Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 245: Director of Planning, School of Magic (1)

Ludger’s words stirred a wave of agitation through the meeting room.

“...What did he just say?”

“Candidate? And did he say Director of Planning?”

Only after chewing over Ludger’s introduction did the faculty begin to comprehend what was happening.

“What kind of nonsense is this?!”

As expected, the one who jumped to his feet and shouted was Hugo Burteg.

His huffing voice was laced with clear dissatisfaction over the situation.

Ludger’s emotionless gaze turned toward Hugo.

“Is something the matter?”

“‘Is something the matter?’ Are you seriously asking that?!”

Hugo’s face flushed bright red with rage.

His expression suggested he was just barely holding himself back from punching Ludger in the face for having the audacity to ask.

“Candidate for Director of Planning?! That’s absurd! Who gave you the right to do this on your own?!”

“I never claimed I was doing this on my own.”

“Then what was that you just said?! Are you toying with me?!”

As Hugo roared, his faction of noble-aligned teachers all shouted in agreement.

Even Chris Bennimore, who stood aside with arms crossed, showed visible displeasure at the unfolding situation.

“W-What’s going on here, Professor Merilda?”

“Don’t ask me. I’m just as confused.”

“Hoo... The atmosphere turned strange real quick.”

Selina, Merilda, and Brino all tensed up, uneasy at how oddly the meeting was progressing.

Meanwhile, Hugo’s ranting continued.

“I knew something was off when we were suddenly summoned like this, but this—this is crossing the line! Do you think Seorn is some kind of joke?!”

“That’s enough.”

Headmaster Elisa finally stepped in to stop him.

But Hugo glared at her with hostility, unwilling to back down this time.

“Headmaster. So this was your doing all along.”

“My doing? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb. I’ve turned a blind eye to your abuse of power plenty of times, but this—I cannot let this one slide.”

Hugo had clashed with the Headmaster often, constantly interfering with her decisions.

Even so, he had always stayed within the lines, stepping back when things looked unfavorable for him.

Elisa now stared at him with disbelief.

‘He only ever backed off when it risked blowing back on him, and now he dares act like he’s been generous.’

Hugo was well aware of that gaze, yet chose to double down.

Of all things, he would not yield when it came to deciding who got to sit in the Planning Director’s seat.

“You expect us to just accept that the vacant Director of Planning position is being filled by a newly appointed teacher? That’s absurd!”

“Then let me ask instead—why do you say it’s not acceptable?” ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

“Are you seriously asking that? Because he lacks qualifications! Qualifications!”

As Hugo raised his voice again, Elisa’s expression turned cold in an instant.

“Professor Hugo Burteg. Lower your voice. Do you think this is your house?”

“......”

The overwhelming pressure emanating from the Headmaster made Hugo, who was about to argue further, clamp his mouth shut.

Only then did he realize just how agitated he had become.

But unlike in the past, when such a moment would’ve left him pale and avoiding eye contact, this time Hugo did not back down.

Seeing that, the Headmaster withdrew her pressure and smiled again.

“Professor Hugo. You mentioned qualifications, didn’t you?”

“...Ahem. That’s right.”

Now slightly calmer, Hugo replied in a more subdued tone.

“Isn’t it much nicer when we talk like this? Then let me ask—have you reviewed Professor Ludger’s theory recently presented at the Arcane Chamber? Don’t tell me you haven’t.”

“T-That’s...”

Hugo began sweating.

That theory had already made waves throughout the magical community—he couldn’t have avoided hearing about it even if he wanted to.

An experiment that increased mana output. Of course it was a big deal.

It had even gotten to the point where Hugo considered swallowing his pride and reaching out to Ludger for reconciliation.

Then Ludger did something unthinkable.

He made the results of his Arcane Chamber presentation publicly available to everyone.

A mad move in the eyes of most mages, who usually fought to keep their findings to themselves.

Ludger’s actions had split opinions, but most viewed his ambition with admiration.

The name Ludger Cherish had grown beyond a mere Seorn instructor—it had become a force.

