NOVPUBWith Chris Bennimore’s sudden appearance, the atmosphere—once on the verge of being defused—began to shift in an unsettling direction.
Especially among the noble students, the mood turned positively energized. The reason was simple.
Chris Bennimore was a noble by birth—one of high pedigree—and openly supported the noble student faction. He was, in essence, their patron within the faculty.
Ludger stared at him and spoke coolly.
“Professor Chris Bennimore. I’m afraid I don’t quite understand your meaning.”
“It’s not difficult. I meant exactly what I said.”
“Exactly what you said?”
“No matter how much authority we teachers possess, we can’t suppress every action our students take. And from what I’ve heard, both students are willing participants in this duel. Wouldn’t it be an infringement on their freedom if we stepped in to stop them?”
Chris’s oily words made Ludger’s brow twitch slightly—but only for a brief moment.
Ludger’s gaze swept over the gathered students.
He noticed several nodding along with Chris’s argument.
Even with his own reputation, intervening in what was being framed as a “mutually agreed upon duel” might be criticized as overreach.
‘He got me with that one.’
Chris Bennimore—the teacher known for his favoritism toward nobles—had rallied the students behind him just by showing up.
Ludger took a step back, conceding for now.
“Even so, students engaging in magic duels without faculty approval poses potential risks. If someone gets seriously injured, Seorn itself could be held liable.”
“Of course, I agree. But in that case, how about this?”
“And what exactly do you propose?”
“That the two of us supervise the duel.”
Murmurs immediately rippled through the students.
“Professors Ludger and Chris... supervising?”
“They’re going to duel with both of them watching?!”
Just imagining it was enough to make some of the students feel breathless under pressure.
But the nobles were different.
A gleam sparked in their eyes.
If the professors themselves were present, there would be no room left to argue it was too dangerous. The duel would be legitimized.
“Or are you planning to claim this is too dangerous as well, Professor Ludger Cherish?”
Chris added a mocking smile, clearly trying to provoke.
“I didn’t know you were so protective of your students.”
“I’m not shielding them—I’m considering the potential risk.”
“But with both of us overseeing it, no such risk should exist, should it? And those two seem quite eager to test themselves.”
The bait was obvious, but Ludger could already see the threads Chris was spinning.
Chris Bennimore had never liked Ludger Cherish from the start.
Though both had joined Seorn at the same time, Ludger was a fallen noble, while Chris remained very much part of the aristocracy.
To someone with Chris’s deeply elitist beliefs, Ludger’s very presence was a thorn in his side.
‘Ludger Cherish... I didn’t like you the moment I saw you.’
Other commoner instructors wore their status plainly. They overreacted to everything, lacked grace, and carried none of a noble’s refined bearing.
But Ludger was different.
Even standing quietly, he exuded an elegance that outshone Chris himself.
Despite being from a fallen house, he hadn’t lost that light. That’s what irked Chris the most.
How dare a disgraced noble carry himself so proudly? Was he not ashamed?
Even when they first met, Ludger didn’t flinch or fawn—just nodded with polite disinterest. That alone had made Chris’s stomach churn.
‘And to top it off, he had the gall to reject Hugo’s invitation to join our faction.’
Ludger had outright stated he wasn’t interested.
That, too, had left Chris conflicted. Part of him felt relieved, the other deeply insulted.
“What do you mean, ‘that kind of faction’? What makes us so unworthy of your company?”
Chris didn’t understand what gave Ludger the confidence to act the way he did. no𝚟𝚙u𝚋.c𝚘m
Sure, he’d heard rumors that Ludger had created some impressive new spell called Source Code. But so what? Was that all?
Chris’s dislike for Ludger only deepened.
And now—now he had a golden opportunity to land a clean blow.
“Well then, Professor Ludger. Isn’t this more than enough?”
“I’ll ask the students directly,” Ludger replied.
He turned to Aidan, gaze calm but sharp.
His eyes seemed to ask: Do you truly wish to duel Jeban?
“...Yes. I must.”
Aidan nodded with firm conviction.
At first, he’d wanted to solve things without a fight. But Jeban had crossed the line—far too many times.
