‘Even so, if I say I can use every element it will be a problem.’

Among the wizards remaining in the history of the Magic Tower, 8 are known to have
handled the most elements. This is the official No. 1 record specified in the <Wizard
Book>, the history of wizards but now, Rudger has already broken that record.

If this fact is known, the tower will probably be overturned once more and there will
be chaos. A quick-tempered person might want to dissect Rudger alive. In fact,
Rudger did not consider it unusual that he dealt with all of the ten elements.

‘At first, Master didn’t say anything good to me either.’

If I had to pick the person who had the greatest influence on me after I was born in
this world, of course Master is number one. He is the one who taught me magic since
childhood, how to live in the world, and other miscellaneous tips and knowledge.

He took me as a disciple purely because he thought that I was unique and fun. Even
considering that, I felt quite grateful to my teacher. However, since he was such an
eccentric person, he only evaluated my source code as ‘not bad’.

Naturally, it was his teacher who advised Rudger, who uses all the 10 elements, to
say, ‘you won’t go anywhere with that kind of stuff’.

So, under the serious advice and teachings of his master, Rudger was never arrogant,
even if he knew how to handle all ten elements.

“Five elements.”

“Five…… Surprisingly a lot.”

“Is that the end of the questions?”

“I have one more question about the source code. Will the source code be taught to
all the students in the class?”

In the first class, Rudger deliberately showed the source code to attract the students’
interest.

He didn’t stop at just showing. Rudger actually intended to teach students the source
code. However, he did not properly explain to whom, how much, and when.
“No, because this magic is like the bottom line for me as well. There are conditions.”

“What are the conditions?”

“It’s something I will pass on to only the top five students.”

In response, Flora smiled curiously.

“That’s few since the total capacity of the class is 80 people.”

“Because that’s magic.”

“What about the evaluation? Are you lowering it as a final evaluation of the
semester? In one semester, the evaluation is divided into 4 parts in total. It must be
difficult to make a decision as the rankings are constantly changing for each
evaluation.”

“I expected that to happen, so I devised a way.”

Rudger immediately activated a magic trick on the palm of his hand.

It could be seen as monotonous because it was made of only pure white magical
lines, but the complex structure it created made it impossible to take this magic
lightly.

Flora also exclaimed softly at the color felt from the magic itself.

“That’s…… a part of the source code.”

“You saw it right.”

Rudger nodded his head.

As Flora said, the magic technique he has now demonstrated is one of the main
components of the source code.

“I call this <Framework>.”

“Framework……”
“Source code consists of a total of four frameworks.”

“So you want to give this framework to the top 5 on a quarterly basis?”

“Yes. The semester is divided into 4 parts, and each of the 4 frameworks will be
delivered one by one. In other words, someone who doesn’t consistently make it into
the top 5 won’t get the entire magic.”

The students can’t get the complete source code just because they got in the top 5
just once. If they want the entire source code the students will have to attend classes,
submit assignments, and pass the exams well for a semester.

Flora, realizing this, looked at Rudger with a slightly bewildered look.

“……You are very calculating.”

“I wonder if this solves the problem?”

“By the way, can you just show me this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t this a framework? What if I analyze it?”

Flora pointed to the framework technique still floating on Rudger’s hand.

It’s impossible for a wizard to keep revealing his magic so openly, unless he trusts
the other person.

‘Ah.’

Rudger realized his mistake. Wizards basically do not show the magic they have
developed to others for a long time. They don’t publish a thesis or submit a patent,
because if someone copies their technique and claims it’s theirs, it will be a
headache.

In fact, that often happens. It was for this reason that wizards thoroughly kept their
arcane magic a secret.

Rudger recognized his mistake, but he decided it was no big deal.

“Does not matter.”

“Yeah?”

“It doesn’t matter if you see it.”

Rudger knew that Flora Lumos is a genius and after seeing what she did in class
today he realized that she’ll take the first place.

‘No matter what she does in my class, she’ll get first place.’

Even if she doesn’t, she’ll be consistently in the top 5, so it won’t be a problem if he

shows her a framework anyway. If it were her, she would be able to learn the whole
source code.

“Yes?!”

But Flora took Rudger’s words differently.

Her face reddened, and then she began to stutter her words out of nowhere, despite
her usual arrogance.

“Why are you so upset? After all, aren’t you going to confidently take first place in my
class and receive a framework?”

“Oh, no, but……”

“Still, it’s against the law to say that…”

Flora Lumos replied in a low voice so that Rudger could not hear her. But as she
thought about it, she couldn’t stop her heart beating.

Even if she pretended not to be blunt on the outside, the fact that this man was
taking good care of her made Flora wince her lip and try to keep going up.

“Then I’ll let you go.”

As Rudger turned his back, Flora unknowingly called him up and stopped him.

“Sir!”
“What else? Do you have any more questions left?”

“No. That, ah, nothing.”

As she turned around and saw Rudger’s face staring at her with an unwavering gaze,
Flora’s face flushed red as if it was about to explode.

Hearing those words a while ago, she couldn’t possibly look directly at Rudger’s face.
Just the touch of his eyes made her skin tickle.

‘Strange. I’ve never had anything like this before.’

Rudger looked at Flora, who was bewildered and helpless, and then he turned his
back on her and left.

Flora, who had been staring endlessly at Rudger’s back as he was leaving, finally
regained her reason and calmed her excitement.

‘Yes. Calm down Flora Lumos. You aren’t like this.’

Wasn’t she the one who always made fun of others with her own abilities?

To Rudger, although she tried on the first day, she failed horribly, and she lost again
this time but her will has not yet been broken.

Didn’t she promise to surpass him next time? Her heart should not have been
weakened like this. Flora made up her mind to be weak.

‘Come to think of it, I was going to ask what he was talking about with that
commoner girl, but I forgot.’

Even if she pretended not to be, she was curious about why Rudger had called Rene
separately.
After all of the pharmacy classes taught by Marie Ross were over, Aidan immersed
himself in magic practice, recalling the technique that Rudger had taught him in the
last class.

Next to Aidan were Leo, who was now a close friend, and Tracy, who had recently
joined Aidan, and often spends time with him. The three of them worked hard to
master the elements by embodying each element in the first training ground.

“Whoa. Almost done.”

Aidan wiped the sweat running down his forehead, looking at the element of wind
embodied on the palm of his hand.

It was like the memory of the warm and cool wind that he felt while running through
the wide fields in the countryside.

He didn’t know anything about the elements, so Aidan couldn’t hide his excitement
at the fact that he was able to manifest elements like this.

‘It’s amazing.’

The advice Rudger gave was practical enough so that nothing could be missed. Not
only Rudger’s advice, but also his attitude towards magic that he showed in class was
enough to touch Aidan’s heart.

‘I wonder if I was mistaken to suspect Mr. Rudger back then?’

Rudger’s words and actions are always cold, but in his voice it was evident how
much he liked magic and how he truly considered it.

There’s nothing wrong with a person who likes magic.

Above all, if Rudger was a bad person, he would not have been able to pass on to the
students in class such a precious method that others did not teach.

‘I don’t know yet.’

Aidan vaguely sensed that he had something to do with Rudger. But that didn’t mean
he didn’t feel that Rudger was a bad person. Maybe it’s because his head got
complicated because of those contradictory emotions but the wind element he
barely manifested disappeared without a trace.

Aidan, who had lost his appetite, looked at Leo and Tracy. The two of them were
sweating and working hard on the manifestation of elements. It was because both of
them were impressed by the warm flame that Aidan showed in the class.

He didn’t want to interfere with them, so he was just watching, and then, a group of
students entered the training ground.

‘These kids…… ’

Among some students, there was a person who caught Aidan’s attention. Dark blue
hair with a slight blue tinge, a neat hairstyle with a parted forehead that shows it.
Conversely, white skin to the extent that it felt pale, a sharp nose, and sharp, narrow
eyes stood out.

He seemed to be a sophomore, with a natural quirk, and all the students gathered
around him.

‘Who is it? Noble students gather like that. He seems like a great person.’

As he was watching him like that, he turned his head and looked at Aidan. Their eyes
met in the air and Aidan suddenly remembered what Leo had said.

Did he tell him not to make eye contact for a long time and not even pay attention to
noble students?

Aidan wasn’t stupid enough to say, Nice to meet you’, so he naturally looked away.
The other party didn’t even point it out.

Aidan had also taken a moderate rest, so he decided to focus on practicing magic
again.
“What? Who is this?”

Until one of the aristocratic students in the crowd approached Aidan with a loud
voice.

Leo and Tracy lost their concentration at the voice, and looked at their opponent. A
male student with a mean smile was gazing at Aidan, raising the corners of his
mouth.

“Ah, you.”

He was Jevan Pellio, the eldest son of the writer Pellio Nam, who had an argument
with Aidan, but withdrew after hearing a bitter voice from Leo.

“Why is he suddenly pretending to know you again?”

Recognizing him, Leo’s expression rotted in an instant.

Jevan Pellio, not paying attention to it, deliberately approached Aidan and the others
as if to show off.

“Aren’t you, Aidan, who didn’t even properly manifest the elements?”

There was no way that Aidan and his friends could not know his heart.

Leo replied with a cynical smile.

“We’re busy practicing magic right now, so why don’t you go in that corner?”

“So it’s that cheeky commoner from back then? After all, you two got along well,
didn’t you?”

Leo’s gaze was over Jevan’s shoulders, as he turned to the noble students who
watched this situation with interest, especially the man who stood at the center of
the group.

“Since there are seniors here, are you trying to show off your good side on this
occasion?”