Hugo pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his brow.

“I... did see it, yes...”

There had always been a pact at Seorn that the Director of Planning seat would be reserved for someone with matching accomplishments.

And Ludger’s recent activities made him more than qualified.

If things continued, Ludger would claim the position.

And he wouldn’t be one of Hugo’s people. He’d be under the Headmaster’s influence.

“Still... what about his real ability...”

“Ability?”

Elisa asked, her smile sharp. Hugo inwardly cursed.

As far as he knew, there wasn’t a single teacher at Seorn whose abilities could rival Ludger’s.

The new spells and theories Ludger demonstrated in class? Flawless.

Then what about actual combat? That wasn’t promising for Hugo either.

Ludger had won the magic duel during the festival with flying colors.

He wasn’t just a theorist—he had proven himself a master of practical combat magic as well.

Not to mention, it was then revealed that he could even wield light-attribute magic, shocking many teachers.

“...More than anything, his career is still short, isn’t it?”

In the end, all Hugo could cling to was the fact that Ludger was a new hire and nitpick about his lack of experience.

If it had come to this, Hugo figured he might as well be shameless about it.

“It’s a violation of fairness to appoint a teacher who hasn’t even been here a full year!”

Elisa smiled with eyes narrowed in amusement.

“Oh my, Professor Hugo, you’re saying some strange things. Since when did we care so much about tenure?”

“Hmph! Don’t make light of experience!”

“Then let’s make Professor Marie Ross the new Director. She’s got the years, after all.”

“That’s not what I meant! Why are you trying to fill every post with your own people?!”

“My people? Are there even such divisions here at Seorn?”

The Headmaster blinked innocently, as if the idea were completely foreign to her.

Hugo grimaced.

‘This woman... throwing word games again...!’

Seorn was supposedly a fair and equal institution.

But that was only in name.

In practice, social class divided the students, and factions split the faculty.

Of course the Headmaster knew that.

She just had the upper hand now—and the leisure to pretend otherwise.

“...Even so, don’t you think other teachers might feel robbed of opportunity?”

“Is that so? Hmm. Perhaps you’re right.”

Elisa clapped her hands once, smiling brightly.

“Then let’s go by majority vote!”

“...Excuse me?”

“Of course, Professor Ludger has already proven himself more than qualified. But it never hurts to hear the opinions of other teachers, does it?”

“......”

The moment she said “majority vote,” Hugo knew something was wrong.

Seorn didn’t have that many faculty members, and his noble faction didn’t make up more than half.

And the neutral teachers couldn’t be dismissed either.

Professor Vierno from the Spirit Studies department, for instance, was a well-known neutral.

‘But would the neutral faction really take our side in something this clear-cut?’

That was what Hugo feared.

In ordinary disputes, neutral teachers tended to keep to themselves, avoiding trouble.

But this wasn’t just another ordinary situation.

Even the neutrals would have to side with what was right or wrong this time.

“Alright, let’s proceed by a show of hands. If you believe Professor Ludger Cherish is unfit for the Director of Planning position, please raise your hand.”

The noble faction teachers began exchanging uneasy glances.

‘No, but still... he figured out how to increase mana output. Can we really afford to oppose him over something like this?’

‘With such a clear justification, it feels like there’s no way we can win this, no matter what we try.’

Even though the nobles had formed a faction, they weren’t war-hungry enough to throw themselves into a pointless fight.

They had gathered not to start revolutions but to preserve a stable life as aristocrats. Risking everything to protect some abstract noble privilege wasn’t their goal.

Besides, many of them were secretly anxious—worried about getting on Ludger’s bad side.

Even if they voted against him, Ludger would still become Director of Planning. But what if he remembered who opposed him?

‘You cowards!’

As Hugo glared at them with wide eyes, a few teachers raised their hands—but others remained still.

Among those who didn't vote was Chris Bennimore.

When Chris stayed silent, others followed his lead.

‘Chris! What are you doing?!’

Hugo sent him a scolding glare, but Chris simply shook his head in rejection.

