Academy’s Undercover Professor-Novel - Chapter 107

ACADEMY’S UNDERCOVER PROFESSOR

[Translator – Alice]

[Proofreader – ilafy]

Chapter 107 – The Impending Shadow of the Past (1)

“…But isn’t it a compliment if they say that you look like the first princess?”

“What on earth did you take my words as? I told you that my older sister is a dangerous person!”

Elendil still felt chills in her body when she remembered her older sister, the first princess.

She’d gone far to Sören to avoid her older sister’s attention and oppression, but Elendil’s fear of her older sister remained like a scar deep inside.

It was for that reason Elendil didn’t feel that pleased when she’d first seen Ludger.

That professor resembled her older sister.

“…Hmm. I don’t really know.”

Even though Ludger was really a dangerous person, Lynne didn’t exactly feel it.

Obviously, it was true that his first impression was so scary that it was hard to even approach him, but it was easy to find out that he wasn’t someone like that once she shared a conversation with him.

‘He also saved me in a dangerous moment.’

When she got in a quarrel at the training grounds, when the werewolves attacked her, and when she almost got caught in the attack of the flame giant at the banquet hall…

Ludger had saved her.

He’d even given her advice related to non-property magic, and he’d also lent her the book which stated the method on how to use such magic.

‘Oh? Now that I think about it like this, I… only received things from Professor Ludger, I didn’t do anything for him.’

Obviously, there was a difference in the status of students and professors, but no matter how there was a difference, if she only received things like that and couldn’t do anything for him, there was bound to be a problem.

‘What should I do for him in return?’

She thought about it for a while, but she couldn’t think of any particular gift.

She didn’t think Ludger was someone who would even need anything.

Most of all, she was eating with Elendil, so she didn’t have time to think about anything else.

“Anyway! Lynne! Watch out for Professor Ludger. Do you understand? You should!”

“Oh, yes… I’ll try.”

“Pheew. Then it’s okay.”

“Rather than that, are you okay now, Senior? It seems like you’ve been very busy since the exam, though.”

“…A little bit. Rather than that, can you not talk about the test?”

Elendil avoided Lynne’s gaze as if she had been bothered for some reason.

She’d wanted to show a cool appearance as a senior, but she’d been heavily embarrassed because she had bombed the exam completely.

Even the maids of honor who followed her nagged her a lot of times, telling her to study so she could protect the dignity of the imperial family.

Because of that, it was also distressing that she couldn’t meet her friend, Lynne, that she had only just recently become friends with.

“Hmmm. Even so, it’s okay now. There’s certainly guaranteed free time as well.”

Of course, if she ruined the next exam, it would be worse than than, but that was a problem for the future.

“Ah, yes.”

Somehow, the more Elendil spoke confidently, the more anxious Lynne came to be.

Just because she had that kind of feeling, it didn’t mean she had committed an imperial blasphemy, right?

“So, are we going to continue eating together next week as well?”

Lynne suddenly remembered that she had made an appointment with Freuden some time ago for a meal.

She didn’t think it would be all right for her to overlap the appointments.

She thought that it was necessary for her to convey earlier whether she would have a meal with Freuden if it was all right or delay their lunch together until next time.

“Well, isn’t it going to be hard when our classes don’t overlap with each other? And next week… Hmm. I’ll be busy then.”

“Do you have something to do?”

“There’s a huge auction next week at the Kunst auction house, but they’re begging me eagerly to go there.”

Elendil was indeed a princess, but she didn’t particularly like such a formal occasion.

However, the problem was that the auction being held by the Luke Company was held so large that it attracted a considerable number of key figures from other countries.

Even in the Empire, people who fit such an event should go there, and there was no one else who was suitable and had leisure time except Elendil.

At least, she wasn’t someone who had the type of personality to ignore the responsibilities of the status that she possessed.

So it would definitely be a troublesome and annoying place, but she had no choice but to visit it as a princess.

“You are having a hard time as well, Senior.”

“Are you worried about me? Thank you.”

“Ehehe. No problem.”

“Still, I’m worried about you. Without me, aren’t you going to be alone? You have to eat alone, too.”

“Yes, well…”

She couldn’t tell Elendil that there was someone else whom she’d met as the girl was  looking at her with a genuinely sad gaze.