Leo knew very well who the senior at the center of the aristocratic students was
since there were very few celebrities like that in Theon.

Freuden Ulburg, the eldest son of Ulburg, one of the three duke families of the
Exilion Empire, symbolizing the wolf.

It was understandable that Jevan was suddenly arguing, he wanted to stand out since
Freuden, who can be said to be the center of the noble students, was present.

“We have no intention of playing with you, so get out of here. This is a place to
practice magic.”

At Leo’s words, Jevan sneered.

“A commoner like you shouldn’t speak to this body of noble blood.”

“It’s because you don’t understand the situation yet……”

“And I spoke to Aidan, so why would a little kid like you intervene at will?”

To Leo, the words “little boy” were close to abhorrence because Leo was short
compared to his peers. Some girls liked Leo, but Leo hated being treated like that.
For Leo, his small height was his Achilles tendon.

“You……”

“Leo, calm down. Just leave it to me.”

Aidan stopped Leo from getting angry and stepped forward. At this rate, it seemed
that the situation would not end.

“I don’t know why you started this all of a sudden, but let it go. I don’t want to fight
with my friends.”

Jevan’s face contorted terribly at Aidan’s words.

“Friend? Why am I your friend? This filthy trash.”

“Oh, weren’t you?”

“Are you crazy?”

Jevan was annoyed by Aidan’s stare.

“If you are a commoner, you should bow your head in front of the nobles like a
commoner.”

“I don’t know what offended you, but I apologize. Sorry. So, can’t you just let it go?”

The boy who had never received any unprovoked hostility from anyone, but he did
not want to bring himself into a fight.

Jevan responded with a smirk to Aidan’s words.

“Great. Then I’ll let it go, so just do one thing.”

Then he pointed his hand at his feet.

“Kneel down.”

“You……!”

Tracy stepped forward.

“Do it in moderation. Do you have no shame as a noble?”

“What? Why does a fallen nobleman intervene at will?”

At those words, Tracy’s face hardened.

“What?”

“Is embarrassing to even call you a noble, so shut up because that disgusting smell is
going to come to me as well.”

“……Do you want to die?”

For Tracy her family situation was taboo of taboos but Jevan was careless with his
words. When her magical powers overflowed from her body everyone laughed at
her.

“You don’t have a proper education……”

“Jevan Pellio.”

“Yes?”

It was none other than Aidan who called his name. However, Aidan’s voice was
different from usual and made Jevan tremble without realizing it.

“I can’t do anything about you being dissatisfied with me. If you’re going to insult me
I’ll let it pass. But…”

Aidan strode towards Jevan. His eyes blazed with anger glared at him.

“I won’t let you insult my friends.”

“Hahaha. What if I do? Great, then let’s duel.”

As if waiting, Jevan took out his white gloves from his pocket and threw them at
Aidan.

“It’s a magical duel. If you’re scared, run away.”

Aidan shook his head as he watched the gloves hit his own chest and fell.

“Do I really have to do this?”

“You can refuse if you’re scared.”

“…Great.”

Aidan nodded.

“Aidan!”

“What the hell are you doing?!”

Tracy and Leo wanted to stop him, but Aidan’s intuition was telling him not to back
down. He didn’t even want to escape.

“Great. The loser gets down on his knees and apologizes to the winner. Do you
agree?”
“If you promise to keep your word.”

“Hahaha! Yes! If you can defeat me.”

Everyone was confident. Although they are said to be first year students of Theon,
Aidan is a beginner who has not yet learned the basics of magic properly.

Jevan, who has been learning magic from a private tutor since childhood, was
confident of defeating Aidan. It was the moment when a fight was about to take place
around the two of them.

“What are you doing?”

A cold voice strongly pressed the shoulders of all the students present at the scene.

***

I was patrolling. Although the werewolf incident is over, the patrol will continue for a
while since the president isn’t sure if something will happen.

It’s annoying, but somehow I can’t help it, so I was just wandering around thinking
about going for a walk to cool my head.

—And it took me less than five minutes to realize how easy accidents could happen.

“What are you doing now?”

Seeing the two students almost on the verge of a fight, I asked.

I was a little annoyed, but I still have to listen to them before acting. Perhaps they did
not know that I would appear, and some of the students’ complexions turned white.
Anyone who sees them would think that some kind of ghost appeared.

“You two there. What are you going to do now?”

I asked, pointing to the two students at the center of this case. One of them was
particularly familiar, and when I looked closely I realized it was Aidan, a brown-
haired country boy.

‘…… It’s you again.’

Is his opponent an aristocratic student? I think his name was Jevan Pellio.

I sighed.

“The training ground is for honing your magic, but you’re trying to fight each other.”

As I approached slowly, the students who were nearby opened the way to avoid me.
Strangely, I was taken aback by the way I was treated, but I decided not to care.

Ignoring everything I said to Aidan.

“Tell me what happened.”

“That, that……”

“This is a fair match!”

Jevan shouted from behind me. I looked at him without a word.

Is it because you think I’m ignoring him? The guy was staring at me with courage,
not hiding his anger.

“Is this a fair fight?”

“Yes. I’m going to have a magic duel with Aidan, it’s not a fight.”

“It’s funny that the first year students are having a magic duel.”

“Isn’t it okay for first-year students?”

Why is this kid doing this? What did he eat wrong? I was a little embarrassed when a
guy normally wouldn’t stand out spoke boldly and I could understand why.

It was because of the other students standing behind him, as if supporting him. One
guy in particular stood out.

‘That guy…… ’

Looking at the subordinates he has around him, he is considered a captain. He also

looked at me and gave me a slightly puzzled look.
‘It was a confrontation between commoners and aristocrats in the first training
ground. This situation is somehow familiar.’

Somehow I thought it was familiar, but it was the same as the last fight between Rene
and Dunema. However, in the case of Rene, it was a surprise attack, and this time, it
seems they were trying to fight each other.

I have a headache.

Well, boys fight each other. Even in a world like this, it’s not strange, but why does
something like this happen when I’m on patrol? One of them is even Aidan, whom I
had been keeping an eye on for a long time.

“Jevan Pellio and Aidan, I have no intention of holding you accountable for something
that hasn’t happened yet. So, all of you go back to the dormitory.”

“Mr. Rudger!”

“I told you to go back.”

As he stared at him strongly, I wondered if he would challenge the authority of the

teacher head-on, since he has the noble faction on his back.

“Just leave it alone.”

A new voice was heard. The eyes of the students turned to the entrance opposite the
one I entered. There I saw a man approaching and staring at me.

“Mr. Chris.”

This time, it was Chris Benimore, a new teacher who joined Theon with me and
belonged to the noble faction.
The atmosphere was changed by Chris Benimore’s appearance. In particular, the
reaction of the noble students was hot, and the reason was simple. This is because
Chris Benimore comes from a noble family and was a teacher who pushed other
noble students from behind.

Rudger stared at him and opened his mouth.

“Mr. Chris Benimore. I do not understand what you are saying.”

“It will not be difficult. Literally.”

“Literally?”

“Even if we are teachers, we cannot control all the behaviors of our students.
Listening to the story, it seems that both students are arbitrarily trying to compete.
Isn’t it too much of a violation of freedom for a teacher to step in and stop it?”

At Chris’ smirk, Rudger’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but that was only for a moment.

Rudger glanced at the mood of the other students. Looking at the reactions, he could
see some students nodding their heads at Chris’ words. It would be an abuse to
interfere since the students want to compete.

‘I made a mistake.’

Chris Benimore is a teacher who favors noble students. His appearance boosted the
students’ momentum considerably so Rudger decided to take a step back.

“Even so, it is problematic for students to engage in magic duels without the
teacher’s permission. If students are seriously injured, it is also a loss for Theon.”

“Of course it is. But how about doing this?”

“What?”

“The two of us will observe.”

At Chris’ words, the students murmured.

“Will Mr. Rudger and Mr. Chris supervise the duel?”

Just imagining it makes my heart ache with the burden.

Some students were perplexed, but the noble students were different, there was a
twinkle in their eyes. The teacher said that he would take care of it himself, so my
justification to stop the match with the pretext of danger disappears.

“Or are you going to say that this is also dangerous? Mr. Rudger Chelici.”

Chris smiled cynically, deliberately provoking Rudger.

“I didn’t know that you would care so much about the children that you protected
them like that.”

“I just considered the possibility of possible danger.”

“But if the two of us go, there’s no risk. How is it? Those two students want to fight
each other.”

At Chris’s words, which had an explicit intention towards this side, Rudger could
roughly guess the situation. Prior to this, Chris Benimore had not been very fond of
Rudger Chelici.

He is also a new teacher at Theon but unlike Rudger, who’s a fallen aristocrat, Chris
is still a noble. For Chris, who is deeply aristocratic, the very existence of Rudger has
always bothered him.

‘Rudger Chelici, I didn’t like you from the first time I saw you.’

The other commoner teachers were still just plain commoners. No matter what he
did, he was fussy, lacked nobility, and was not restrained at all but Rudger was
different. He shone more than anyone else and was far more aristocratic than
himself, a nobleman.
Even after the fall of his family he didn’t lose his brilliance. That’s not what Chris
liked. It was like that when they first met. There was no sign of surprise at all when
he saw him, but Chris thought that something was creeping inside him at the
behavior of Rudger, who just shook his head.

‘Anyway, I didn’t like it when Hugo-sensei asked us to invite him into our faction.’

Rudger is said to have even told Hugo openly that he would not go into such a place.

