Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 254: Seridan Ironfeet (1)

Ludger and Hans waited until night had fully settled.

No matter how tight the security, not everyone could stand guard through the night without rest.

Just as expected, once the day’s labor ended, over half the guards withdrew.

The ones that remained glared at the slaves with menacing eyes, their fingers ready on the trigger should anyone try something.

There had already been a precedent, so the slaves moved cautiously, doing their best to stay out of sight.

Most of the demi-humans captured and forced into slavery here had dead eyes.

For them, survival meant enduring just one more day.

But not every slave had succumbed.

There were those who harbored unwavering resolve to escape.

A will to survive. A burning desire to reclaim their freedom from this suffocating underground mine.

Even in this extreme environment, such people existed.

Seridan Ironfeet was one of them.

“Just you wait. I’ll blow this damned mine sky-high.”

In the dead of night, when everyone else slept...

Seridan, while outwardly appearing to obey her captors, was crafting a plan to escape this wretched mine.

A ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ revolt was out of the question.

After all, she was still a dwarf, small in stature.

Even if she held a hammer in hand, it would be no match against guns.

And the others imprisoned with her had long given up hope—there was no one to side with her.

More importantly, among the guards, there was a mage.

Even with a surprise attack, defeating a mage was doubtful. A head-on fight was hopeless.

So Seridan chose a different path.

“If I can just finish this.”

While mining rare metals, she had been quietly collecting metallic byproducts.

The guards were clueless, but Seridan, with her specialized knowledge, understood exactly what she was doing.

She’d been gathering ingredients for explosives—components that, with a bit more refining, could generate even greater force.

Over the last month, she’d steadily collected these materials and crafted bombs, avoiding detection from the guards.

“Just a little more.”

After an entire month of preparation...

Seridan, taking advantage of her small frame, had secretly installed the bombs in the narrow crevices throughout the mine.

Naturally, it required extreme caution.

These weren’t made in ideal conditions—one misstep and they could blow at any moment.

And if the explosive force wasn’t precisely calculated, the mine could collapse entirely, killing her as well.

To avoid that, she needed to perform delicate adjustments.

But there was no telling how long those adjustments might take.

It had already been a month. If she continued refining them, it might take twice as long.

By then, it could be too late.

The kind of people who kidnapped others to work as mine slaves might just decide one day to kill them all.

“Maybe it’s better to just—”

Just as she steeled her resolve—

“Whatever you’re thinking, now’s not the time.”

“...!”

A voice suddenly came from behind, and Seridan jolted.

She quickly turned around.

Standing there, where no one should have been, was a man dressed in black.

“H-How...?”

She knew the patrol routes and timing by heart.

Now wasn’t when the guards were supposed to pass through.

And it wasn’t like she’d let her guard down either.

She had always kept her senses sharp, in case of unexpected interruptions.

Yet she hadn’t even noticed this man until he spoke.

It was as if he were a ghost—no presence at all.

“Tch...!”

As Seridan reached for the explosive in her hand to detonate it, the man—Ludger—shook his head.

“Your spirit’s admirable, but if you set that off now, everyone dies. That’s not what you want, is it?”

“...It’s better than doing nothing.”

“Doing nothing, huh. You’re right in a way. In a situation like this, taking action is definitely better.”

“...Who are you? Judging by how you talk, you’re not one of them.”

Only then did Seridan realize something strange.

Now that she thought clearly, this man was clearly different from the others who guarded the mine.

Not just his clothes—but the very aura around him.

“Looks like you’re finally ready to talk.”

Ludger smiled at her.

“Let’s start by putting the bomb down.”

* * *

Seridan widened her eyes as she looked at the collapsed patrol team.

They weren’t just subdued—they were all dead.

The number of patrollers was no small figure.

And yet, it hadn’t taken long to eliminate them all.

What was more horrifying was that no one else had noticed.

“How the hell did you do that?”

“I took them out one by one. That’s all.”

Such unbelievable stealth.

To think the man who did it looked like some refined scholar—it made Seridan tremble.

“So what do you want from me?”

“I’ve been watching you since I got here. You’ve made quite the interesting device.”

Ludger held up one of the special bombs Seridan had planted.

He had picked it up while dealing with the patrols.

“You managed to craft this in such an environment? Even has a timer and a safety lock.”

“...So you knew?”

“Dwarves have skilled hands, sure. But they typically only deal with weapons and armor. For you to create a bomb like this—did you design it yourself?”

At those words, Seridan flinched.

Trying not to give it away, she forced a smug smile.

“You’ve got a good eye.”

“Which is why I’d like your help. I’ll free you and the others imprisoned here.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Can you help me blow this place up? I’d like your cooperation.”

Seridan blinked in surprise.

“You’re not suspicious of me?”

“Suspicious of what?”

