NOVPUBLudger stood still, eyes fixed on the spot where the werewolves had just been moments before.
He had burned it all away with his own hand—leaving not a single trace behind.
Not just the werewolves, but the evidence that they were experimental subjects.
It was over. He could relax now.
And yet... there was no peace in his heart.
Even as other professors began to arrive on the scene one by one, illuminating the forest with their magic from afar—
Ludger remained rooted in place, unmoving.
* * *
The werewolf incident that had thrown Seorn Academy into chaos came to a close with the intervention of newly appointed instructor Ludger Cherish.
Some students whispered that the whole thing had been an exaggerated rumor blown out of proportion, but that notion was quickly shut down. Too many eyewitnesses had seen it firsthand.
The story of Ludger battling a werewolf atop a building under the full moon had already spread like wildfire among the student body.
Everyone was buzzing about it on <Akashic Record>.
—Is it true it was a real werewolf this time?
—I saw it with my own eyes. The new professor fought it on top of the research building—he was insane.
—You're lying.
—No, really. Part of the third research building’s roof got destroyed. There were clear signs of a fight.
—Wow. So the new prof really took down a werewolf?
—I heard he used to be military. If that’s true, it makes sense.
—That’s crazy.
Speculation also swirled around what the werewolf actually was, or where it had come from.
Some students began theorizing that it had to be a secret lab experiment gone rogue.
But without a shred of evidence, those theories remained nothing more than idle gossip.
That wasn’t the important part, anyway.
—Ugh. I got caught and got hit with 5 demerit points.
—Same. My academic standing is barely hanging on.
—Meh. I’m fine. I had some bonus points saved up~.
—Screw you.
Nearly all the students who had gone out into the forest “to catch the werewolf” had been caught and punished.
All told, 130 students across the academy.
Even some third-years were involved, which explained the uproar.
They had gone out dreaming of becoming heroes, but in the end, all they got were demerits—and now they were pulling their hair out in regret.
That included Aidan, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Leo, and Taishy.
“Ugh! We’re doomed! Doomed! Why did it have to be Ludger who caught us?!”
The three of them were currently seated in a waiting room, called in for a meeting with the Headmistress.
Aidan looked deep in thought, still lost in whatever he’d been mulling over since the night before. But Taishy was a wreck.
She couldn’t afford any mistakes if she wanted to restore her family’s name—and instead of getting rewarded, she’d gotten herself marked by Ludger Cherish.
She clenched her fists and glared at Aidan, but bit her lip and violently ruffled her own hair in frustration.
She couldn’t exactly blame Aidan. Without him, she wouldn’t even be alive right now.
It was Aidan who had leapt into the path of the werewolf and saved her.
Yeah. I’m just... mad at myself. For being so helpless...
Taishy tightened her grip on her uniform skirt with trembling hands, the shame and self-loathing welling up again.
Ten minutes passed.
Finally, the door opened.
The trio sprang to their feet.
In walked the Headmistress—white hair with faint pink hues peeking underneath—beaming with a cheerful smile.
Behind her was a stern-faced man.
The one who had brought down the werewolves the night before—Ludger Cherish.
He looked the same as ever. Instead of his usual black frock coat, today he wore a deep crimson long coat—but his composed, orderly presence remained unchanged.
“All right, everyone. Have a seat.”
At her words, the three students hesitated, glanced at each other, and sat down.
The Headmistress took her seat at the head of the table.
“Ludger, you may sit as well.”
“I’ll remain standing.”
“Well, if that’s what you prefer. Now then, let’s get to the point. Do you three know why I’ve called you in?”
No one dared answer.
But no one was clueless either.
There was only one reason they’d been summoned—they were the ones who had encountered the werewolf most directly and got caught up in the incident.
Taishy, who had never imagined she’d be called in by the Headmistress herself, was certain that Ludger had reported them intentionally.
