NOVPUBThe final match was over.
Rather than cheers for the victor, the audience was filled with confusion—no one knew what had just happened.
A dazzling flash of light had erupted, and when it faded, Devian—who had been dominating the entire time—was lying collapsed on the ground.
That was the entirety of the situation.
“What the hell? What just happened?”
“Yeah. What went down inside that light?”
Even Altego, who had confidently expected Ludger to lose, flared his nostrils in rage and trembled with clenched fists.
‘What the hell is this?! Light-element magic all of a sudden?!’
No one knew what had happened within that light.
Only Ludger and Devian—the two combatants—understood what truly occurred.
Altego couldn’t contain his anger. He stood up abruptly and stormed out of the arena.
His aides, glancing at each other nervously, hurried after him.
In the stands, the students, the visiting instructors, and even the guests from outside—
All stared at Ludger, who remained standing alone in the arena, with complicated expressions.
Devian was carried out on a stretcher, and Ludger left the arena after standing in place for a moment.
It was an event match anyway. There was no award ceremony for the winner, so there was no reason to stay.
As Ludger stepped into the hallway, he spotted medics rushing down the corridor in the distance.
He walked in the direction they had disappeared to.
Upon arriving at the arena’s infirmary, Ludger found Devian Burteg lying inside.
Devian still hadn’t come to, his eyes wide open in a blank, unseeing state.
“Professor Devian, can you hear me? Professor Devian!”
The doctor shook him and checked his condition, but it was no use.
Hugo was there too, unleashing his fury at the medical staff as he looked at Devian’s state.
“Hey! What the hell is going on here?! Why is Devian still like this?!”
“W-We’re not sure either...”
“Isn’t it your damn job to find out?!”
“Th-There are no physical injuries! But we’ll need to conduct a detailed examination to be certain...”
As the medical staff flustered to explain themselves, Ludger stepped in.
“He suffered acute psychological shock in a short moment. That’s the cause.”
Hugo’s fat-laden face twisted into an ugly scowl at the sight of Ludger.
“He’ll recover in time, assuming he has the mental fortitude for it.”
“Do you even understand what the hell you’ve done?!”
Hugo exploded, spitting as he shouted.
Ludger looked at him with a face that suggested he still didn’t understand the outburst.
“I don’t see why you’re angry at me.”
“Even if it was just a duel, there are still limits! But you—!”
“Did you just say ‘limits’?”
Ludger let out a small, amused chuckle.
“These days, sneaking into someone’s office and stealing medication apparently doesn’t even cross that line anymore.”
“Y-You...!”
They were the ones who plotted behind the scenes to gain the upper hand in the duel.
Hugo’s eyes darted. Then, as if trying to redirect the conversation, he snapped at the innocent medics.
“Everyone out!”
The startled medical staff practically fled from the room.
Even though there were no more ears listening, Hugo tried to feign ignorance.
“I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re talking about.”
“Well, if you say so, I won’t press the matter.”
Of course, there was no way Hugo was truly ignorant of what had happened.
Devian, who had no prior ties to Ludger, had snuck in to steal a pill container. And if Devian was a Burteg man, then the one who incited him was plain as day.
Still, without direct evidence, there was no way to press the issue further—so Ludger decided to let it go.
He had won. Devian had lost.
More importantly, his head was still throbbing from forcibly suppressing divine power.
Picking a fight with words would only make things worse.
‘This bastard.’
Hugo’s brow twitched.
If Ludger had just asked one more question, Hugo had been ready to strike back with evidence and accusations. But somehow, this sly bastard had slipped away like a ghost.
“So, what are you here for?”
“I heard he collapsed, so I came to check on him.”
Check on him? Did he just say “check on him”?
Hugo now seriously considered that Ludger had only come here to mock him.
No—he was certain of it.
Meanwhile, after checking Devian’s condition, Ludger quietly let out a breath of relief.
‘Judging from his state, it’s not as serious as it could have been.’
So the word “concern” hadn’t been a complete lie.
No matter how you framed it, destroying someone’s ego during a duel was too much to just dismiss as a simple accident.
If Devian had been seriously injured, the consequences would have reached Ludger too.
From the looks of it, a solid two days of rest would return Devian Burteg to normal.