“I’m a dwarf. And I’m making dangerous things like bombs.”

“You mean the explosives? I suppose that might seem suspicious... from a typical perspective.”

“A typical perspective?”

“Unfortunately, I’m not what you’d call a typical person. I don’t care for that kind of narrow thinking.”

So what if a dwarf made a bomb?

That’s what Ludger was saying.

To Seridan, it felt like a giant wave crashing over her entire body.

“...Strange. Not even the old folks in my village said that.”

Seridan was an unusual dwarf.

While others focused on hammers and anvils, she was fascinated by complex machinery.

Inventing, building, detonating.

It was still a form of crafting—but her kin didn’t see it that way.

They called her a weirdo. They pushed her away.

Seridan always grumbled about how no one understood her.

But deep down, she’d always longed for someone to.

Someone who would see what she made and say it was amazing.

That it was a once-in-a-century invention.

Someone who would praise her.

“Others might not see it—but I do. What you made is incredible. You have a remarkable talent.”

But this man—this stranger—had recognized her.

He said she had talent, even though her own people had called her crazy.

Seridan was overwhelmed with emotion.

She smiled brightly, like a child receiving the best gift in the world.

“You’ve got good eyes, nari.”

“...Nari?”

Ludger raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar title.

“Yep, nari. It suits you perfectly.”

“I don’t know why, but... being acknowledged doesn’t feel bad.” freewebnσvel.cøm

“So then, nari. What is it you want? Blow this place up?”

“Can you do it?”

At Ludger’s question, Seridan grinned.

“That’s exactly what I’ve wanted all along.”

At that moment, Seridan understood something.

All the scorn and mistreatment she’d endured until now...

It was to lead her to this moment.

To finally meet someone who would recognize her for who she was.

“Hans. I’m back.”

“Good. What’s the situation?”

“You’ve cleared the patrols, and we have around two hours before the next shift arrives.”

“What about the rest?”

“They’re resting in the barracks. Looks like they’re planning to drink heavily... Who’s the little runt?”

Hans blinked at Seridan.

Seridan shot him a glare in return.

“Nari. What’s that smell? Why does it reek of dog?”

“Who’re you calling a dog?!”

Hans snapped, feeling unusually sensitive.

Ludger shook his head.

“This is Hans. He works with me. Hans, this is... actually, I never got her name.”

“Seridan. Seridan Ironfeet.”

“Right, Seridan Ironfeet. I go by James Moriarty, for now.”

“For now, huh. So it’s an alias?”

“Yeah. Complicated circumstances. Can’t reveal my real name.”

“Whatever. I’ll just keep calling you nari.”

The two shook hands.

“By the way, Seridan, I have a question. After setting off the explosives in the mine—what were you planning to do?”

“The bombs? I didn’t really think that far. I figured once they went off, we’d all go out together in a blaze. Live once, go big, right?”

“...”

Ludger was very glad he had come when he did.

* * *

With two hours left before the next patrol,

Seridan and Hans made rounds through the prison cells, freeing the enslaved workers.

The captives, seeing what felt like a savior, lit up with hope.

When handed weapons taken from the guards, their eyes gleamed with renewed resolve.

Watching them, Ludger spoke to Hans.

“Hans. You take command here. Even if we’ve armed them, these people haven’t rested or eaten properly in ages. They won’t be able to fight well.”

“What about you, boss?”

“There are still dangerous elements left.”

The mage.

The one overseeing the slaves from deep within the mine was likely affiliated with the Kingdom of Delica.

And in that case, only one title came to mind.

War Mage.

Though officially called Combat Mages, these magicians focused not on study, but on using magic for practical warfare.

And there were three such mages stationed here.

“Anyone who ends up here is not someone to underestimate.”

Considering this operation was conducted at the national level, these war mages probably weren’t ordinary ones either.

“Why would people like that be here?”

“They probably can’t show themselves publicly. Caused too many problems in the military. If they’re here despite that, it means their skills were deemed worth the trouble.”

And now, in this place, there was only one person who could take them on.

“...Understood. Just don’t push yourself.”

“Don’t worry. Besides, I’ve been given something quite useful.”

Ludger showed the device strapped to his belt.

It resembled a gun, but instead of bullets, it was loaded with a sharp hook.

A prototype Wire Launcher Seridan had made for her own escape—now gifted to Ludger.

She said she didn’t need it anymore.

The moment Ludger saw it, he knew how to make use of it.

With further refinement, he could miniaturize it and hide it on his wrist for covert deployment.

“Alright, I’m going in first. Wait for the signal.”

“Got it.”

Ater Nocturnus.

Ludger cloaked his body in shadow.

The slaves watching from afar widened their eyes.

Then Ludger unfolded black wings like a raven and vanished swiftly into the depths of the mine.