‘Such a place? What do you mean by such a place’

Chris didn’t understand. The more he tried, the darker his feelings for Rudger grew
and at this moment, Chris got a chance to win one over Rudger.

“How is it Mr. Rudger? Isn’t this enough?”

“Let’s hear from the students.”

Rudger said so and turned to Aidan. It was a gaze that meant do you really want to
have a magic duel with Jevan.

“……Yes. Certainly.”

Aidan nodded with determination.

Aidan, too, at first thought that he wanted to solve the problem verbally without
fighting however Jevan crossed the line too much. He said such harsh things to his
friend and Aidan couldn’t forgive that.

Rudger sighed inwardly at the sight and looked back at Chris.

“Student Aidan said he would do it, too, so I’ll allow him to attend on condition, as
Mr. Chris said.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

“Then……”

“Ah. Mr. Rudger. Wait.”

“What else?”

“Why don’t we make a bet too?”

“Bet? It’s such a sudden proposition.”

“It seems that Mr. Rudger really cares about that commoner child.”

“I am Aidan, not a commoner. Please beware of discriminatory remarks.”

“Ah, you are student Aidan. I didn’t know because I didn’t take my class. Anyway, I
think of Jevan Pellio as a pretty talented wizard.”

It was a word of mouth, but Jevan had already taken it seriously, and his expression
changed.

Rudger responded in a cold voice, as usual.

“So what exactly are you going to do?”

“It’s up to each other to decide who will win. Of course, I’m betting that student
Pellio will win.”

“It’s funny that someone who became a teacher makes bets in front of the students.”

Chris was annoyed at those words, but he managed to hold it in and kept his smile.

“So what are you going to do? Well, if you don’t like it, there’s nothing I can do about
it. I wouldn’t bet on the losing side like Mr. Rudger did.”

The students murmured at those words. As Rudger took care of Aidan in the eyes of
the students the situation became Aidan and Rudger vs. Jevan and Chris.

Rudger found Chris’ behavior funny. It was enough to simply reject neatly and step
away but even so, he couldn’t erase this feeling of regret.

It was Chris who encouraged the fight that could have been stopped in the first place,
and he was even subtly making moves on him. There were too many eyes so Rudger
couldn’t ignore the situation and he was getting annoyed.
‘Why do I have to step back?’

The reason he hasn’t paid much attention to Chris, who has been hostile, is simply
that he didn’t feel the need to. After all, there is no need to expend his energy against
a person he didn’t like from the start. But now that he tried to make a move against
him things were different.

‘Yes. Let’s hang out a little.’

He really wanted to check out Aidan’s true skills through this match so Rudger
nodded his head.

“Since Mr. Chris wants that, I will join you.”

“I didn’t think Mr. Rudger would accept this. So, Mr. Rudger, who do you think will
win?”

“Of course, Aidan.”

Aidan’s eyes widened at Rudger’s unwavering voice. He never thought that Rudger
would choose him here. It was the same with other students on the other hand, Chris
seemed to know this. In fact, he nodded his head satisfactorily, as if he had hoped for
this to happen.

“Good.”

“What will be the outcome of the bet?”

“Hmm… Well, we’re still teachers of Theon, but aren’t we magicians? We are also
teachers who teach classes on the same manifestation system.”

At that, Rudger asked, seemingly surprised.

“You also teach the manifestation system?”

“……”

Rudger was asking because he really didn’t know but Chris’s face turned red.

‘Hey, you damn fallen noble!’

This was one of the reasons Chris hated Rudger. Chris Benimore came to Theon to
teach the manifestation system, he was proud of that fact. Then, out of the blue, he
found out that an unheard-of fallen noble named Rudger Chelici was in charge of the
same manifestation class as him.

Rudger was even in charge of the second year, and Chris himself was in charge of the
lower first year.

It is natural for someone with more skill to take charge of a higher grade. In other
words, Chris Benimore already knew the fact that he was one step below Rudger
Chelici.

Rudger even allowed the first graders to attend his classes, so he took many talented
students out of his first year class. He had good reasons to hate Rudger.

‘You think you’ll be safe after insulting me like that?’

In fact, Rudger was unaware of his own actions. Because he didn’t even know that
Chris Benimore was a teacher of the manifestation system like him. That fact further
crushed Chris Benimore’s self-esteem but Rudger barely understood Chris’ behavior.

‘No wonder that he was hostile to me. So it’s because we’re both in charge of the
same manifestation class.’

Chris was pissed off and being compared to a teacher who teaches the same class
only made him angrier. Rudger even showed the source code a magic that would
never be taught in a normal class. Unknowingly, the comparison Chris was
experiencing among the students must have intensified.

Chris managed to calm his anger and fixed his glasses.

“Hmmm… In any case, we’re going to offer each one a field of magic or theory that
we have studied in the manifestation system. Oh, of course, it’s not important data,
but wouldn’t it be enough to make a bet?”

“Shouldn’t we also state what level of theory we have to offer?”

“It’s up to each individual to decide.”

At your discretion, there is nothing more difficult than that. When it comes to food, it
is no different than saying to add ingredients in moderation.

If you give something that is so ridiculously useless, you’re revealing that your level
is only this but if you give something too good, you will lose a lot.

In the end, it was said that ‘moderate’ among wizards was just the middle line that
would not damage his reputation and would not damage him. Rudger didn’t really
care what it was, so he decided to accept it.

“Great. However, it would be impossible to compete right now, so let’s give it some
time.”

“How much time?”

“Three days later would be appropriate. Then we will have a public match.”

“Hmm… 3 days?”

He didn’t know if his opponent would do anything to the student he was supporting,
but the time of three days was quite tight for that.

Even a genius cannot learn new magic in 3 days. All you have to do is analyze your
opponent and maintain your best condition.

“Then we’ll do it again at this location in three days.”

“Great.”

The news that a public magic duel was decided with the consent of two teachers
spread through Theon in an instant.

***

With everyone scattered to spread the word about the duel somehow, Aidan looked
at Rudger who was still there and was at a loss for what to do. He felt guilty about
thinking that Rudger had been swept up in this case because of him, and he opened
his mouth, wanting to apologize.

“I, Mr. Rudger. Sorry. Just because of me……”

“Done.”

Rudger cut Aidan’s words coldly.

“Yeah? But……”

“It has already happened. What you need to worry about now is not how to
apologize for what happened, but how to win the duel against Jevan Pellio.”

“Uh, um. That is correct.”

Rudger’s words were right. It was too late for regrets. Still, Aidan wasn’t sure about
something. He didn’t know if he’d be able to defeat Jevan since he was just a
beginner at magic.

“What are you so worried about?”

Rudger pushed Aidan.

“Are you saying you can’t do it now?”

“That, that……”

“Aidan, you told me you would do it. Then, was your answer at that time just a lie
that you were forced to bring out because you were swept away by the atmosphere?”

“……It is not.”

“I hope you were serious when you accepted the duel.”

“But in practice……”

“Not different. Jevan is from a noble family, and he must have received personal
education before joining Theon. He is already different from you and you know it
too.”

Aidan couldn’t argue with that because everything Rudger said was right.

“However, it is too early to make a hasty conclusion. Aidan, what do you think is
important in a fight?”
“Uh, um. I do not know. Is it your skill?”

Rudger shook his head.

“No matter how talented someone is, it is not uncommon for him to die at the hand
of someone weaker. The world doesn’t just flow by the logic of power. A battle is won
or lost in an instant.”

“Then what is it?”

“You already have it.”

At Rudger’s point, Aidan kept his mouth shut. It must be referring to the [special]
type of magic that he possesses.

“You only need to use it for the important moments.”

There was only one reason Rudger took Chris’ bet so easily. Because he was sure that
Aidan would win this fight.

“But I…… I want to win only with my pure skills!”

But Aidan was different. He was obviously grateful for the magic that made him
enter Theon, but he was unwilling to win with it.

“Mr. Rudger! Please teach me!”

Aidan stared at Rudger with an unwavering gaze. Rudger, who looked down at Aidan
with a cold gaze, was bewildered inside.

‘Why is this guy here?’

To be honest, at first, when Chris wanted me to bet with him on the result of the duel
I was happy on the inside but I didn’t show it on the outside because this was a sure
win bet since Aidan managed to enter Theon then he must have enough talent and
skills.

Even though students from wealthy merchant families and aristocrats have been
thoroughly educated from an early age, so it is natural for them to be far ahead of
commoner students at the beginning of the semester.

It was only two weeks after the new semester started and the common students did
not have enough time to catch up with the aristocrats but Aidan is different from
normal students.

‘Mr. Chris Benimore doesn’t seem to know that at all.’

If I were in charge of the first-year manifestation system class, I would have checked
the list of students who were unusual among the first-year students. Still, Chris
didn’t think much of Aidan.

Here I realized one thing; Chris Benimore said he didn’t even pay attention to the
commoner students.

‘Perhaps he only memorized the names of students from noble families whom he
should be concerned about.’

It is a disqualification as a teacher, but I understand. A person who was born as a

noble, lived as a noble, will continue to live as an aristocrat. If such a person had a
commoner living in a world completely different from his own, he would of course
be offended. In that case, it is quite wise to simply not even pay attention to it.

I have no intention of blaming students for judging by class or discriminating against

students because this is such a world.
‘But he never thought it would hold him back.’

Even if Aidan lacked magical knowledge, he was able to enter Theon because of the
[Unusual] type of magic he possessed. He got some sort of admissions benefits, but
that doesn’t mean Aidan is bad because it is the president’s greatest wish right now
for more students who have learned such rare magic to gather at Theon.