Of course, the memory of it would remain a deep trauma.
Suddenly—
The headache Ludger had forgotten about began throbbing again.
‘Even though I replenished my mana quickly, pushing myself that far was still dangerous. No wonder my head’s still pounding.’
Hugo, ignorant of Ludger’s inner struggle, could only grit his teeth at what appeared to be a smug show of generosity.
His plan to humiliate Ludger in front of everyone had failed, and the Burteg name had suffered an ugly defeat.
It was like falling into the trap he had set himself.
‘What the hell did he do? Was he hiding his real skills all this time?’
As far as Hugo knew, Ludger only had control over five elemental attributes.
He had never even heard of Ludger using light magic.
But now Ludger had displayed a completely new spell.
‘That’s not something a new instructor should be capable of!’
Even with how high Seorn’s standards were, there were still limits.
Ludger had long since surpassed them.
What frustrated Hugo the most, though, was that he couldn’t understand how Devian had lost.
His body was fine, yet his mind had shattered. What kind of magic did that?
To Hugo, the whole thing felt like a sick joke—a chaotic mess crafted by someone with twisted humor.
At that moment, Chris Bennimore opened the door and entered the infirmary.
When he saw Ludger, his expression hardened. Ludger looked at him with indifferent eyes.
“Hmph.”
In the end, it was Chris Bennimore who looked away first.
He checked on the half-conscious Devian and spoke to Hugo.
“Fortunately, there’s no damage to his body. He just needs rest for now. I’ll leave a few special recovery potions from the Bennimore family just in case.”
“...Yes. Thank you.”
Hugo replied tersely and then glared at Ludger as if he wanted to rip him apart.
“I will make you take responsibility for this!”
“Responsibility? I’m afraid I don’t quite understand what you mean.”
“Are you serious?! Do you really think it’s acceptable to cause this much harm during a duel?!”
A third voice echoed through the infirmary just then.
“Things like that happen in a duel, don’t they? Everyone knows the risks going in.”
Ludger, Hugo, and Chris all turned toward the door.
Standing there, blocking the open entrance, was Headmaster Elisa.
Her face was adorned with a chilling smile, as though she’d just heard an amusing story.
“You were the one who said that to me, weren’t you, Professor Hugo Burteg?”
“When did I ever say such a thing?! Don’t go making baseless accusations, Headmaster!”
“Hmm? That’s odd. I clearly remember when I tried to stop the match, you said it loudly enough for everyone to hear. Right, everyone?”
Elisa turned slightly to the side and looked over her shoulder.
Only then did Hugo see the people she had been blocking from view.
“That’s right. I heard it clearly as well.”
An old man stroked his beard and stepped into the infirmary.
Hugo Burteg’s eyes widened so much it looked like they might pop out of his skull.
“D-Duke Heibach...?!”
Heibach Kadatushan.
One of the actual heads of the Empire’s Three Great Ducal Houses had shown up in person.
But that wasn’t the only reason Hugo was shocked.
The head of House Lumos, Cayden Lumos, was also present—along with several other nobles.
“Or maybe I’ve just gotten too old, and my ears aren’t what they used to be. That’s probably it, right?”
“N-No! Of course not, sir!”
Hugo hastily offered an excuse and glared at the Headmaster, but she simply smiled in return.
Immediately changing his expression, Hugo pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat pouring from his forehead.
“I suppose I must’ve been flustered just now and got confused. Yes, well... things like this and that can happen in a duel, can’t they?”
Having his own words turned back on him, he clenched his fist behind his back and trembled with frustration—but on the outside, he had no choice but to force a smile.
Elisa, thinking serves you right, turned to Ludger and offered a word.
“Congratulations on your win. How does it feel to stand victorious in front of everyone?”
“It was nothing.”
It was nothing.
Ludger hadn’t entered the match with any real intention of winning, so his response was as concise as could be.
Honestly, it was a letdown. All he did was defend the whole time. There wasn’t any satisfying exchange of magic at all.
But others didn’t see it that way.
No matter how you looked at it, Devian was still a fellow Seorn instructor. To make such an arrogant comment?
Still, when the victor says it, the weight of those words feels quite different.