It wasn’t just about giving them demerits—he had gone straight to the top. What else could that mean?
It was practically a declaration that he had no intention of letting them off easy.
We’re dead.
Taishy fought back the tears welling in her eyes.
It was pride that held her together.
After that day, she had sworn never to cry again. She wasn’t going to break that promise now.
Besides, watching Aidan and Leo sit there so calmly only added fuel to her stubbornness.
“...What’s going to happen to us?”
Aidan was the first to speak, but even as he did, he never took his eyes off Ludger.
“Why do you think you were called here?”
“...It doesn’t seem like it’s just to give us demerits.”
“That’s correct,” Ludger said, finally speaking.
“You three ignored Seorn’s official warning and entered the forest, deliberately exposing yourselves to danger. And you almost paid the price. If things had gone just a little differently, one of you might not be alive right now.”
The weight of his words made all three fall silent.
“There were no casualties in the end—but I thought it was important you understand how serious your recklessness was. That’s why I brought the matter to the Headmistress.”
He wanted them to realize just how grave it had been.
And no one in the room misunderstood what that meant—it wasn’t good for them.
As the tension thickened, the Headmistress clapped her hands once, breaking the silence.
“Okay, okay, let’s not look like the sky is falling. Think positive. And Ludger, I think your tone may have been a little too harsh for the students.”
“Headmistress, this isn’t a trivial matter.”
“Of course, of course. I agree—they acted irresponsibly, and your efforts prevented any injuries. But the outcome was ultimately a good one, wasn’t it?”
“...I find that hard to accept.”
“They’re still kids, you know. And for someone who speaks so sternly, you did give me a pretty detailed report. Right, Aidan?”
“Y-yes, ma’am!”
Startled by being called on, Aidan answered quickly.
“I heard all about it. How you threw yourself in harm’s way to save Taishy.”
“A-ah, no... that was just...”
“Competition between students is fine, but it’s much more heartwarming to see you all helping each other. And the two of you—Leo and Taishy—you didn’t run away. You stayed to protect your friend.”
As praise began to spill from the Headmistress’s lips, the three of them looked increasingly confused.
What’s going on here?
“Your actions were certainly wrong,” she continued. “Which is why, following Ludger’s recommendation, you’ll each receive 10 demerit points.”
Ten?!
Not five, but ten—double what the other students had received.
Clearly, this wasn’t going to be good for their records.
“But,”
Her clear, gentle voice snapped them back to attention.
“The way you acted during that crisis... deserves to be recognized. So I’ll be awarding each of you 10 merit points as well.”
“...Huh?”
“R-really?”
Ten demerits—but ten merits too. That meant, essentially, the demerits were erased.
And the Headmistress wasn’t done yet.
“Aidan, you showed bravery by putting your friends’ lives before your own. For that, I’m awarding you an additional 10 merit points.”
“Wh-what?!”
“Leo, you stayed calm and observant even in the heat of the moment. You deliberately left traces for others to follow. Clever thinking.”
“H-how did you...”
“For that, you also get 10 more merit points. And Taishy Friad.”
“Y-yes, ma’am!”
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
“To stand your ground and try to fight back even when facing a werewolf—that takes courage. Some might call it recklessness, but I believe you learned something from the experience. I hope you can hold on to that steady heart of yours.”
“Y-yes! Understood!”
“In that spirit, I’m awarding you an additional 10 merit points.”
And just like that, the three of them ended up gaining more merit points than the demerits they’d received.
Still stunned and unable to believe this was really happening, the students sat frozen. The Headmistress, smiling as she watched their expressions, turned to Ludger.
“Professor Ludger, you don’t object, do you?”
“...If that is your decision, Headmistress.”
Ludger took a step back, making it clear he had no intention of contesting it.
The Headmistress clapped her hands twice.
“Congratulations, kids. Keep working hard.”
“Ah, yes! Thank you, Headmistress!”