Even for him, this was going too far.

“All right. Then, those in favor—please raise your hands.”

With the Headmaster’s words, most of the faculty raised their hands.

Hugo’s complexion turned pale at the sight.

Even at a glance, the number of raised hands was overwhelming.

Even Vierno, who always maintained strict neutrality, raised his hand in support.

The outcome was crystal clear.

“There’s really no need to count. The majority is clearly in favor. Don’t you agree, Professor Hugo?”

The Headmaster asked, but Hugo couldn’t respond.

He wasn’t in any state to speak.

“Then, by majority vote, I hereby declare that Professor Ludger Cherish will be appointed as Director of Planning. Now, Professor Ludger—could we have a few words from you?”

Standing beside the Headmaster, Ludger slowly swept his gaze across the room.

Most of the faculty wore curious or intrigued expressions, but the noble-aligned teachers averted their eyes in a flustered panic when Ludger’s gaze fell on them.

“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude. Thanks to your support, I have been appointed to a position far greater than I deserve.”

His tone was firm, but his voice was deeply respectful.

“Still, I understand that many of you may have lingering doubts. I am fully aware of that as well. That’s why I will prove, through my actions, that I am not simply someone wearing a title.”

It was a common kind of speech, but coming from Ludger, it carried unexpected weight.

With this man, perhaps he really would accomplish something.

That was the shared impression among those in the room.

Clap clap clap.

Applause echoed through the meeting hall.

As Ludger gave a polite nod and stepped back, Elisa stepped forward and changed the topic.

“Well then, let’s move on to our next agenda item. As you all know, the field study period is just around the corner, right?”

At that, several teachers wore expressions that said, “Ah, it’s finally here.”

“This time, we’ll be heading to the capital—Lindebrune. We’ll be working with the Imperial Magic Association and other mentors there, so please make sure to prepare accordingly.”

* * *

News of Ludger’s appointment as Director of Planning spread quickly throughout Seorn.

But rather than being surprised, the students just nodded as if it were only natural.

“Director of Planning? Well, it’s Professor Ludger. Makes sense.”

“Still, he’s a new teacher... isn’t that ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ a bit too good a position for someone like that?”

“Eh, better than leaving the seat empty.”

“True. He even revealed that method for increasing mana output.”

Considering everything Ludger had done, it wasn’t all that shocking anymore.

What the students cared more about was something else entirely.

“It’s almost time, right? The field study.”

“Yeah, we’re going to the capital this year, right?”

“I’m so curious. What’s in the capital?”

The students who had never visited the capital brimmed with excitement at the thought of seeing the heart of the Exilion Empire.

“I heard the food in the capital is amazing!”

“I want to go to the shopping districts!”

“It’s gotta be the Crystal Palace. That’s the capital’s pride!”

Though Rederbelk itself was a large city worthy of being compared to Lindebrune, the capital still carried a special kind of allure.

Moreover, this year’s field study would be guided by mentors—prompting eager speculation among the students about which mages would appear.

“Did you hear the rumors? They said the mentor lineup this year is insane.”

“Really? I can’t wait.”

“I want to meet some of the New Magic Tower mages. I’m thinking about applying there after graduation.”

“I’m aiming for the Magic Association!”

As most students chatted about their dreams and expectations, not everyone could join in so freely.

Leo was the most notable example.

Sigh...

Leo furrowed his brow and let out a quiet sigh.

He didn’t usually look particularly cheerful, but today he seemed especially troubled.

Leo also knew about the upcoming field study.

And precisely because he knew, he couldn’t help but worry.

It was all because of a message he’d received not long ago.

[Leo. We’ve received word that Seorn will be heading to the capital this time.]

It was from the Liberation Army—an organization Leo was forcibly entangled with.

They had sent him an intel directive.

On the day the Seorn students headed to the capital...

They planned to move.

[The time for revolution is near. Our long-oppressed comrades shall rise.]

That message had left Leo clutching his head in anguish.

Because he knew all too well what they meant by “revolution.”