‘Perhaps it will be too late to realize what kind of magic Aidan has learned later.’

The bet has already been placed. Claiming invalidity for not knowing is rather an act
of revealing one’s own shortcomings in not being able to confirm information in
advance. Even if Chris would probably realize Aidan’s skills, he would have no choice
but to carry on the bet.

‘But what the hell is this guy talking about?’

What? You want to win with your own strength? For a moment, I didn’t understand
what the heck he was talking about. I had no choice but to realize how outgoing and
righteous this guy Aidan was. He is a guy who is willing to help a werewolf who was
threatening his own life.

I was thinking of saying something to calm myself down, but I got a little worried.

‘Isn’t it a good thing to check it out once in a while?’

It didn’t seem too bad to take this opportunity to check his will and talent to learn
something new. The elemental manifestation was too basic, so it was impossible to
gauge Aidan’s talent with that alone.

‘I should teach you something a little more advanced.’

I glanced down at Aidan. Perhaps he sensed my gaze but I could see him shaking his
shoulders.

“Aidan.”

“Yes, yes.”

“If that’s what you want, it’s fine. For the remaining three days, I will teach you how
to prepare for the duel.”
“Really? But that’s……”

“The dices have already been cast. Maybe Mr. Chris will give Jevan some advice or
teach him how to polish his basic magic. This isn’t a confrontation between students,
it’s a matter of pride between me and Mr. Chris as teachers and wizards.”

If it is something completely basic, such as implementing an attribute element, there

is no need to think about it again.

“But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to teach.”

A match between wizards and wizards is not purely magic. The casting speed, the
magnificence of magic and the magical accuracy are not enough. It is only a prejudice
that wizards fight only with magic.

“Aidan. I will teach you how to fight against wizards.”

“Really?”

“Yes. However, the remaining period is 3 days. It’s tight, so what I can teach you will
be only the very basics. It will be very difficult and you may fail. Will you still do it?”

“Yeah! I’ll do it.”

Aidan answered in a loud voice that he had made up his mind.

‘Good attitude.’

“Then let’s start today.”

“Yes? Really?”

Aidan had a slightly confused face as he didn’t know that we would start right now. I
nodded and pointed at the two who were watching us from a distance.

“The same goes for both of you.”

“Yeah?”

“Me too?”
Leo and Tracy were both embarrassed when I called them, but they couldn’t refuse.
Aidan is not going to be the only one that has to improve and I think they will
continue to be together in the future.

With 3 days remaining Chris and Jevan must have been thinking that they had won
and I let them enjoy themselves for now. But, will they still be able to smile after
what will happen three days later?

I started to look forward to the day a little.

***

“Ugh. I will die.”

In the dark night after the sun has completely set, Aidan returned to the dormitory
and laid down on the bed with his exhausted body. He prided himself on not
skipping training since he came to Theon, but Rudger’s training was unimaginably
hard. Maybe it was because he was also a soldier.

Aidan remembered the arduous training of Rudger, who was teaching Leo and Tracy
with him, and rubbed his stingy body with his hands.

‘I didn’t know I could use my body like this.’

What Rudger taught him wasn’t the manifestation magic or other spells, but how to
use his body.

He has to use his body and his head at the same time. Because of that, he didn’t know
how many times he rolled on the floor of the alternate training ground. He couldn’t
believe he had to do this for the next two days.

‘Still, it feels like something has improved.’

Rudger’s teachings were difficult enough to overwhelm the body, but Aidan did not
harbor any dissatisfaction and silently carried it out because he instinctively felt
certain that this method would help him.

‘More than that, why did Mr. Rudger say that he would trust me?’

Didn’t he think he was going to lose to Jevan? If so, what is the reason?
‘Is it because of the magic I use?’

There was a possibility since teachers have the right to access students’ information
but it didn’t make sense for Rudger to be convinced of something with that one
thing.

Rudger must have never seen him use [Unusual] type magic himself, so why was he
so sure? The magic he learned was passed down directly from his master, so it would
be difficult to fully understand just by hearing his name.

‘Does Mr. Rudger know anything about my teacher?’

Aidan closed his eyes with that thought in mind. The day was so hard that he fell
asleep without even thinking of changing his clothes.

***

Two days after that Aidan was running through the outdoor training ground out of
breath.

“Heh heh heh heh.”

On the road that Aidan was heading to, Rudger was standing with his back clasped.

Aidan, who discovered Rudger, spurred on running even more. Rudger, who was
holding his back, stretched out his right hand. At that moment, a sphere of pure
white magic flew towards Aidan.

Aidan looked at it, clenched his teeth and turned his body to the side and at the same
time his magical powers awakened.

His leg was twisted and he fell but he managed to avoid the magic by rolling several
laps on the ground.

Rudger slowly approached Aidan.

“The cycle of magic is circulation, and moving the body is moving the body. Don’t try
to overlap them, but recognize them separately.”

“Yes!”
Aidan, who had become muddy, jumped up from the ground.

“You failed again so run another lap.”

“Yes!”

Aidan ran back to the training ground.

Leo and Tracy, who were sitting on chairs at the training ground and were resting,
stared at Aidan with the same gaze as if they were looking at a monster.

I’m already tired and I don’t have the strength to run anymore, but Aidan has good
stamina.”

Tracy was purely admiring Aidan’s tireless stamina. She had been cultivating her
stamina even before she entered the age of three, but she was not at the level of
Aidan. She clenched her teeth and tried to catch up with Aidan, but she eventually
lifted the white flag.

“He has great will.”

On the other hand, Leo was taking a break first because his stamina was inferior to
that of Tracy due to his small stature but his eyes were sharper than Tracy’s.

Although it may seem okay to Tracy, Aidan was in a situation where he was
physically at his limit. Nevertheless, the reason for running is probably because of
the will to not lose in the duel.

“Ugh.”

Tracy ignored Leo’s words and stared blankly at Aidan. He was a boy who didn’t say
he hated her even though she acted so badly. Rather, he smiled and asked her to eat
together and was the stupid guy who reached out his hand first as her friend.

She couldn’t take her eyes off of Aidan’s hard training. He looks dirty with sweat and
dirt, but is it too far-fetched to think that he is cool?

At some point, Aidan had completed one lap again and was rushing towards Rudger
and Rudger raised his hand.
‘Come.’

Leo and Tracy were nervous and a cold sweat was forming on their clenched fists.

Rudger’s magic flew towards Aidan, who was panting on the verge of exhaustion. It
was the [Shining Stone], a basic manifestation type magic.

Because Rudger was watching and shooting, it was not a problem to avoid it as long
as he focused on it. The problem is that it’s not easy to dodge while running but
seeing Aidan swiping sideways in his running stance, almost avoiding Rudger’s
magic, Tracy jumped up from her seat without realizing it.

“Avoided!”

“Not yet. What’s important is the next step.”

Leo said.

Dodge the magic and then counterattack. Aidan immediately gathered his magic
power while running and wanted to activate a spell. This is a technique that requires
separate use of the head and body and it may seem simple at first glance, but for
those who have not yet mastered magic properly, there is nothing more difficult than
this.

It’s more difficult than drawing a square with one hand and a triangle with the other.
Moving the body and casting a spell at the same time were a division of thinking.

‘Aidan, you can do it.’

Leo clenched his fists.

Wizards must concentrate a lot of their minds in order to cast spells so when they do
so they don’t move at all so the wizards were always exposed to danger.

Wizards have taken the path of putting a barrier around or shortening the casting
time in order to safely manifest their magic but there were also people who walked a
completely different path.

There were those who had the idea that if it was dangerous to be immobile when
using magic, they could use magic while moving. They are wizards, but they do not
sit still and train their bodies to the limit to implement magic.

Unlike those who learn science and explore magic, they wander around the world to
challenge and fight the unknown. They are known as [War Mages]. The method that
Rudger taught was the [Moving-Magus], which is the most basic fighting method that
the war mages learn.

“Suck!”

Aidan took a deep breath and raised his magic power. His running legs didn’t stop
and he didn’t even have time to catch his breath but no words were needed. What
mattered was the will. A spell manifested on Aidan’s hand, who was running. Leo and
Tracy, who were watching the scene from afar, opened their eyes wide and mouths
fell open.

Aidan’s magic unfolded. It was the first-tier basic magic, and the same [Shining
Stone] that Rudger had shot at him.

It was weaker than Rudger’s spell but he managed to cast the spell and shoot it
towards Rudger. However, Rudger raised his gloved right hand and caught Aidan’s
[Shining Stone] with great ease.

Leo and Tracy, who were watching the scene, unknowingly said, ‘Ah!’, exclaiming
with regret.

“Huh. Heh.”

Aidan, who was panting for breath, stopped in front of Rudger.

“Aidan.”

“Huh. huh. Yes. Teacher.”

“You pass.”

Before Rudger’s answer came, Aidan fell on the floor with a smile of
accomplishment.

“The duel is tomorrow, so get enough rest today.”

“Huh. Heh.”

Aidan couldn’t afford to answer.

Rudger grinned at the sight and turned his back.

“You can do it.”

Aidan, who was so exhausted, did not hear him.

When Chris Benimore received a letter from his private office, he read it at one
glance and immediately set it on fire.

“Yes. I knew that too.”

The report that came in was the material sent by a user of Theon and the content
was related to Rudger Chelici.

“Are you teaching that commoner hard? Even if you pretend not to be, you are
desperate to win the bet.”

He murmured and laughed at Rudger’s actions, but that didn’t make Chris Benimore
stand still. He turned his head to look at the boy standing in front of him tensely.

“Jevan Pellio.”

