NOVPUBAs he walked alone through the dark corridor of the arena, a figure suddenly poked her head out from around a corner, as if she’d been waiting for him.
“Perf—no, Mr. Ludger.”
“Sedina, huh.”
Sedina Roschen, with her voluminous chestnut-brown hair, had been waiting for Ludger all this time. Her face lit up the moment she saw him.
After briefly scanning the surroundings to make sure there were no witnesses, she finally opened her mouth, apparently satisfied.
“Congratulations on winning the bet.”
“Thanks.”
“But... are you sure you’re okay? You’ve drawn quite a bit of attention within the academy from this. The others are worried as well.”
That was what Sedina was most concerned about.
After all, Ludger had infiltrated Seorn under a false identity.
Yet lately, his actions had been drawing far too much attention within Seorn.
If things continued like this, everything he did would be scrutinized, which could interfere significantly with their greater objective.
But Ludger shook his head in response to her worry.
“It’s fine. I was prepared for this.”
“Prepared...?”
“Sedina. Do you know anything about the Headmaster of Seorn?”
At the mention of the Headmaster, Sedina nodded immediately.
“Yes. Elisa Willow. She’s a famous mage who achieved Lexur-level Sixth Circle at a young age. She’s the current Headmaster of Seorn. Definitely not someone to be taken lightly.”
“Right. She’s suspicious of me.”
“Of you, Mr. Ludger...?”
“The Headmaster has realized that people from our side have infiltrated Seorn. I’m sure she’s now considering even the faculty as potential suspects.”
“That’s...”
“I need to shake off that suspicion. Which means I can’t be in contact with the other members for a while. But that can’t be helped.”
“You came here as a teacher specifically to avoid drawing suspicion...”
“It was something that had to be done regardless. If I can use this to gain Seorn’s trust, then it’s still a win. But it will take a bit more time.”
“I—I knew it. I had faith in you all along!”
Sedina, who was completely smitten with Ludger at this point, believed every word he said without a shred of doubt.
And truthfully, he wasn’t lying.
There was definitely an element of strategic intent in Ludger’s actions—he wanted to impress the Headmaster.
Still, Sedina couldn’t help but worry that Ludger was drawing too much attention.
Some of the other members had even whispered that it was strange how inactive the so-called First Order seemed to be.
Of course! There’s no way Mr. Ludger would just sit around!
She believed in him—and wanted to keep believing.
He was the first person who had ever truly listened to her.
To doubt someone like that felt like committing an unforgivable sin.
“Sedina. Same goes for you. Since you’re currently a student at Seorn, you need to devote yourself to your role as a student.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes. Out of all the members, you're the only one who can meet with me directly. I’m a teacher, and you’re a student. It won’t look suspicious if we talk from time to time. But even so, I can’t just meet with a random student for no reason.”
“Of course, that makes sense.”
“So you need to keep up your image as a model student. The more you do that, the less suspicion you’ll attract.”
“I see!”
“Exactly. This is a mission for the two of us alone. Maintain your role and adapt perfectly to your cover. Got it?”
“Our... mission...”
Sedina’s eyes glazed over dreamily the moment Ludger used the word our.
Seeing that, Ludger felt a bit of relief.
With this much explanation, she should be fully convinced.
Even if he was immersing himself in his work as a teacher at Seorn, Ludger had never once let down his guard against the Black Dawn Society.
Technically, he held the rank of First Order within the organization.
The problem was... he still didn’t know what exactly his mission was.
The decoded message had only instructed him to infiltrate and earn favor.
And after that?
Was there a fixed plan? Or would new orders be given depending on how things developed?
Ludger didn’t know.
He couldn’t ask Sedina either. How would she know what a First Order had been assigned to do?
In the end, I have to figure it out myself.
It was likely that the orders had been delivered directly by the Zero Order, or perhaps shared among multiple First Orders.
Which meant that the only way to find out would be to locate another First Order who had infiltrated Seorn.
But since he had no way to identify them for now, Ludger had to continue acting while erasing any doubts the Black Dawn Society might have about him.
That was why he had thrown himself so actively into his role as a teacher.
It’s true that the Headmaster suspects me, and it’s true that I need time to dispel that suspicion. If I frame it that way, I can at least calm the growing discontent within the Society.
And it might even help him extend his deadline.
Just explaining things like this had already put Sedina at ease.
Then again, she worships the First Order so blindly that she might not be the best example of a rational response.
Still, that was fine.
If someone like Sedina could explain things on his behalf to the other members, it would make things far easier for him.
And Sedina was already full of that exact intention.
As expected of Mr. Ludger! While we were all worried something might’ve gone wrong, he already had everything planned out!
Because of her lower social status, Sedina had been something of an outcast within the organization. But ever since she began acting like Ludger’s direct subordinate, no one had dared mess with her.
She took that as yet another blessing from Ludger, and admired him even more.
To think he would even take time to give advice to someone like me... He’s truly incredible!
Now that Ludger had spoken so clearly, Sedina resolved to carry out his command even if it cost her life.
“Make sure you explain things properly to the others.”
“Yes! Leave it to me!”
“Oh, and...”
“Yes! Is there something else you’d like to say?”
“...No. It can wait. And by the way, I like how much more confident you seem these days.”
