NOVPUBElisa’s soft smile slowly faded into a look of seriousness as she read through Ludger’s class materials.
As though in a trance, she picked up a pen and reached for a blank sheet nearby, immediately beginning to jot down formulas.
Within moments, the page was filled top to bottom with dense, intricate writing.
She instinctively reached out for another page, her hands sweeping around her desk for paper.
Watching from the side, Wilford quietly cleared away the still-unsigned documents. If he didn’t, she’d probably start scribbling formulas on those too.
Looks like this is going to take a while.
Elisa had entered full focus mode. Once she was like that, even someone dancing beside her wouldn’t get a reaction.
Because before she was a headmaster, she was a mage.
Wilford shook his head.
He had brought Ludger’s material hoping it would lift her spirits a bit—seeing her like this, though, it looked like the afternoon’s workload would have to wait.
Still... it’s been a while since I’ve seen her this immersed.
She’d read other teachers’ materials before, but they usually only piqued her curiosity momentarily—rarely ever stirring real excitement.
She had climbed too high, too far, to feel joy or desire for most things.
But ever since she solved the first test questions Ludger Cherish had designed, something had changed.
Others might not have noticed yet, but Wilford, who had served her for years, could see it clearly.
Elisa, who was always so preoccupied, had begun to show signs of liveliness. She was more relaxed these days. 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓅𝓊𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
And it was all thanks to one new instructor.
Still... class materials that could stir the young lady’s interest to this extent? I knew he wasn’t ordinary from the first time we met, but he’s more remarkable than I imagined.
Though a former knight, Wilford didn’t know much about magic itself.
Even so, after years of serving Elisa and learning by observation, he was confident that his eye for evaluating magical talent was almost on par with a full-fledged mage.
Even to him, Ludger’s materials were clearly of a high level.
And judging by Elisa’s reaction, they must’ve been beyond even that.
Hah. Maybe I’m just getting old. My judgment isn’t what it used to be.
But seeing the young lady so pleased—that alone made it worthwhile. So thought Wilford, silently standing by.
* * *
Scratch, scratch.
Only the sound of pen against paper echoed quietly through the headmaster’s office.
Three hours passed before Elisa finally set her pen down.
“Oh dear. What’s gotten into me?”
She glanced at the clock on the wall and only then realized just how long she’d ignored her duties to bury herself in magic.
Rather than feeling regret, however, she was oddly refreshed—like her mind had been thoroughly exercised for the first time in ages.
“Finished now, Headmaster?”
“Ah. I’m sorry. I really lost track of time, didn’t I?”
Wilford smiled kindly and shook his head.
“It’s fine. Honestly, you look a little relieved now, which is good to see.”
“I don’t know what’s come over me lately. I wasn’t like this before.”
“Why not think of it as a good change? Even you need a moment to breathe now and then.”
“Yes, well... anyway... I really ought to thank Professor Ludger.”
Elisa looked at the magic circle she had created based on Ludger’s materials with evident pride.
A magic circle that wasn’t drawn in a circle at all.
Instead, it activated its power using numbers placed within geometric shapes—an utterly surprising concept.
A square magic circle isn’t inherently impossible. There were several attempts in the past, after all...
But not once in her memory had anyone seen meaningful success with it.
Mages had always preferred circular designs. Trying other shapes required endless trial and error—and the results rarely justified the effort.
Naturally, circular formations became the standard.
They were the most efficient, the most widely accepted.
And thus, progress...
...had been lost.
But this... this could be the final result of all those long-forgotten trials from the past.
How had Ludger Cherish figured this out?
The only conclusion that came to mind was that he must be extraordinarily gifted.
And really, what else could explain it?
He’s incredible. Between the source code he used and this new magic formation... if he’d joined the Mage Tower or the Imperial Palace, he could’ve had both wealth and fame in the palm of his hand.
Why would someone of his caliber come to teach at Seorn?
It wasn’t that Seorn lacked prestige—but there were certainly positions more distinguished.
To Elisa, Ludger was someone who could excel no matter where he went.
And yet, he chose to be here. Does that mean he truly wanted to work as a teacher?
Just the fact that he shared these groundbreaking materials with students said as much.
No one gives away the fruits of their hard-earned labor lightly.
People are inherently selfish. Even when they ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) give, they expect compensation in return.
If he were a fallen noble, you’d think he’d be desperate to climb the ladder again... but he’s not.
Elisa had always believed herself to be someone who sacrificed for her students.
That she was doing her best for Seorn as its headmaster—and had found contentment in that belief.
But the more she compared herself to Ludger, the more ashamed she felt.
I kept telling myself I was doing this for Seorn, for the students... but what have I actually done?
She had thought that, because she worked hard, she deserved recognition.
That being in a position of sacrifice meant she ought to be praised.
How arrogant that was.
In the end, she was no different from anyone else—just someone who loved the image of herself sacrificing for others.
I still have a long way to go, don’t I.
Sigh.
As she exhaled, the light returned to her eyes.
Moping around and realizing things on your own meant nothing without action.
What mattered was implementation—translating conviction into motion was the first step to growth.
Even one step forward was enough.
Resolving herself, Elisa opened a drawer and pulled out a form, signing her name at the bottom.
“Headmaster?”
“I’d like to ask a favor. Please deliver this notice to the faculty.”
“What kind of notice?”
“I’m making a change to the academic schedule. I want to move up the <Magical Arts Festival>, which is normally held at the end of term, to right after the second test.”