“Yes!”

“I think you know what I want to say to you.”

Jevan nodded his head with a determined face.

“Yeah, I know. I have to win against that cheeky commoner in this duel.”

“It is not enough to just win. You have to show the gap between nobles and
commoners with overwhelming power.”

It was a demand that was a little too harsh, but Jevan Pellio didn’t think he was going
to fail.

When he heard that Aidan was being taught by Rudger Chelici, he was terrified, but
he had Chris Benimore.
“Take it.”

Chris tossed a reagent bottle at Jevan.

Jevan, who took it in a hurry, looked at the blue liquid inside and asked with a
puzzled face.

“Is this?”

“It’s a magic booster. Drink it before the duel.”

“But isn’t this against the rules?”

”This is a special product of our Benimore family that leaves no trace if taken in
advance, so there is no need to worry.”

“This……”

“When you drink it, your magic power is instantly amplified, but the duration is less
than 5 minutes.”

“Five minutes. It’s short.”

“Yes it won’t amplify your existing magic, but will increase the limit of the output.
The traces of the drug disappear immediately, leaving only the effect. Just pay
attention to the magic power exhaustion after 30 minutes.”

At Chris’ words, Jevan swallowed his saliva. In fact, it was close to a drug that allowed
you to use the magical power you had at once. His pride would not allow him to
drink such a drug against a commoner.

‘But if it’s for a sure win.’

As long as Rudger is behind Aidan, he may have received something like himself
because he’s a dirty commoner.

With that in mind, Jevan put the amplification potion into his pocket with a stiff face.

Seeing that, Chris laughed.

 ***

The auditorium of the 2nd training ground was more than half full of people who
had come to see the new student’s magic duel today. Most of the first-year students
gathered but there were also second-year students and other teachers.

If it was simply a fight between first-year students, they would have ignored it, but
since it was a match between two teachers, it was a different story.

Rudger Chelici and Chris Benimore have just been assigned to Theon and they both
have in common that they are in charge of the manifestation class.

However, one is a fallen aristocrat, and the other is a noble and even a high count.
The difference between them was quite large and Rudger supported the commoners
while Chris Benimore supported the nobles.

In the end the soon-to-be-scheduled duel transformed into a battle between

commoners and aristocrats.

“Who will win?”

“Are you sure it’s a freshman fight? Then the nobility has an advantage. Commoners
are not educated from an early age.”

“I heard that this commoner freshman is not weak. They say he made a big
contribution during the werewolf incident.”

“You don’t know but Mr. Rudger trained him.”

“In that sense, there was Mr. Chris on the other side.”

“I don’t know the teacher. Was he in charge of the first year?”

“Even though they are both teaching the same manifestation system, it seems that
Mr. Rudger is better.”

During the conversation, people’s eyes turned to the top, where only teachers could
sit in the audience.

“Look.”
“Uh. It’s real.”

Chris Benimore, who had just entered the teacher’s seat, sat down calmly while
maintaining his dignity as a nobleman. Because of his intelligent appearance, the
adoring eyes of the female students naturally followed Chris. Chris also lightly
enjoyed the gazes.

At that moment, the murmur of the students grew louder. It was quite different from
when Chris showed up.

‘What?’

He looked at who the hell it was, and it was that man, Rudger Chelici. He had long
black hair tied in a ponytail, a sharp jawline and a high nose bridge. His cool facial
features and deep sunken eyes made many women’s hearts flutter.

He wore a black shirt and black trousers with a black tie and even his long coat was
black. The overall impression of the black color is reminiscent of a raven. Holding a
staff in his right hand, he looked like the head of a prestigious mage family.

“Wow. Look at Mr. Rudger.”

“Are you crazy?”

All eyes of the students, who were distracted by Chris’ appearance, turned to Rudger
but Rudger didn’t even care how much attention was drawn to him, and he went to
the empty seat of the professor’s lounge and sat down.

“Saw that?”

“Uh. The atmosphere is really not a joke. It’s understandable why the rumors spread
like that.”

“Is he really a fallen aristocrat? I thought he was nobler than the other noble
teachers.”

Chris, who overheard the students talking like that, smirked and clicked his tongue,
not hiding his unpleasant feelings, turned to Rudger, who was sitting in the row next
to him.
Rudger would probably look around this way, but he was staring at the training
ground with a smirk in his eyes that didn’t show what he was thinking. Chris bit his
teeth in response as if he didn’t even care about this.

‘That naughty attitude is now over. I will make you feel defeated in front of everyone.’

This fight will be won by Jevan Pellio. Aidan, that commoner? Chris didn’t even know
such a student existed. He didn’t even check the list of commoner students.

‘Anyway, commoners are commoners. Even those who were not properly educated
entered the school with preferential treatment.’

When he was thinking that, the commotion in the audience reached a climax. Feeling
noisier than when Rudger appeared, Chris looked back and he could see why.

“President, you come.”

When Elisa Willow appeared, Chris jumped up from her seat and greeted her. The
president smiled broadly and accepted Chris’ greeting.

“Hello sir Chris Benimore. Wow. There are many people here.”

“President, what are you doing here?”

“I heard that something interesting was going on, so I came to see for myself.”

The teachers who followed as if assisting the president were Marie Ross of the
Pharmacy department, who is said to have served the longest in Theon, and Hugo
Burtag, who leads a faction of noble teachers including Chris.

When all the most famous people in Theon gathered, the students expressed their
surprise, saying they had no idea that this duel could have been this big.

It was the same with Chris. He just thought that the two students would have a
simple fight but he didn’t think the president would come forward.

‘The president had no choice but to come because it was a fight between commoners
and aristocratic students?’

The president is nominally neutral with no push for either side, but Chris knows that
the president values commoner students more than nobles. That was the reason why
Hugo had a confrontation with the president in the first place.

‘Will it be okay?’

He was worried about what would happen if the president interfered, but it didn’t
seem necessary. The president, who wanted to remain neutral, had no reason to
intervene in this matter.

‘Rudger Chelici.’

Even when the president appeared, the man did not look behind him and just sat
still. His behavior was cheeky and rude but thinking that it was manly Chris got
annoyed.

“Mr. Rudger! Long time no see!”

The president greeted him with a smile. At that moment, Rudger, who had been still,
turned his head to the president. He slowly got up from his seat and bowed to her.

“Hello President.”

“Yeah. Hello Mr. Rudger. How have you been?”

“I am doing well.”

“I was really surprised. All of a sudden, Mr. Rudger and Mr. Chris said that they would
like to watch the students compete so I wanted to know what was going on.”

“We were just making a simple bet.”

“Hmm… Who did Mr. Rudger bet will win?”

Knowingly, the president asked if she wanted to hear from Rudger directly.

“I bet on student Aidan victory.”

“Betting doesn’t happen unless you choose the opposite, so Mr. Chris must have been
betting on the victory of student Pellio?”
“……Yes.”

Chris had no choice but to answer reluctantly. The president smiled softly and
clapped her hands.

“I am really looking forward to it. Of course, the priority is to ensure that the
students are not injured, right?”

“You don’t have to worry about that. We have put in place as many safeguards as
possible.”

Marie Ross answered from the side instead. Even if the students competed in an
informal match, there was a high possibility of hurting the opponent therefore they
wear light protective gear before entering the duel.

Metal protective gears that can be worn on the chest, shoulders and both knees
resonate with each other and a thin magic barrier is placed over the student’s body
in the end the student whose barrier runs out of energy first loses the duel.

“Then I’m happy.”

“Ah, just in time, a player appeared.”

The first to stand in the center of the training ground was Aidan with a very nervous
expression. He had a face that looked like he was about to vomit because he wasn’t
used to the gazes pouring down like a spotlight on him.

“Aidan! Go for it!”

“Break his cheeky nose.”

Perhaps it was thanks to Tracy and Leo, who cheered for him, Aidan nodded with a
more relaxed face and waved his hand toward the audience. Commoner students
cheered Aidan in hopes that he would raise the status of the commoners.

Then Jevan appeared through the opposite entrance.

“Jevan, I believe in you!”

The noble students cheered for Jevan who nodded his head with a smile as if he was
familiar with this situation. The two stood facing each other and Jevan looked at
Aidan with a smirk.

“You didn’t run away?”

“……”

“Are you nervous? Commoners would not be accustomed to a place like this. If you
ran away you would not have suffered a catastrophic defeat in front of everyone.”

“……If I win.”

“Yes?”

“Apologize to Tracy and Leo.”

“What? Hahaha!”

Perhaps he didn’t know that Aidan would say such a thing here, so Jevan burst into
laughter.

“Yes. If you win, I’ll get down on my knees.”

“You said it.”

“But what should you do after I beat you?”

He was confident as he felt the powerful magic in his body. It was thanks to the magic
boosting potion that he drank a while ago before going on stage, an item whose
duration is so short that it is unknown whether it has been used or not.

There was a condition that the match had to be over within a short time of less than
5 minutes, but with this strength, it seemed that it would not be too difficult.

‘If the same magic is used the one who has the most magical power wins.’

There is nothing more advantageous than the superiority of firepower in a duel

between wizards. Even if the same spell is casted at the same speed, it is possible to
defeat your opponent with brute force.
Before starting the match, the referee checked the status of Aidan and Jevan. This
was to verify if any irregularities were involved in the duel. Jevan believed Chris’
words, so he nodded proudly.

Eventually, the referee, who was checking Aidan’s condition, saw the object hanging
from his waist and widened his eyes.

“Student, what is this?”

“Ah, this is my staff for this duel.”

