Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 243: Rhapsody on a Rainy Day (2)

"Do you have some business with me?"

Even for Ludger, whose emotions rarely surfaced, a subtle hostility was evident in his voice.

That’s how deeply he could not bring himself to think favorably of the person standing before him.

After all, the very root of those who had branded him, denied his existence, and tried to kill him... was the Theocracy of Bretus.

Above all, the Lumenis Church was a fanatical group that revered only the Radiant God Lumenis to an extreme degree.

They hadn’t always been this way, but now, nothing remained in them but pure obsession and madness.

How many atrocities had they committed under the name of faith?

"It’s a coincidence to meet such a renowned magic instructor like yourself. Why don’t we start with introductions? I am Preden, a lamb who believes in the Radiant God Lumenis. I’m unworthy, but I serve as the Bishop of Rederbelk."

Preden, the Bishop of the Rederbelk branch.

She bore the appearance of a familiar, friendly religious figure you might see anywhere.

From the kindly smile on her face to her entirely unthreatening build.

To a first-time observer, she could easily pass as the kindly neighbor woman next door.

But Ludger knew.

That appearance was a mask, forged from deceit to mislead others.

Her voice, her tone, every small gesture was flawless.

Which only made it all the more artificial—and revolting.

"Professor Ludger Cherish, am I right? I’ve been meaning to meet you."

"You haven’t answered my question yet."

Ludger's voice was so cold it could freeze even the rain falling from his lips.

Even a person with nerves of steel might flinch and step back from his presence.

But Preden bowed her head slightly, her smiling expression unchanged.

"Ah, I suppose I was too focused on speaking my mind. Please forgive me."

"I wasn’t looking for an apology. Just explain your purpose for coming to see me properly."

Though she pretended this was a coincidental encounter, Ludger knew.

He knew that she had been watching him in hiding for quite some time now.

"Yes, of course. I came to see you, Ludger Cherish, because I was curious to meet the man of rumors."

"You’re saying you waited for me in the rain just for that?"

"The rain is a blessing from Lord Lumenis that makes the crops grow plentiful. There’s no reason to dislike it. In fact, I find myself feeling thankful."

"Excessive rain rots plant roots and causes rivers to overflow. Are you grateful even for that?"

"If a blessing becomes harm, then that, too, is the will of our Lord."

Ludger didn’t bother rebutting Preden’s laughter-laced reply.

He didn’t even consider it worth the effort.

"You don’t seem very pleased to see me, Mr. Ludger."

"No one welcomes an uninvited guest. Least of all one from the Lumenis Church."

"Hmm. That’s strange. I don’t believe our church has had any direct connection to you, Professor Ludger Cherish."

"We do now. And a most unpleasant one at that."

"You don’t need to be quite so guarded."

"Coming from a church that once declared all magic heresy, your sudden interest in a well-known mage seems rather suspicious, wouldn’t you say?"

At Ludger’s words, Preden covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Hoho. Is that how it seems? Perhaps in the past it was so, but our church has changed. Now, even magicians are recognized as children of Lord Lumenis."

"You’re getting rather long-winded."

Ludger spoke in a tone that cut her words short.

"Just get to the point. I’m not in the mood to hold a conversation with anyone right now."

“......”

At that, Preden let out a soft sigh.

She realized that no matter what she said, Ludger wouldn’t receive it kindly.

"Very well. I did seek you out partly out of curiosity... but also to make a proposal."

"What kind of proposal?"

"Please don’t be startled by what I’m about to say. Others may not sense it, but I can. Ludger Cherish—you were born to receive the blessings of God."

Ludger briefly closed his eyes, then reopened them.

His eyes, still cold, tried to discern whether Preden truly meant those words.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"The divine energy flowing from you, Ludger—that’s proof you’ve been blessed by God. For you to let that talent rot in other pursuits is a loss for the entire world. So—"

"You want me to join the Lumenis Church, is that it?"

"Yes. You’ve understood me perfectly."

"I wondered what nonsense you’d spout. I see now it’s not even worth hearing. I’ll pretend that never reached my ears."

Despite Ludger’s harsh reply, Preden didn’t give up.

Others may not have noticed it, but she had.

The energy that overflowed from Ludger’s body.

It was a power that, if used for good, could bring blessing to the world—but if twisted, could become a disaster for it.

"I don’t say this lightly. I truly say it with you in mind—"

"If you really had me in mind."

Ludger’s eyes flared as he glared at her.

"You would never have come here in the first place."

Confronted with that fierce hostility, Preden lost her words.

She raised her hands and offered a prayer.

"O Lord, shine your righteous light upon this young lamb..."

Ludger, of course, heard her murmured words—but he didn’t bother pointing them out.

Saying anything further would only invite more hassle.

"Before I go, I’ll offer you this one bit of advice."

“......”

"Many strange things have been happening in Rederbelk lately. Alongside the resurrection of the Beast King, today, just outside the city, a hideous crimson flower bloomed. I sincerely hope you come to no harm."

Preden’s warning was made with genuine concern—but to Ludger, it was laughable.

"I’ll take my leave now. May you enjoy your evening."

Preden once again offered a prayer and departed.

Ludger watched her go, then turned away.

He stood, umbrella in hand, gazing out at the night view of Rederbelk.

With the increasingly heavy rainfall, mist was beginning to rise in patches throughout the city.

The crisp sound of raindrops striking his umbrella was like a haunting rhapsody.

‘How troublesome.’

But even that tranquil beauty could not stir anything within Ludger.