The <Magical Arts Festival> was a long-standing tradition that had accompanied Seorn’s rich history.
Ordinarily, it was still far off—but Elisa, using her authority as headmaster, intended to move it up.
“Are you sure that’s wise?”
“In uncertain times like these, a festival can actually do a lot of good. Sure, some people will complain—but that’s fine. I’ll handle it.”
She said it with such certainty that Wilford didn’t ask anything further.
“Understood. I’ll send out the notice immediately.”
“Yes. Please do.”
* * *
As Rudger reviewed the lecture materials in the faculty office, he tilted his head slightly at the newly delivered notice.
“They’re moving up the date of the <Magical Arts Festival>?”
“The Magical Arts Festival is one of Seorn’s traditional events. It seems the Headmaster wants to hold it earlier than usual,” Sedina explained.
Rudger almost asked, Why now?—but held his tongue.
The atmosphere in Rederbelk had been tense lately, and that unease was spreading to Seorn as well.
Holding the festival early to stir up the mood and lighten the air wasn’t a bad move.
Still, it struck him as unexpected. The kind of decision made without prior discussion.
At the very least, the Headmaster he knew wasn’t someone who acted impulsively.
Well, not that it really affects me.
Even if the festival was held early, it had little to do with him. If anything, fewer class days meant things might get a bit easier.
The schedule’s tight, sure, but thanks to teaching that magic array, there shouldn’t be any issues. At this rate, getting the performance bonus will be a walk in the park.
Just thinking about the bonus Seorn offered lifted Rudger’s mood.
With the excellent material on magic arrays he’d already provided, his student evaluation scores were practically guaranteed.
But the moment he recalled the mountain of unresolved issues still on his plate, that rising mood quickly sank again.
A festival was a festival—but he still hadn’t decided what to do about First Order Esmeralda.
Taking her out early would be risky. If her identity hasn’t been exposed yet and she suddenly gets assassinated, Black Dawn will realize there’s a traitor in their midst.
And the most likely suspect would be the First Order himself—him.
He already knew exactly how Black Dawn handled traitors.
Which meant he had no choice but to move cautiously.
I’ll act once Esmeralda starts moving. If I can arrange things so her identity is naturally revealed, Seorn will deal with her on its own. It’s not that hard to orchestrate.
The only unknown was when exactly Esmeralda would move.
Surely someone of First Order rank wouldn’t act without careful planning.
She’s waiting—for the moment where she can make the biggest impact.
The last time, she had summoned a high-grade fire spirit during a large public gathering.
Judging from that, her next move was practically obvious.
And it just so happens the perfect stage has been set.
Rudger stared at the word <Magical Arts Festival> on the notice.
Both logic and intuition whispered the same thing.
—Esmeralda will act during the festival.
But he lacked key information.
He didn’t feel confident enough to take decisive action just yet—something about it was still bothering him.
The Great Fire of Roteng.
He remembered that Esmeralda was one of the survivors of that disaster.
And that there were still two more survivors besides her.
Several puzzle pieces still hadn’t fallen into place.
Every plan must be airtight. To eliminate unknowns, I’ll have to visit Roteng as soon as possible.
Just as he made up his mind, a knock came at the faculty office door.
“Come in.”
The moment he spoke, the door creaked open gently.
A head poked through—short ash-gray hair.
“Um, hello.”
“Rine, is it? You’re here for your framework?”
“Yes.”
As she stepped into the room, Rine noticed Sedina and gave her a small nod of greeting.
Sedina, however, ignored it and kept her eyes on the papers she was organizing.
“Come closer.”
“Ah, yes.”
When Rine stepped up, Rudger raised his hand, and the framework appeared above his palm.
Made of countless strands of white mana, the framework resembled a crystalline structure composed entirely of pure spell lines.
“Place your hand on this.”
Rine did as instructed, laying her palm flat against the framework. It shimmered faintly, then dissolved into light that sank into her hand.
“Oh, that’s it?”
“Yes. Memorize the structure of the formula crafted from pure mana. You’ll need it when assembling the remaining components later. If you forget it and come asking again, I won’t help you. So don’t forget.”
“Okay.”
Rine stared intently at her right hand, opening and closing her fist. The whole thing had felt strangely anticlimactic—far simpler than she had imagined.
Still, she silently promised herself she wouldn’t forget the mana etched into her palm.
“You’re done here. You can go now.”
“Um, Professor Rudger...”
“What is it?”
“Well, I...”
Rine started to speak but fell silent as soon as she met Rudger’s gaze.
“N-No, it’s nothing.”
The only words that finally slipped from her lips were a vague dismissal.
She quickly left the faculty office, almost as if she were fleeing.
* * *
Ah... I couldn’t ask after all.
As Rine walked slowly down the hallway, she glanced back a few times in regret.
Even if she went back now, she didn’t have the courage to bring it up.
And with the assistant there, maybe it was just as well that she hadn’t.
“Rine.”
“Oh, Senior.”
She had run into Erendir by chance.
“Ahem. What a coincidence. Are you going somewhere right now? If not, would you like to grab dinner together?”
Erendir looked at her with a slightly hopeful gaze as she spoke.
The truth was, she’d been looking for Rine.
Lately, she hadn’t been able to share a meal with her junior, and she was feeling emotionally deprived.
But that flicker of hope was thoroughly crushed by Rine’s next words.
“Ah, I’m sorry, Senior. I already have plans for dinner tonight.”
“...Huh?”
Erendir’s expression crumpled like someone who’d just taken a hammer to the back of the head.