Aidan replied with a smile, but the referee was still puzzled. The staff that Aidan had
was basically different from the wands made of unusual materials that wizards deal
with, and the shape itself was different, it was in the form of a sword.
The blunt tip and thick blade looked like something for hitting, not cutting. It was
closer to changing a magic wand than a sword, so the danger or lethality was close to
zero. The referee thought about it for a while and decided it would be okay.

“Get ready.”

Following the referee’s instructions, Aidan and Jevan stood at both ends of the arena.
The audience, who had been shouting, shut their mouths and the second training
became quiet.

In the center, Aidan and Jevan stared at each other with intense eyes.

“Start!”

As soon as the referee’s cry fell, the two aimed their wands at each other. The most
basic step in a battle between wizards is to analyze the gap between the opponent
and oneself first and that is done through the exchange of first-level magic.

“Paah!”

The magic that Aidan activated was [Flowing Water], a first-class water element
spell. Conversely, the magic that was activated by Jevan was [Stinging Fire], a first-
class fire-attribute spell.

“They’re fast.”

“Is their speed the same?”

The spells unfolded at the same time. In other words, Aidan, who everyone thought
would be at a disadvantage, implemented the spell faster than expected. And there
was also a difference in the elements that the two used.

Aidan used water and Jevan used fire. There would be no need to ask which attribute
is superior.

‘Yes!’

Aidan was happy.

In order to have the edge in the first clash, he had to occupy an advantageous
position in the attribute. It’s kind of like rock, paper, scissors, and it wasn’t pure luck.

‘I thought he would definitely use fire-attribute magic.’

Jevan has a fiery personality and he expected that the first magic he would use
would be the fire since it has the highest attack power.

Aidan read the opponent’s magic in advance through psychological warfare and
prepared the corresponding magic. Some students would have thought it was just a
coincidence, but the teachers were different.

“He is ahead from the start.”

Next to the president who spoke happily, Hugo frowned without hiding his
discomfort.

“The duel isn’t over yet.”

As Hugo said, it didn’t turn out to be Aidan’s win. When the two magic collided in
mid-air, contrary to what people expected, it was the fire that destroyed the water
magic.

“Oh my gosh.”

“You can beat water with fire?”

“Is the difference in magic power that big?”

No matter how much a counter exists in an attribute, if the mana is higher, even that
counter will be ignored.

The flame that quickly evaporated water and it flew towards Aidan before long.
Aidan hurriedly bent down to avoid the flying flame while astonished gazes turned
to Jevan.

“Hahaha… This is the difference between you and me, insignificant commoner.”

Jevan did not stop using his magic while talking.

While Aidan evaded, he prepared the next magic. Aidan, who had corrected his
posture, also immediately activated his magic. This time Jevan used the lightning
attribute while Aidan used fire.

The two spells collided and canceled each other out in the air. However, the
difference from a while ago was that the place where the magic was offset this time
was that it was a little closer towards Aidan.

“Hahaha!”

Jevan used magic again, and it was the same with Aidan. Their magic collided in the
air again.

Aidan knew he was at disadvantage in terms of firepower, so he put in more of his

mana and activated his magic. A third crash occurred and it happened right in front
of Aidan.

“Wah!”

Aidan staggered due to the shock of the magic explosion.

“Aidan has been pushed!”

“Is the difference between nobles and commoners that big?”

Everyone was chatting among themselves in the audience.

‘Chance.’

Jevan did not miss the gap where Aidan had collapsed and immediately used the next
magic. He was going to use the momentum and put an end to it.

Aidan took hold of his stance and tried to point his wand for defense, but
immediately changed his judgment.
‘No. It’s too late to use magic now!’

Jevan has already started implementing the technique. Even if he tried to catch up in
a hurry here, in the end it all depends on who casts his spell first.

If he focused on speed and used a simple spell, there is a high probability that the
magic will fail. It’s power is also inferior to the opponent.

If he had Rudger’s source code he could use magic to win but he didn’t.

‘In the first place, it’s impossible right now.’

He realized he couldn’t cast a spell so he chose another method.

‘From here on, I’ll use what I’ve learned from Mr. Rudger.’

Instead of using his staff, Aidan rushed towards Jevan.

“What?!”

“He’s running?”

“Has he given up?”

Most of the audience thought that Aidan had given up since no normal magician
would use his body in the current situation.

“It’s savage. That’s why the common people.”

“Aidan…… What are you going to do?”

While everyone despised or felt sorry for him Jevan magic was complete.

“In the end, did you give up because you couldn’t do it?”

Jevan smiled cruelly and used the second-level magic [Burning Thunder]. It is a very
powerful magic among the second-level magic that pierces the opponent’s with a
quick lightning strike.

Aidan won’t die because there is a safety device on his body, but considering this
overflowing magical power right now, he’ll be able to make him feel pain enough to
die.

Jevan aimed the magic at Aidan’s forehead.

“Take it!”

Jevan thought that Aidan had reached his limit since was running towards him and
activated [Burning Thunder]. The yellow current in the air eventually turned into an
arrow and flew towards Aidan.

Everyone who watched the scene thought the fight was over.

‘It’s over. In the end, Jevan won.’

Chris grinned as he watched the match go by as expected. He had already looked

back at Rudger, anticipating what kind of face he would make.

“……What?”

Rudger was watching the duel with a nonchalant face as if the fight wasn’t over yet.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar chill-like anxiety ran down Chris’ spine.

“……!”

Chris’ eyes hurriedly turned to the stadium and saw Aidan turning his upper body
and heading to the side in a running posture to avoid the magic that flew in front of
him.

“Wow!”

The [Burning Thunder] brushed past Aidan’s cheeks and shoulders. Aidan’s face was
slightly distorted because of the pain, but that was all Aidan didn’t stop.

Chris was shocked to see the scene. He had noticed how Aidan had evaded the
attack.

‘Even in the midst of that, he didn’t take his eyes off the other person?’

Usually, when new students engage in magic battles, those who are not yet
accustomed to fighting between wizards may behave like a beginner and look away
from the other person, or close their eyes tightly and raise their arms when magic
flies towards them, instead of defending properly.

When you realize that pain is approaching, your body moves instinctively because
that is human nature. There is no way to change that other than to train for a long
time. However, Aidan was a freshman who had just entered the school. He was a
beginner who didn’t know much about magic.

But Aidan was not afraid of the magic flying towards his forehead, and he kept going
without averting his gaze. It wasn’t just a matter of luck, he had a will strong enough
to overcome pain. It was an action that was possible because he was convinced that
he could avoid it.

‘But it will take time to get up and use magic!’

Chris’ judgment was correct. After all, Jevan still had the initiative. As if responding
to that will, Jevan took action. When he realized that his attack had missed, he was
embarrassed for a moment, but Jevan prepared the next magic right away.

“……!”

However, seeing the magic formula created in front of Aidan’s nose, Jevan had no
choice but to open his eyes wide. It was the same for Hugo and Marie, and even the
president looked with interest.

Chris had nothing to say. He immediately recognized the technique Aidan was using.

“[Moving-Magus]!”

A practical skill that battle wizards learn to cast magic while moving their body.

Chris turned his head to look at Rudger. The man who had not taken his eyes off the
duel for a while and there was a faint smile on his lips.

In a short period of three days, this man taught the commoner the “[Moving-Magus],
which is the technique to outperform the opponent in a magic duel.

‘Did he learn that in 3 days?’

Aidan had learned the [Moving-Magus] in just three days?

‘Are the commoners born with such talent?’

Chris didn’t know.

While Jevan and he were already intoxicated with the toast of victory, Aidan worked
hard while being taught by Rudger.

‘Jevan! You idiot! Stop the magic!’

Chris tried to shout, but the last remaining reason made him shut his mouth. If he
shouted here it was like giving instructions to Jevan, that would ruin a fair match,
and it would be an act of eroding his image.

He had no choice but to hope that Jevan would notice and take a different action.

‘Wrong.’

Chris closed his eyes tightly.

Jevan had never expected that Aidan would use magic while running, so he was
preparing his next magic. When Aidan evaded his magic, it would have been better if
he didn’t continue his next attack. However, his innate ability became a shackle
holding his ankles.

He quickly reacted to the first anomaly he encountered. There was nothing wrong
with that judgment, but Jevan did not respond at all to the fact that the anomaly
unfolded twice in a row, not just once.

“What?”

Seeing the completed magic formula in front of Aidan, Jevan realized that things
were going strangely. However, he had no way to first complete the spell he was
casting now.

The magic that Aidan fired was the [Shining Stone] he had practiced so much. It’s a
very simple rank 1 spell but it was lethal since Jevan was careless.

The shining stone hits the forehead of Jevan.

“Great!”

It wasn’t fatal, but the pain was great. Jevan was dizzy from the shock and his
movements became blunt.

Everyone stood up in a hurry but Aidan, who had been given the opportunity, was
watching silently.

‘It’s over.’

Seeing the scene, Rudger was satisfied. From the moment he lost his composure,
Jevan’s defeat was decided. Aidan pointed his staff at Jevan.

“Now it’s my turn.”

“Oh, no!”

But despite all the screams Aidan’s magic, which was immediately activated, hit his
body countless times.

The moment the total amount of magical power of the armor surrounding the body
became 0, the victory or defeat of the match was decided.
The fight was over.

“Winner! Aidan!”

Shouts erupted from the audience along with the referee’s cry. All these were the
shouts of the commoner students who came to support Aidan.

“Aidan! Awesome!”

“Totally dope!”

“That is amazing! When did you learn that skill?”