“But don’t overdo it, okay? Now then, I’ve taken up enough of your time. Off you go now.”
The three students left the meeting room, still feeling like they were dreaming.
Aidan, last to exit, paused at the door and glanced back at Ludger—but the professor didn’t even look his way.
That reaction Ludger had shown back then—what had it meant?
With that unresolved question lingering in his mind, Aidan stepped out.
The door shut behind him, leaving only Ludger and the Headmistress in the room.
“Phew. Professor Ludger. Are you satisfied now?”
The Headmistress spoke once she was certain the students were far enough away not to hear.
“I’m honestly surprised. You came to me yourself and asked me to go easy on those kids.”
Leaning back in her chair, she swung her legs gently and gave Ludger a sidelong glance through half-lidded eyes.
“And then you asked me to make it seem like I was the one who decided everything.”
“If I’d been the one to say it, the message wouldn’t have landed well.”
“Oh, I get it. Good cop, bad cop? So you played the villain on purpose. Doesn’t it bother you?”
“I simply chose the most efficient method.”
“Is that so? Well, if it doesn’t bother you, I won’t question it further. Besides, it worked out well for the students in the end.”
The Headmistress stood and walked to the window, where the campus of Seorn spread out below. She traced her fingers along the glass.
“Professor Ludger. You said you handled the werewolf yourself, right?”
“Yes.”
“What did you see there?”
“...What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you notice anything strange?”
Though her tone was gentle, there was something razor-sharp beneath it. Yet Ludger’s expression remained unchanged.
“I didn’t sense anything unusual.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I simply tracked the werewolves and eliminated them to prevent harm to the students. As I’ve done before—during my military service.”
“Hm... well, if that’s the case, then there’s nothing more to say.”
The Headmistress didn’t press further. Ludger’s battle against the werewolves in defense of the students had already become a legend across campus.
“Well, regardless, I should thank you once again. No lives were lost—thanks to you.”
“I only did what was expected of me.”
“That confidence—I like it. I’ll be looking forward to seeing more of you, Professor.”
Ludger bowed silently.
After wrapping up the meeting, he returned to his office.
He sat down, leaning back in his chair, and let his mind drift back to the events of the previous night.
What he had seen—what had truly shocked him.
The pup’s body, partially hidden beneath the leaves. Something the others hadn’t noticed.
It hadn’t been covered in fur like a beast.
No.
He hadn’t been mistaken.
What he saw... was clearly the body of a human child that had not yet fully transformed.
“The Shamsus School didn’t use wolves to create werewolves.”
It was the opposite.
They used humans. Humans were the experimental subjects.
They hadn’t implanted human genes into wolves.
They had taken people—and forcibly fused them with bestial traits.
Now it made sense. That bizarre moment when the adult werewolf had grabbed debris with its hands and thrown it.
For a creature supposedly without rational thought, that kind of tactical behavior had seemed too deliberate.
The pup was clearly a child.
And the adult who had shielded it... had to have been its mother.
A family.
The three werewolves that had turned Rederbelk and Seorn upside down—
They had been a family.
A child and two parents, unwilling victims of experimentation.
Just ordinary people swept up in a tragedy.
And Ludger... had killed them with his own hands.
Quietly,
Ludger clenched his fists.
“I don’t regret my actions.”
Even if he went back to that moment, he would make the same choice.
If he hadn’t, he might have been the one to die.
All test subjects had to be eliminated. The chain of evidence had to be severed. There was no other way.
And the werewolves had already taken lives.
Maybe they’d done it just to survive—but they had still killed, still devoured someone.
That was why they had to die.
Yes.
That was reason enough.
Those eyes.
The pup’s clear eyes, gazing at him as it licked its mother one last time.
Even as he prepared to cast the fatal spell—those eyes had shown no resentment, no hatred.
Only one thing.
Gratitude. That someone had come to end this hellish existence.
“......”
Ludger rose from his seat.