Duke Heibach chuckled and extended a hand to Ludger.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Heibach Kadatushan. A bit overqualified for a duke, I’m afraid.”
His natural and relaxed manner of offering a handshake prompted Ludger to respond in kind.
“Ludger Cherish.”
“Yes, yes. I thoroughly enjoyed the match. Spectacular work. Especially that insane speed at which you fired off spells. And to think you’re a user of light magic as well? It’s a wonder someone like you hasn’t gained fame already.”
Heibach poured praise on Ludger endlessly, giving no one else a chance to cut in.
Ludger tried to show subtle discomfort at the behavior—but when he noticed that none of the other nobles were approaching, he let the thought go.
They’re all hesitating.
No one wanted to bother Ludger, the star of the event, even though they clearly wanted to form connections.
Ludger narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed the elderly man in front of him.
Is he blocking them on purpose?
To an outsider, Heibach clinging to Ludger might’ve looked like the awkward bluster of an old man.
But viewed another way, it was a subtle signal to the nobles—Don’t bother him.
Kadatushan. The house that symbolizes the mountain goat. Beneath his playful exterior lies ruthless calculation. No wonder they’re one of the Three Pillars of the Exilion Empire.
To a stranger, his demeanor might’ve seemed casual and friendly, but it was all meticulously crafted performance.
Naturally, Heibach began steering Ludger out of the infirmary.
The other nobles could do nothing but watch, metaphorically sucking their thumbs.
“Hoho. Everyone’s being a bit too noisy, aren’t they? I hope you understand. They all just really wanted to meet you.”
“I do. And I also know that you pulled me out of that uncomfortable spot on purpose, Duke.”
“Oh? You knew?”
Heibach feigned surprise and laughed heartily.
But behind his crescent-moon smile, his eyes held a heavy weight.
A rare case—someone with insight as well as talent. Usually, people who achieve so much at that age become overconfident and miss the details.
Heibach decided to change his approach.
Ludger wasn’t someone who could be swayed with a few friendly words.
There are people whose favor can’t be bought with mere charm. When that happens, the smart move is to step back cleanly.
“If you ever need my help, don’t hesitate to come find me. House Kadatushan will treat you as an honored guest.”
Heibach’s experience told him that clinging any further would only leave a bad impression.
Ludger was a bit surprised to see the duke retreat so easily, but he nodded nonetheless.
“Yes. I look forward to our next meeting.”
“Hoho, likewise.”
Heibach was someone who knew when to bow out.
Watching him retreat without the slightest regret, Ludger was reminded that high-ranking nobles were not to be taken lightly.
Once Heibach disappeared, Ludger was about to take his leave as well.
But then, from down the hallway, a group of mages suddenly rushed toward him.
Ludger eyed them with a look that said, What now?
The apparent leader of the group stepped forward and ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) offered a polite greeting.
“Good day. I’m Rushek, of the New Mage Tower. You’re Mr. Ludger Cherish, correct?”
“That’s right.”
Ludger’s eyes shifted slightly.
Compared to the old Mage Tower’s mages, these were all young—no beards, no wrinkles.
And every one of them wore stiff, tense expressions.
Unlike the arrogant traditionalists of the old Mage Tower, the New Tower felt more like a military unit—rigid and unyielding.
“So, what do you want from me?”
When Ludger asked, the mages of the New Tower exchanged glances in silence, then slowly nodded.
Ludger narrowed his eyes at the sight.
What’s this? Are they actually trying to kidnap me? With this many guests still at the arena?
Even if they were mages from the Tower, were they really unafraid of Seorn?
While Ludger’s thoughts raced, the representative—Rushek—reached into his pocket with a solemn expression.
Ludger tensed, ready to counter any surprise attack.
His mana reserves were low. He couldn’t risk a fight right now. The first move had to be escape.
Just in case, he quickly scanned for possible escape routes.
Then, Rushek’s hand shot out like lightning toward Ludger.
Ludger flinched.
Not out of fear—he had nearly drawn the dagger hidden at his waist on reflex, and had to stop himself.
What Rushek extended was... a pure white piece of paper.
Ludger stared at the blank sheet with a look that asked what the hell is this?
“S-Sign, please.”
“......”