In particular, the joy of Leo and Tracy was considerable. Conversely, the noble
students were displeased, and stared at Jevan who was on the floor.

“That bastard spoiled the honor of the nobility.”

“It bothered me that he was trying to make moves here and there.”

“He lost to a commoner. It’s a shame for aristocrats.”

Jevan looked around with a blank expression on his face.

‘I lost?’

He couldn’t believe this was real but when he tried to wake up from the dream, that
didn’t happen. Because this wasn’t a dream, it was reality. The hateful gazes and
arrows of criticism that were flying towards him were all real.

On this stage, it was not him who got the joy of victory, but the insignificant
commoner who had been so neglected.
‘No. There is something wrong!’

He couldn’t have lost. Yes. There must have been some mistake. That dirty
commoner must have used some cowardly trick otherwise, there would be no way to
use magic while moving.

‘You fucking commoner’s bastard!’

The fact that he took a potion before the duel was erased from his mind. All that was
left now was his endless hatred for the commoner who insulted him in front of
everyone and his will to kill him.

‘I will kill you!’

Jevan started squeezing out all of his magical power. Everyone was focused on Aidan,
who was in the spotlight as the winner, so no one noticed Jevan behavior.

Who would have known that a man who had been defeated in a fight would suddenly
lose his mind and use magic by surprise? Jevan squeezed out all of his own magical
power and performed a second-level magic.

It takes about 4 seconds for the magic to be formed. It is quite a long time for an
opponent to focus on it, but now that everyone wasn’t vigilant, 4 seconds is a very
short time.

“Huh?”

Aidan was the first to notice the strangeness. When he just looked around Jevan, his
eyes met with Jevan, who was staring at him.

“Jevan?”

He saw that Jevan used the second-tier fire magic [Raging Wave].

Now that the match was over, Aidan had removed the safety device attached to his
body. [Raging Wave] is an attack with the widest range among second-tier magic, so
it is virtually impossible to avoid.

However, it was impossible to defend because time was running out. The magic was
manifested and bright red flames fluttered.
“Huh?”

The referee, who was trying to check Aidan’s physical condition, was also perplexed.
He didn’t even think that Jevan would do something like this, so he hurriedly pulled
out his staff and raised his magical powers.

He is an employee at Theon, but he can also use magic to some extent but he was too
late. The magic was already approaching him.

Aidan jumped out like a spring, grabbed the referee’s back, threw him behind and
gripped the sword-shaped staff with both hands.

In the slow flow of time, he could see the audience widen their eyes in amazement.
Even the teachers who realized the situation belatedly rose from their seats one by
one but it was already too late for them to step forward because the flame waves
were approaching Aidan’s nose.

“Aidan!”

Tracy shouts spread out but Aidan did not look back at her. With his gaze fixed in
front, he raised his sword-shaped staff and struck.

“Huh?”

“What?”

Then the unbelievable happened. Following the trajectory of Aidan’s wand, the
[Raging Wave] magic used by Jevan was split in half and scattered.

After a while, [Raging Wave] lost its power and disappeared as if it were scattered in
the air.

“Just now…… What happened?”

When students mutter blankly at the scene they do not understand. Rudger stared at
Aidan as if he knew this.

‘Did you use that magic because the moment of crisis came?’

Aidan is a wizard who can use [Special] type magic. Unlike the other four series,
[Special] is not classified properly as modern magic, and is not widely known to the
public.

[Anti-Magic], one of the [Unusual] series magic, also known as magic that erased
other magic, that’s what Aidan was using now.

“It can’t be!”

Chris was on the brink of a blackout. He couldn’t believe that Aidan could use anti-
magic.

‘I hope that man knows this……!’

Chris’ eyes turned to Rudger. He was not surprised when Aidan was attacked and sat
still.

He had no reason to be surprised because he knew that Aidan would win this battle
and that he was the owner of an [Unusual] type of magic.

“Oh my God.”

It was the same for Jevan Pellio. He saw the [Raging Wave] that he used with all his
magical power disappearing in vain.

Aidan strode towards Jevan, who had completely lost his will.

“Jevan…”

“You, how can you? How could a commoner use such magic……”

“Okay. F*ck this.”

“What?”

Before Jevan could ask anything, Aidan moved. His clenched fists slammed his
cheeks hard. Aidan looked down at the fallen Jevan and said,

“I thought you would at least accept your defeat honorably but I didn’t expect you to
be such garbage.”
Jevan didn’t answer because he was already completely defeated by Aidan physically
and mentally, and he couldn’t keep his reason.

Belatedly, the referee rushed out and checked Aidan’s body.

“Student Aidan! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Is the referee okay? Do you have any injuries anywhere?”

“No I don’t. Thank you. Without you, it would have been very dangerous.”

The teachers and the audience who watched the scene had no choice but to check
Aidan again.

“Oh my gosh. He said he was a user of anti-magic, and it was true.”

Marie Ross, who had already heard vaguely about Aidan, put her hand on her lips
and smiled. On the other hand, Hugo and Chris’ faces were dark. Only Rudger
expected this outcome and maintained a consistent attitude.

The students’ reaction was very enthusiastic.

“Did you just see it? He cut the magic with his sword!”

“Idiot. It’s not a sword, it’s a staff.”

“Even so, I didn’t feel that he was using magic. What was it?”

For students who were unaware of the existence of anti-magic, Aidan’s performance
a while ago was almost like something out of a fairy tale.

Among the amazed students, there were some students who realized what Aidan’s
magic was.

“That kid. Did he use anti-magic a while ago?”

A beautiful girl with pure white hair and an impression as cold as snow stared
intently at Aidan. Her words sounded like she was older than Aidan, but she was also
one of the freshmen who had just entered Theon.
A girl who deserves to be arguably the best among these first-year freshmen. She is
the top student with the highest admissions score and a rookie of undisputed talent
who is promoted as a promising wizard in the Tower, Julia Plumhart.

‘I just came to watch for fun but I saw something interesting.’

She looked at Aidan with interest. Because of her character, she wouldn’t even have
been interested in a duel between students.

However, this time, the case became particularly large, and it turned into a battle
between commoners and aristocrats rather than students. Even after that, it was
said that the fight was for pride between two teachers, so she came to watch.

‘The first time I fought, I was so miserable and it was hard to keep my eyes open, so I
wanted to go back right away.’

Others thought Aidan was lucky that she didn’t.

‘Where did that commoner learn anti-magic? Hmm. I’m a little intrigued.’

Julia left the arena as she looked at Aidan who had knocked out Jevan. Besides Julia,
there were some people who were interested in the magic that Aidan showed. It was
Freuden, the student with the most power in the sophomore year.

‘Did he say Aidan?’

When Baron Pellio wanted to join his faction, Jevan said he would fight. Freuden
didn’t bother to stop him. It must have been his true intention but he was not even
interested in the first place.

No matter who he fights with, he thinks it’s enough if he doesn’t push himself.
However, his opponent was a commoner who used anti-magic.

‘The freshmen are strong this year.’

Freuden highly valued Aidan’s anti-magic. Of course, he didn’t know high Aidan
mastery was, but his value was at least higher than that of an idiot aristocrat.

“Let’s go.”
Freuden glanced at the fallen Jevan with a pathetic gaze and got up from his seat.
Following Freuden, the students of his faction rose up.

Before Freuden left, he glanced at Rudger, who was sitting in the professor’s seat.

Freuden, who stared at him for a moment, turned his gaze away as if he was not
interested and left the training ground.

One by one, people left and talked loudly about the events of the duel.

“This.”

Aidan scratched his head. He originally had no intention of using anti-magic in this
battle. No, he had no intention of using it in the future while he was in Theon.

His master told him that this magic was very important and not to use it unless he’s
in a crisis or else he’ll be in trouble.

‘This is what Master said.’

Seeing the passionate eyes of the students, Aidan instinctively sensed that his
academy life would be really hard in the future.

‘Ouch.’

Aidan immediately turned to the place where the teacher’s seat was. He looked for
Rudger, who had helped him win this fight. Fortunately, Rudger remained there, and
finding him was not difficult because his black outfit stood out.

Rudger had a normal face. He wasn’t particularly or visibly happy that he won the
duel. After making eye contact without saying a word Rudger nodded his head.

“……!”

Of course, that alone was enough for Aidan.

“Aidan!”

“Good job! You won!”

Tracy and Leo approached Aidan and smiled broadly. Aidan looked at his friends and
smiled.

After watching the three of them for a moment, Rudger stood up. The match is over,
now it’s time to look at other things.

“Mr. Chris.”

Chris Benimore, who had been sitting uncomfortable all the time, trembled at
Rudger’s call.

His gaze turned to Rudger.

“We still have business to finish.”

At those words, Chris’ face fell even more horribly.

Chris thought that it had finally come. He had offered to bet with Rudger and the
loser will hand over one of the magic research papers to the winner.

It was Chris himself, no one else, who suggested this. Since he declared in front of
many students that he would bet on it, he couldn’t even say no.

“Did you know that commoner student possess anti-magic?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Chris cried out with tears in his eyes at the answer that seemed to come in as if it
was natural.

“Did you make this bet knowing that?”

“I don’t understand why Mr. Chris is so angry.”

“You say that now……”

“Mr. Chris, didn’t you know that Aidan was the possessor of anti-magic?”

“……”

At those words, Chris was stunned. It was as Rudger said, he did not know that Aidan
possessed anti-magic.

“I heard that Mr. Chris is in charge of the first year, but didn’t you check the first-year
students who were admitted this time?”

