Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 237: A Chance Encounter (4)

“So how did you two meet? What kind of relationship is this?”

Having practically forced herself into sitting with them, Casey immediately fired a question at Selina.

Selina, who was about to scold her for her audacity, ended up answering involuntarily, caught off guard by the rapid-fire questioning.

“Uh, um, Mr. Ludger and I are both teachers at Seorn Academy.”

“Wow! Really? May I ask what your field is?”

“Uh, Spirit Studies.”

“Oh! That’s amazing! Spirits, huh? I heard it’s hard to learn that unless you’re born with a natural affinity?”

“I-I guess so?”

Under normal circumstances, she would have gotten angry, but since Selina was the timid type, she found herself swept along by Casey’s enthusiasm.

Ludger gave Casey a sharp glance, clearly displeased with her behavior.

Casey, pretending not to notice Ludger’s gaze, continued the conversation as if nothing were wrong.

“So, what brings you two here? Don’t tell me this is actually a date?”

“N-no! A date? Of course not!”

Selina’s reaction was so sharp, it was as if she’d been stabbed with a needle, and Casey quickly caught on.

Just from her demeanor, it was obvious that Selina had feelings for Ludger.

And Casey found that... rather unfortunate.

‘How could such a sweet and pretty girl fall for a man like that?’

Judging by Ludger’s actions, he treated her like nothing more than a coworker—neither more nor less.

Unrequited love.

And besides, Ludger’s true identity was far from the calm exterior he presented.

‘I can’t let this go. I’ll help her out—consider it saving a life.’

Casey decided that, for the sake of saving one woman, she would enthusiastically sabotage this “date” of Ludger’s.

Then Selina, unable to suppress her curiosity, asked:

“Um, more importantly, how did you two come to know each other?”

She instinctively sensed that there was something between Ludger and Casey.

It wasn’t just that Casey approached Ludger so casually and naturally. It was that Ludger—who usually acted curt and businesslike with everyone, never showing emotion—was visibly displeased with her.

‘For him to react like that, they must have some kind of unusual relationship.’

Though Ludger’s reaction looked more like irritation than anything else, to Selina it seemed oddly similar to how close friends might bicker.

‘It has to be a misunderstanding... right? Please let it be a misunderstanding.’

While she silently pleaded that it was all just in her head, Casey answered.

“Oh, this guy—no, I mean, this man? We just happened to run into each other. We’re not really that close or anything. Just acquaintances, I guess?”

“She’s just a nuisance who brings nothing but trouble, so you don’t have to worry about her,” Ludger added flatly.

“What? Hey, hold on a second. Isn’t that a bit much? A nuisance?!”

“I simply stated the truth.”

“Ugh. I can actually relate to that,” Betty chimed in from the side.

“Seriously? If we’re measuring nuisances, you’re way worse!”

“Hmph. That’s just your personal opinion, isn’t it?”

As the two squabbled back and forth, Selina’s expression grew darker.

“Oh... so you two are really close.”

Glance.

Selina’s gaze shifted briefly to the fork she was holding in her hand.

‘What the...?’

A sudden chill made Casey shudder.

For just a moment, she felt a primal sense of danger, like her life had been threatened.

She turned to look at Selina.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but for an instant, Selina’s eyes looked empty—as if they harbored a shadowy void.

‘No, that can’t be... just a misunderstanding, right?’

As Casey tried to convince herself of that, Ludger glanced down without realizing it.

A tiny mouse stood at his feet, looking up at him with a slip of paper in its mouth.

‘Hans?’

Ludger casually took the note from the mouse, ensuring no one else would notice.

Inside was a brief warning: Be careful.

‘Am I being followed?’

Maintaining a composed façade, Ludger acted as if nothing had happened.

If he let on, the pursuer might notice something was wrong.

‘Good work.’

Ludger handed the mouse a nut as a reward.

The mouse gripped it with its teeth and scampered off quickly.