He’d insulted Aidan’s friends in a way that couldn’t be forgiven.
Seeing that resolve, Ludger sighed quietly to himself and turned back to Chris.
“Since Aidan has agreed, I’ll approve the duel on the condition that we both supervise.”
“Oh, splendid!”
“Then—”
“Ah, just a moment, Professor Ludger.”
“...What now?”
Chris wasn’t about to let the moment slip through his fingers.
“How about we place a little wager on the outcome?”
“A wager? That’s a rather sudden proposal.”
“Well, it seems you care quite a bit about that commoner boy.”
“His name is Aidan. I’d appreciate it if you refrained from making discriminatory remarks.”
“Ah, Aidan, then. Forgive me—I wouldn’t know. He doesn’t attend my class. In any case, I happen to view Jeban Pellio as quite a talented magician.”
His words were pure flattery, but Jeban was already beaming, mistaking it for genuine praise.
Ludger, in contrast, replied in his usual cold tone.
“And what exactly are you proposing?”
“We each choose a side. I’ll bet on Jeban Pellio winning.”
“Funny. A teacher suggesting a wager in front of students.”
Chris bit back his irritation, forcing a smile.
“So? Will you accept? If not, that’s fine. I wouldn’t place my bet on the losing side either—if I were you.”
The students began whispering among themselves.
Chris had pushed the situation into a full-on split: Ludger and Aidan on one side, Chris and Jeban on the other.
Ridiculous.
Ludger found Chris’s tactics almost laughable.
He could’ve just refused and walked away—but...
Even Ludger had to admit he felt a twinge of annoyance.
After all, it was Chris who escalated the situation. Chris who was now needling him.
And Ludger didn’t appreciate being pushed.
Why should he be the one to step back?
Until now, Ludger hadn’t paid Chris much attention—simply because he hadn’t needed to.
Why waste energy on someone who never mattered to begin with?
But if that person started getting in your face... well, that was a different story.
‘Fine. I’ll play along—just a little.’
And to be honest, Ludger had been meaning to test Aidan’s actual skill in a real duel.
He nodded slowly.
“Since you seem so eager, Professor Chris, I’ll join you in this little ‘entertainment.’”
“Oh? I didn’t think you’d accept. This is unexpected, Professor Ludger. So then—which student do you believe will win?”
“Aidan, of course.”
Ludger’s voice was unwavering.
Aidan’s eyes widened. He hadn’t imagined Ludger would actually say that.
He wasn’t the only one caught off guard. Many students looked shocked.
Chris, on the other hand, seemed all too pleased—as if this was exactly what he’d been hoping for.
“Excellent.”
“What will be the stakes for the wager?”
“The stakes? Hmm. Well, we’re both mages, and we both teach manifestation classes...”
At that, Ludger tilted his head slightly, surprised.
“You teach manifestation magic?”
“...”
Ludger’s question was genuine curiosity.
But Chris took it as mockery. His face flushed red.
‘You arrogant, fallen bastard!’
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
The fact that Chris didn’t blurt out a furious retort was already a monumental act of self-restraint.
This was precisely one of the reasons Chris Bennimore harbored such a deep dislike for Ludger.
Chris had come to Seorn with the express goal of teaching Manifestation Magic. He was proud of that fact—he believed it elevated him.
Then out of nowhere came Ludger Cherish, some unheard-of fallen noble, who also ended up teaching Manifestation—and not just to first-years, but to second-years.
The logic was simple: the more capable teacher would naturally be assigned to the higher year level.
Which meant, implicitly, that Ludger Cherish was the more competent mage.
To make things worse, Ludger even opened his class to both first- and second-years—poaching the most talented first-years from other classes, including Chris’s.
Chris had every reason to despise him.
‘Did you really think you’d humiliate me and get away with it?’
And yet, Ludger himself didn’t even seem aware of the impact he’d caused.
He hadn’t even known Chris Bennimore was also teaching Manifestation.
That ignorance cut even deeper into Chris’s already wounded pride.
Ludger now finally grasped the source of Chris’s hostility.
‘Ah... so that’s it. No wonder he’s been antagonistic. He’s also teaching Manifestation.’