Had the encounter just now not occurred, he might have enjoyed this rare solitude.

Yet Preden’s words lingered in his mind.

‘The divine power I’ve been suppressing all this time... is now visible to a bishop?’

Preden had claimed he bore holy energy, a divine blessing.

And it wasn’t just any priest who said it—it was a bishop, someone of much higher rank and ability.

There had been no flattery or lies to please him.

If that’s why she approached him, then Ludger had no choice but to accept it.

‘Until now, no one had ever noticed.’

Since maintaining the sealing ritual, he hadn’t been tracked by the Lumenis Church, and even when encountering their people during his wanderings, he had remained undetected.

But today.

Just moments ago.

The bishop Preden had seen the divine energy flowing from him.

That meant the power he’d suppressed for so long was beginning, ever so slightly, to leak out.

‘If there’s a cause, it’s probably because I’ve used divine power too often recently.’

He’d thought he’d used it with careful calculation—but the result was different from what he expected.

‘Since she backed off when I refused, it seems she still only senses it vaguely.’

If Preden had truly grasped Ludger’s power, she would have gone mad trying to persuade him.

No—she might have even guessed his true identity.

At the bishop’s level, she would have heard certain things from the capital.

‘It may be time to rework the sealing ritual.’

But Ludger had a sense.

In the events to come, it would be impossible to completely avoid using divine power.

‘And the Lumenis Church has finally begun to act. They’ve shut themselves away for so long, but now they’re starting to exert their influence again. That must mean the matter back in the capital has been settled.’

The succession process to choose the next Holy Sovereign.

That long-standing struggle had finally come to an end.

‘Soon, the world will be abuzz with the coronation of a new Holy Sovereign.’

With Black Dawn’s issues still unresolved, the Theocracy of Bretus moving now was an unwelcome development for Ludger.

Even if he tried to ignore them, as long as he was tied to them by birth, that connection would eventually come back to haunt him.

Even if he reworked the sealing ritual, hid his identity, and resumed life in exile...

All he would gain was ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) temporary delay of the inevitable.

‘In the end, I’ll have to start moving faster myself.’

To do that, he had no choice but to gather the relic fragments whose whereabouts were confirmed.

‘My target is the relic fragment in the Imperial family’s possession. I’ll secure it during the field trip.’

* * *

"Ugh, so annoying."

Back at her lodging, Casey Selmore threw herself onto her bed.

Having just been released from a holding cell, today had truly been the worst.

Had she not been acquainted with the officers, it might have gone far worse.

Lying on her bed, she turned her head slightly to see raindrops sliding down the window.

It was raining outside.

‘Come to think of it, it was raining the first time I came to this city too.’

As she recalled her purpose for coming to Rederbelk, Casey felt a wave of emotion.

‘And today turned out like this because of that man, didn’t it?’

In truth, Ludger hadn’t done anything—but to Casey, he had already cemented himself as the root of all evil.

Casey pulled out a slip of paper from her pocket.

Imbued with Ludger’s mana, it was the only key to uncovering the past she had longed to know.

‘Maybe now’s the time...’

Just as she thought that—

Tap tap.

The sound from the window made Casey suddenly sit up in bed.

She looked, and saw a crow pecking at the windowpane.

"A crow?"

The crow had a letter in its beak. When it saw Casey notice it, it left the envelope on the sill and flew off.

Casey opened the window and picked up the letter.

It was slightly damp, but that didn’t matter.

As she infused it with a touch of mana, the moisture lifted from the paper like beads and evaporated.

‘This is...’

The moment she saw the crow, one man’s face came to mind.

‘James Moriarty. What trick are you playing this time?’

Casey tore open the envelope and checked the contents.

She expected it to be long and detailed, but instead, the message was brutally simple.

—Be careful.

The words were clean and neatly typed, as if from a typewriter.

But when Casey grasped the meaning behind them, she found herself instinctively going on high alert.

‘Be careful?’

Maybe Ludger had no deeper reason for sending this warning.

But at this very moment—

Casey’s instincts told her this was sincere, and it perfectly reflected the danger she was in now.

Her eyes swept across her room.

It was messy but quiet, filled with all her usual things.

No one would question how natural it looked.

"...Tch. I’m being ridiculous."

She shook her head and carelessly tossed the letter into the trash can.

Thwack!

In that instant, a pale white blade suddenly burst through her chest.

It was a surprise attack launched by a dark shadow falling from the ceiling.

"Huh?"

Casey looked at the blade piercing through her torso and—

Smirked.

Splat!

Her body instantly turned into water and collapsed like a puddle.

"Wha—?!"

The assassin couldn’t hide their shock at seeing her transform.

At that moment, Casey’s voice echoed from thin air.

"What, surprised? You thought I wouldn’t notice?"

From the moment she’d entered her room—

Casey had known someone was hiding, unseen.

They had avoided touching a single thing and hidden carefully.

But Casey’s near-superhuman analysis and deduction hadn’t missed even the slightest trace of change.

On a hunch, she had deliberately shown an opening using a water clone—and they really tried to kill her.

"A sneak attack timed exactly with his warning..."

Still cloaked behind a thin film of water that bent light, Casey sneered at the assassins.

She already had a good idea who might have sent them.

"You picked the wrong day."

The assassins revealed themselves all at once.

From the ceiling. From the floor. From behind the curtains.

They moved silently, like beasts.

They lunged with daggers toward Casey—but her expression didn’t change.

"Of all days... it had to be a rainy one."