Avoiding people’s eyes, it moved naturally under the tables to return to its master.

But as it passed beneath Ludger’s table, it brushed against the ankle of Casey Selmore, who was sitting nearby.

“...!”

Casey flinched at the sensation around her ankle.

Her brain couldn’t immediately register what had happened.

The creature she hated most had just ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) touched her body.

Her instincts—more than her mind or senses—recognized the truth in that instant.

And they triggered a deeply ingrained reaction.

She began drawing in mana.

As a single-element mage, Casey’s response could only result in one outcome.

SPLASH!

Moisture in the surrounding air rapidly gathered around her.

A moment later, it exploded outward in a grand splash of water.

A massive wave surged from inside the restaurant, spraying even the street outside.

Dishes went flying, tables overturned.

It was an unexpected disaster for the restaurant patrons—and passersby outside stopped in their tracks, gawking.

“What the hell?”

“Did the sewer burst or something?”

As everyone’s attention was drawn to the chaos, a soaking wet mouse ran across the street and returned to Hans.

It proudly raised its front paws and showed off the nut it still held in its mouth, as if demanding praise.

“Uh...”

Hans instantly realized something had gone wrong.

* * *

“Well, that was something.”

Just before Casey Selmore unleashed the water blast—

As soon as Ludger sensed her gathering mana, he moved swiftly.

He rose from his seat, approached Selina, and instantly used [Source Code] to form a magical defense spell.

It wrapped around both of them, shielding them from harm.

Thanks to his quick action, neither of them suffered any damage despite the sudden water explosion.

“Miss Selina. Are you all right?”

“Huh? Y-yes.”

Everything had happened so fast that Selina hadn’t even registered what was going on.

Only belatedly did she realize that a spell had gone off and Ludger had protected her.

And the warm yet firm hand gripping her shoulder—undoubtedly Ludger’s...

PFFFT!

Selina’s face turned bright red, almost bursting.

“M-Mr. Ludger, your hand...”

“More importantly, we should get out of here.”

Looking around at the chaos that had overtaken the restaurant, Ludger grabbed Selina and pulled her along.

There wouldn’t be a better chance to shake off that bothersome woman.

‘I wasn’t aiming for this, but it works out.’

Casey had probably reacted so violently because of the mouse.

In other words, this entire mess was a coincidental chain of events.

Ludger found that a relief.

Hans had warned him.

That someone outside might be tailing him.

Taking advantage of this commotion to slip away was the smartest option.

And so Ludger naturally led Selina out of the restaurant.

His movements were subtle, fluid, and discreet—but there was one person he failed to fool.

“Wait! Hold on a second!”

Casey tried to catch Ludger as he disappeared with Selina in tow, but the situation was not in her favor.

“You! What on earth happened here?!”

Having just unleashed a deluge inside the restaurant, Casey now faced the shocked and accusatory stares of the other patrons.

“Uh, n-no, I mean, it was a mouse...”

“Excuse me? A mouse? Our establishment is one of the cleanest around! Are you sure you saw one?”

“I-I mean, I’m not exactly sure... it was more of a reflex.”

“So you’re saying you did all this without even knowing for sure?”

Casey had no way to defend herself.

She could have sworn something had brushed her ankle—definitely the feeling of a mouse.

But now the mouse was gone, and it was impossible to prove it had ever been there.

‘Wait a minute... was that man behind this?’

She immediately pictured Ludger’s face.

A chilling realization hit her—he may have set this up just to shake her off.

No—he definitely did.

Even if she protested her innocence right away, there was no one around willing to listen to Casey.

The patrons whose meals had just been ruined were all glaring at her with cold eyes.

She was in serious trouble.

“Betty! Help me out here!”

In the end, she turned to Betty for help—but received no response.

“Betty?”

Looking more closely, Casey realized that Betty was frozen in place, her posture locked.

Casey’s expression stiffened the moment she saw it.