At Ludger’s final compliment, a jolt like electricity ran through Sedina’s entire body.
“I’m counting on you.”
“Yes! Even if it kills me, I’ll get it done!”
“Don’t die.”
“Yes! Even if it kills me, I won’t die!”
“...Right. That’s enough.”
Leaving the increasingly intense Sedina behind, Ludger walked off down the corridor.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
* * *
Back in my private quarters, I sat down and began organizing the things I needed to do moving forward.
“Thanks to that public duel, I’ve now solidified the image of being aligned with the Headmaster’s faction. I don’t know exactly how the Headmaster herself will take it, but considering her position, she won’t be able to push me away easily.”
For now, it looked like the Headmaster’s faction held the upper hand, but the noble faction led by Hugo wasn’t something to be underestimated either.
No matter what anyone said, the largest student faction was still the one under Freuden—made up entirely of nobles.
And the teachers backing Freuden were none other than Hugo and the rest of the noble faculty.
Right now, the Headmaster’s authority seemed strong, but if they decided to truly oppose her, it wouldn’t be so easy for her to make bold decisions either.
“And because I’ve drawn the Headmaster’s attention, I’ve gained a convenient excuse not to act rashly despite being a First Order of the Black Dawn Society. The other members of the secret society likely won’t approach me so casually now.”
In other words, I’d earned myself a temporary exemption from having to do anything for the Black Dawn Society.
So for the time being, anything involving the Black Dawn could be pushed aside. 𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝒎
“Seorn really is my priority now.”
After today’s duel, I was now in clear opposition to Hugo’s faction.
But that didn’t bother me much.
I planned to leave after just two years anyway. Even if I rubbed the noble teachers the wrong way, it wasn’t going to cause me any serious problems.
They might try to poke at me here and there, but compared to all the kinds of people I’ve had to deal with in my life, that’s child’s play.
More importantly, I saw a real possibility today.
Aidan. I’ve felt it before, but he really is something. He’s sharp enough, kind without being soft, and above all, he’s a hard worker.
Sure, I taught him strictly, but the fact that he mastered the movement spell in just three days was nothing short of astonishing.
Is it talent? Or more like sheer willpower?
Considering that even brilliant minds struggle to master movement spells through logic alone, perhaps he’s naturally gifted when it comes to using his body.
The way he split that spell with Anti-Magic—the motion itself.
That was something you’d only expect from someone trained in the sword.
With that in mind, there’s a high chance Aidan will prove exceptional in real combat situations.
Well, given who his teacher probably is, it makes sense.
I had met the mage I assumed—no, knew—was Aidan’s mentor.
That one stance Aidan showed just once was exactly from that man’s swordsmanship manual.
I always thought that guy would die alone in some forgotten corner of the world, but he actually managed to take on a disciple.
If Aidan truly possesses Anti-Magic, he’ll undoubtedly rise to a high position at Seorn, at the very least.
I did some quick mental math.
I would use Seorn—and some particularly “special” students—as a way to counter the Black Dawn Society.
With one foot in each faction, trapped in this ever-tightening sandwich, what I needed most was to lessen the pressure crushing me.
And the most troublesome faction of all was the Black Dawn Society.
If I could slowly nibble away at the influence they held within the academy...
My chances of survival would increase proportionally.
Aidan, Leo, and Taishy. This trio had clear, high potential even from an objective standpoint.
In terms of sheer talent alone, they probably ranked near the top among the first-years.
And if I added Rine to that list, with her unique judgmental power...
Not bad at all.
Still, this might not be enough. Just in case, I should look for others as a backup.
Because getting those factions to clash with one another was the only way I’d be able to breathe.
Let’s call that the “enemy of my enemy” approach. But on top of that—I need to build strength of my own.
Right now, my position was that of a lone individual being squeezed by two massive organizations.
Weakening them alone wasn’t enough to fundamentally escape this situation.
So what other option did I have?
I need to create my own organization.
Honestly, I preferred working alone.
But since I’d be staying in the Empire for the foreseeable future, solo play was no longer viable.
I needed people.
Besides Hans, I had other old contacts I could reach out to. I needed to gather them and form something new.
That organization would become my power—and that power would be what let me resist those pressing down on me.
Speak of the devil.
Right as I was thinking about him, the communication ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) orb I had left on my desk began to glow.
Hans was calling.
The only reason he’d contact me using the personal crystal I gave him was simple.
“Hans. What is it?”
[Like you told me, I checked everything in the surrounding area.]
So it was about that.
“Given your skill, I’m sure you got all the intel you needed. But the fact you’re contacting me directly must mean you need muscle now.”
[...Tch. Your intuition’s freakishly sharp. You’re right. From here on out, we’re gonna need ‘force.’ You know me—I’m no good at fighting.]
“I never expected you to be.”
[Anyway, this next part’s all up to you now.]
“I see.”
Not bad timing.
I stood up, grabbed my black travel coat, and put on a gentleman’s hat.
[So, when are you coming? We should probably deal with this before the weekend.]
“I’m on my way now.”
[What?]
I heard a startled gasp through the crystal—he clearly hadn’t expected me to come immediately.
“Isn’t it better to handle it quickly?”
[Well, yeah, but... Are you sure? You’ve got a lot going on.]
“It won’t take long.”
[And how do you know that?]
“Because I’m going to make it that way.”