It made sense. Anyone would be irritated if compared unfavorably to a colleague teaching the same subject.
Especially considering Ludger had freely handed out techniques like Source Code and Elemental Sensory Manifestation—the kind of things no teacher would ever dare share in a normal classroom.
Unconsciously or not, Ludger’s class was making Chris look increasingly irrelevant by comparison.
Chris adjusted his glasses, trying to suppress his fury.
“Ahem. In that case, how about this? Each of us offers a portion of the magic or theory we’ve researched in Manifestation as the wager. Nothing vital, of course, but enough to make the bet meaningful.”
“Then the extent of what we’re offering should be clearly stated.”
“Let’s leave that up to each party’s discretion.”
Discretion—an annoyingly vague term.
It was like saying “add a reasonable amount of seasoning” in a recipe.
If one offered something trivial and useless, they’d be exposing the limits of their own ability.
If one gave away something too valuable, it’d be a huge personal loss.
Among magicians, “appropriate” meant just enough to maintain one’s prestige, without suffering undue disadvantage.
Ludger, however, didn’t care much about such matters.
“Fine. But we won’t be holding the duel immediately. Let’s give them some time.”
“How much time do you propose?”
“Three days should suffice. We’ll hold the public duel then.”
“Hmm. Three days. That sounds fair.”
There was always the risk that Ludger might attempt to prepare Aidan with something in that time—but three days was too short a window for major improvements.
Even a genius couldn’t learn a whole new spell in that time.
All either side could do was analyze the opponent and ensure they were in peak condition.
“Then let’s reconvene here in three days.”
“Agreed.”
With both instructors’ approval, the duel was officially sanctioned.
The news spread like wildfire across the entire Seorn Academy.
* * *
After the crowd dispersed, all eager to spread the story, Aidan remained rooted in place, unsure what to do.
He stared at Ludger, feeling a pang of guilt.
He couldn’t shake the thought that Ludger had been dragged into this mess because of him.
Resolving to apologize, he stepped forward and opened his mouth.
“Um, Professor Ludger. I’m sorry. Because of me—”
“Enough.”
Ludger cut him off coldly.
“Huh? But...”
“What’s done is done. Aidan, what you should be focusing on now isn’t regret—it’s on how to win against Jeban Pellio in the duel.”
“O-Oh. You’re right.”
Ludger’s words were undeniable. There was no point regretting the past.
Still, Aidan felt uncertain.
His blood had been boiling before, but now that his head was clear, the doubts returned. Could he really beat Jeban?
He was only just beginning to learn magic, whereas Jeban had been trained since childhood.
“What are you hesitating for?”
Ludger narrowed his eyes, pressing him hard.
“Don’t tell me you’re backing out now.”
“T-That’s not it...”
“Aidan. You said to me that you wanted to do this. Was that answer merely something you blurted out under pressure?”
“...No. It wasn’t.”
“Good. I thought so too. That’s why I agreed.”
“But real combat is...”
“Different, yes. Jeban, being from a noble family, has likely received personal tutoring long before entering Seorn. Your starting lines are different. You’re aware of that, aren’t you?”
Aidan had no rebuttal.
Everything Ludger said was true.
“But don’t jump to conclusions about your defeat just yet. Aidan, what do you think is the most important factor in a fight?”
“Um... I guess skill?”
Ludger shook ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ his head.
“No matter how skilled you are, there are countless cases where someone weaker defeats someone stronger. The world doesn’t revolve purely around power. In battle, outcomes are often decided in an instant.”
“Then what’s the key?”
“You already have it.”
Aidan’s lips pressed into a firm line.
He knew what Ludger meant—his [unique] type magic.
“Just use it at the critical moment.”
Ludger had only agreed to Chris’s wager for one reason.
He was confident Aidan could win.
“But I... I want to win with my own strength.”
Aidan’s stance was different.
He was grateful for the magic that had gotten him into Seorn, but he didn’t want to rely on it to win.
“Professor Ludger! Please teach me!”
Aidan met Ludger’s gaze with unwavering eyes.
Ludger, who had been staring down coldly at Aidan, found himself caught off guard.
‘What’s with this kid now?’