‘Wait—did water get inside her system?!’

Though she looked like a normal person, Betty was in fact an automaton composed of highly delicate mechanisms.

While she was built with water resistance, it wasn’t designed to withstand a direct water blast at close range like what had just happened.

Whrrrk.

Betty’s frozen frame tilted to the side and collapsed onto the floor.

The restaurant manager, witnessing the scene, hurried over to check on her condition—and cried out in alarm.

“S-someone’s dead!”

“She’s not dead!”

“She’s not breathing! That means she’s dead!”

“I—!”

That... wasn’t technically wrong.

Casey suddenly realized her situation.

She had no argument against it.

“What? Someone’s dead?!”

“Is this a murder?!”

“Oh my god. A murder in broad daylight!”

Murmur, murmur...

The atmosphere in the restaurant turned chaotic. People outside who had come to check what was happening began to hear the rumors—and the story quickly began to snowball.

“I heard there was a murder inside the restaurant!”

“A murder in broad daylight... how much must they have hated the victim?”

“That’s not what happened!”

Casey tried to defend herself, but no one was listening.

“AAAAH! Ludger Cherish!!”

Watching Ludger disappear into the distance with Selina in tow, all she could do was scream his name at the top of her lungs.

* * *

Selina felt like she was dreaming.

Ludger had protected her—and was now holding her hand, leading her away.

She wanted to hold his hand just a little longer.

She didn’t want to let go of that warmth.

But that dreamlike moment eventually came to an end.

Once they had gotten far enough from the restaurant, Ludger stopped and released her hand.

“Ah.”

Selina couldn’t hide her disappointment, and a soft sigh escaped her lips.

“I apologize, Miss Selina.”

“Y-yes?”

Ludger’s sudden apology caught her off guard.

“I caused your meal to be disrupted because of me.”

“No, Mr. Ludger, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Though she said that, it still stung to have their long-awaited meal interrupted.

‘What should I do next?’

She had originally planned to take her time with lunch and then decide on their next destination.

But a string of unplanned events had thrown her plans into disarray.

Selina strained her mind, trying to come up with a reason to stay with Ludger just a little longer.

Ludger silently studied her as she struggled.

‘Back at the restaurant... I felt something strange.’

Just for an instant, he’d sensed a trace of something eerie from Selina.

Could it be that a remnant of Esmeralda still lingered inside her?

No. Esmeralda had been fully laid to rest.

If anything, it was more likely that traces of Quasimodo remained.

“Miss Selina.”

“Y-yes?”

“There’s something I’d like to ask. Since the festival... how have things gone with your spirit contracts?”

“Ah.”

Though Ludger’s question came out of nowhere, Selina was just relieved to continue the conversation.

“Well, I’ve signed contracts with new intermediate spirits, but the ones I used before are still resting.”

“I see.”

On the final day of the festival, the three intermediate spirits Selina had contracted had used up too much energy fighting Quasimodo and had gone into a dormant state.

Which meant that Selina, who had once controlled three intermediate spirits, now had a large gap in her magical capacity.

Fortunately, it seemed she had since made new contracts.

“May I ask which spirits you’ve contracted with?”

“Well, there are two. One is a water spirit, and the other is...”

Selina trailed off, hesitating.

Ludger immediately sensed something unusual.

“And the other one?”

“...Please don’t be alarmed. I haven’t shown this one to anyone else yet.”

Only Mr. Ludger, I’ll show it only to you.

She whispered so only Ludger could hear, then closed her eyes and summoned her mana.

Selina extended her hands forward.

Ludger’s gaze naturally followed her palms.

A moment later, as her mana faded, a black puffball appeared above her open hands.

“This is...”

“A spirit of darkness.”

“A spirit of darkness?”

Ludger stared at the black fluff in Selina’s hands with a surprised expression.

Just then, the little puffball opened its pure white eyes—and lunged straight at Ludger.