“……”

“Above all, Aidan never used anti-magic during the match. Did you see that his
mastery of anti-magic had an effect on the victory or defeat of the match?”
Chris shut his mouth.

As Rudger said, Chris was not in a position to dare to argue with the result of the
match. The fact that he didn’t know was his fault since he didn’t check the students.

Because Aidan was a trivial commoner he was unimportant. The narrow-minded

thought he always had turned into a boomerang, and hit him in the back.

Who is to blame for that? Rudger who knew but didn’t say it? Aidan who learned
anti-magic even though he is a commoner?

It was his fault because he made no thorough preparations, and without even
thinking of gathering information beforehand, he just assumed that he was going to
win. His arrogance was the cause of his defeat.

“If you had checked the students, something like today would not have happened.”

“……”

Chris didn’t answer. Yes. It was obviously his mistake for not taking the duel
seriously.

However, what hurts his pride more than that is that the outcome of this match was
not determined by the anti-magic. Aidan didn’t even use the anti-magic during the
duel. He used only what he had after he came to Theon and defeated Jevan.

Seeing Chris trembling and not saying anything, Rudger continued.

“I remember that we bet on an academic thesis on magic.”

“……We did. What can I give you?”

“Nothing.”

Chris was perplexed at that.

“What the heck……?”

“I am not taking anything.”

“Why all of a sudden……”

“Not all of a sudden. This is what I was thinking from the beginning.”

Chris couldn’t understand Rudger’s words. No, he actually understood but wanted to
deny it.

“It is inferior to extort other people’s teachings in bets.”

After saying those words, Rudger turned his back and left.

At that sight, Chris turned into a bewildered person.

He wasn’t even this annoyed when he was ignored by him, or when he lost the bet.
But even though Rudger won the bet, he did not receive anything from him, but
when he said that the act of betting itself was inferior Chris felt more than annoyed,
he also felt a sense of disappointment.

The mirror of the heart that reflects the ugly side of the man, the more he stared at
him with hostility and hatred, the more disgusting he was, and the more it reflected
on him.

‘Me, this Chris Benimore…… Are you saying I’m inferior?’ Chris bit his lip. A stream of
blood ran down the corner of his mouth. He didn’t even think to clean it. He was just
staring at Rudger’s back with a blood-soaked look in his eyes.

‘Rudger Chelici.’

How much longer do you have to trample on my pride? Next time, for sure, I will pay
back the disgrace I suffered this time.

“Mr. Chris.”

Hugo approached and called him, but Chris didn’t respond. Now he didn’t want to
show anyone this ugly figure, so he hurriedly ran away from his seat.

Hugo contorted his face at the sight, but then saw the president looking over and
smiling softly, and he couldn’t help but swallow his annoyance. This event will be
remembered as a shameful day for the aristocrats.
‘Rudger Chelici.’

Thinking of the man who caused all this Hugo Burtag grimaced inwardly.

***

Aidan, drunk with the joy of victory with his friends, suddenly remembered the
promise he had made with Jevan. He staggered his gaze and turned to Jevan, who
stood up from.

The three of them looked into each other’s eyes and then nodded their heads
towards Jevan.

“What?”

Jevan looked at Aidan and his friends coming towards him and asked with a weak
voice.

“You came to laugh at me?”

“Jevan, have you forgotten the promise you made before the duel?”

At the word of promise, Jevan’s face wrinkled. He couldn’t even think about it
because he couldn’t break free from the shock of defeat.

“Jevan Pellio politely apologize right now for being harsh to my friends.”

“Now, you dare…… Make me apologize?”

“You were the first to place a bet and apply for a duel Jevan. I’m just telling you to
keep it. Come on, apologize respectfully.”

“……”

Jevan clenched his fists tightly, but that was all. He was completely defeated by Aidan
and even his surprise attack was unsuccessful. He didn’t just lose, he was totally
defeated. There was no place for him to stand in Theon any longer.

“Damn it. All because of you! Because of you I……!”

“Jevan.”

“Shut up! Don’t call my name! If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have gone through such
an ugly thing in front of everyone! Yes! It’s all your fault!”

“……”

Seeing Jevan talking half-dazed, Tracy wanted to say something but Aidan raised his
hand and stopped her.

“Aidan. Why?”

“Because there’s no use going on.”

Aidan knew that no matter what Tracy said, Jevan wouldn’t listen. Aidan realized
something when he saw the behavior that Jevan was showing.

He believed that people fight because they don’t know each other, and once they get
to know each other, the story will be different.

Meanwhile, Jevan cried even more desperately.

“Damn it! Damn it! Because of you filthy commoners, I can’t stay in Theon anymore!
We, the Pellio family, can’t raise their heads no matter where we go! Because of you!
Because of you!”

Jevan had already erased the foul or cowardly act he had committed from his
memory. He simply couldn’t bear it because he was so angry that he had to go
through this.

“Why! Why do people like you have such powers? Why don’t I have it?”

“Jevan.”

“Damn it. Damn it I just…… I just wanted to increase the reputation of the family!”

Jevan bowed his head and screamed. He wouldn’t have stopped if he knew it was the
wrong way because he only aimed for that purpose.

Aidan looked at Jevan like that and tried to say something, but then shut his mouth.
Far from receiving an apology from Jevan in that state, it was difficult to continue a
proper conversation.

Even Tracy, who would normally be angry, was silent as she saw Jevan that was
ruined.

To raise the status of the family, she also felt a sensation as if her chest was
tightening at the appearance of Jevan acting like that.

‘Maybe I, too, might have become like that.’

When she thought of that, she trembled in fear but at that moment, a cold voice fell
between them.

“The match is over, what are you still doing here?”

“Mr. Rudger.”

Dressed in an all-black outfit, Rudger exuded a strange atmosphere that could not be
resisted. He stared at Aidan and his friends, then slumped down in his seat and fired
a cold shot at the crying Jevan.

“Jevan Pellio, after losing the duel, what are you acting in an unsightly way?”

“……”

“You didn’t accept your defeat and even made an ugly surprise attack and then shed
tears because it was so unfair? Do you deserve it now?”

“Mr. Rudger.”

Aidan called but Rudger continued.

“The way you are now, isn’t it much worse than the commoners you used to hate and
despise so much?”

“……What do you know?”

In the end, Jevan, unable to bear it, jumped up and looked at Rudger.
“You don’t know how I feel!”

“Should I know?”

“……What?”

“Do I really need to know that?”

“This person……!”

Jevan was about to shout something, but when he met Rudger’s eyes, the burning
anger was quickly extinguished, and fear took its place.

Rudger’s cold gaze staring at him was like he faced a nightmare in the pitch black
darkness.

“You fought at will, and lost at your own bet. You didn’t accept even that but you
want others to measure your feelings. Why do I need to know how you feel?”

“That, that……”

“Do you think this is still your family? Do I look like a nanny who listens to your
complaints?”

“I, I……”

“You, who do not know how shameful your actions are, are disqualified as a wizard.
What is a noble and what is a wizard?”

Unlike the usual Rudger, Jevan couldn’t keep his sanity at the almost violent words.

“I, I……”

“Noisy. I don’t even want to listen to your excuses. What you did a while ago will be
referred to the disciplinary committee, so know that and get out of my sight right
now.”

Jevan, whose complexion had turned pale, backtracked and then fled out of the
arena.
“Aidan.”

“Yes, teacher.”

“You have successfully used the [Moving-Magus]. Well done.”

“It’s all thanks to teacher.”

“But it didn’t look too good.”

“That……”

Aidan couldn’t understand why he was feeling so down. Obviously, in front of

everyone, he won the duel brilliantly.

“Well…… I do not know.”

“You do not know?”

“At first, obviously, there was a sense of exhilaration. Jevan insulted my friends and
argued with me. My desire to defeat all of those things has definitely not changed.
But…… After that, it was a problem.”

“Did you get swayed by that nonsense?”

“Obviously I didn’t have to listen to that. Yes. It ignored it.”

Aidan smiled bitterly and spoke frankly.

Rudger looked at Aidan without a word. He knew from before that Aidan was overly
just and had the right values, but he didn’t expect his heart to be this weak.

He had sympathy for even Jevan, who had been ignoring and looking down on him.
Aidan is a young student who is part of the brilliant world called Theon. He was
young he couldn’t blame him for being stupid or stuffy because that was the way a
child looked at the world.

“Aidan.”

“Teacher.”
“As you go through life, you will run into various people.”

“Yeah?”

“Not everyone is like you. Some people will hate you and even be hostile to you. In
the end, that’s it. Your world is different from others.”

“……Is that so.”

“But it depends on how you behave.”

At those words, Aidan, Tracy, and Leo looked at Rudger slightly surprised.

“There is nothing wrong with trying to take care of yourself and it’s not stupid to
give up everything you have but in the end, all you need to live in this world is
moderation.”

“Appropriate……”

“Aidan’s selfishness and altruism are about half and half. If I yield half instead of
taking half to someone the day will come when we will understand each other to
some extent.”

With that said, Aidan turned to Tracy. He clearly remembers his first meeting with
her and that she wasn’t all that good. Tracy was like a rose full of thorns; however,
from a certain moment, the two became attached to each other.

“I will not tell you not to yield to anyone or not to be considerate because that is
impossible. I’m saying that it’s okay to be at least half selfish.”

At those words, Aidan felt as if he was about to catch something.

“I talked too much. I’ll go now.”

“Mr. Rudger!”

“What?”

“I will definitely remember what you said.”

Rudger glanced back at Aidan, who answered with a determined face, and then left
the arena with a light nod of his head.

The three of them stared at Rudger’s back without saying a word until he
disappeared.