—Because it seemed like Elendil was looking at her as a ‘fellow’ who had no friends.

If she said, “I have someone else to eat with except you, though?” right there, how would Elendil react?

‘Let’s not do it.’

She didn’t want to say it, not even out of curiosity.

“Anyway, have fun and take care.

“Senior. Don’t get hurt like I did.”

“You are really… It’s just a place that I simply have to visit to make an appearance and stay there briefly. The Kunst auction house is also famous within the Exileon Empire, so their security is outstanding as well.”

Elendil shook her hand while telling her not to worry.

“Don’t worry. What could happen there anyway?”

* * *

Lyne de Bruneau, the capital of Exileon Empire…

In the center of the great city, a white and magnificent imperial castle, which was shining dazzlingly as it was basking under the sunlight, was deeply rooted to the ground and entrenched there.

The audience chamber that occupied one part of the imperial castle…

In a dark place where light did not enter properly, and where a dreadful shadow was cast even in broad daylight, a woman entered.

She was a beautiful woman with fierce eyes and long silver hair that grew up to the waist.

“Did you call me?”

Terina Lionhowl, the Lord Protector.

She bowed her head as she knelt down toward the person who’d called her.

“Hmm.”

However, there was no response from the other person.

Terina protected her place while bowing her head silently.

The face of the person sitting on the top seat of the audience chamber couldn’t be seen. Since there was a shadow cast upon the person, all she could see was a part of the lower body and the right hand, which was receiving a bit of light.

The white and slender hand moved the chessboard’s pawns next to her here and there.

Tak.

After placing the last pawn soundly on the chessboard, the owner of the audience chamber opened her mouth.

“I heard that the investigation failed.”

“I’m deeply ashamed of myself.”

“It’s an amazing thing. I can’t believe that the Lionhowl was unable to make out head or tails of the case and came back.”

At first glance, it seemed like she was speaking in a tone of voice that blamed her for her abilities, but that wasn’t the case.

The owner of the voice was purely admiring the fact that she had failed.

“I’m deeply ashamed of myself, Your Majesty.”

“It’s alright. Lift your head.”

When she gave her the permission, it was only then Terina could lift her head.

“So you really couldn’t find out anything?”

“I have certainty that there was some kind of experiment, but—“

“You don’t know anymore than that, I see.”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

The owner of the voice seemed to contemplate for a moment, and then she moved her hand again and grabbed a chess pawn.

It was a white knight.

“The werewolf incident in Leathevelk.”

She muttered while slamming a black pawn on the chessboard, knocking it down.

“The death of billionaire Belfort Ricksen.”

Then she pushed another black pawn and knocked it down.

“The wreckage of a factory that was burned to the ground.”

Tak. Another black pawn fell.

And when the white knight reached the end of the chessboard…

Her relentless hand stopped moving.

Because, on the chessboard where there should have been nothing, there was a pawn blocking the path.

“Hoo.”

The plan had gone awry.

If it had gone as she had planned, Terina would have figured out the true culprit of the incident and caught the tails of those behind it.

But the flow had been cut off as if someone had cut it with scissors.

“So there was a disruptor, someone I can’t even guess at.”

“…If you say a disruptor.”

“The one who interfered with your investigation and concealed this incident.”

The owner of the audience chamber placed the knight pawn on the chessboard.

The one in front of the white knight was a black king.

The knight was blocked by it and failed to advance.

Just like Terina Lionhowl, who had encountered an obstacle in the investigation.

“You, who originally had to end all cases smoothly, have failed. It is my mistake.”

The woman’s voice was full of a somewhat joyful tone as she said that.

Terina was inwardly surprised by that.

What she had just heard… The owner of the audience chamber said that she had made a mistake through her own mouth.

She was someone who treated everyone in the world like pawns on the chessboard and controlled them.

And in fact, she had enough power and talent to do so.

Because Terina had at least never seen her declare her failure until then.

“I don’t know when the last time this happened was. I didn’t expect a disturbance that I couldn’t foresee at all would interfere.”

“Has something similar happened before?”

“Yes. Ah, that was the time when you were not here yet.”

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s not a big deal. It’s a story from  when I was still insignificant and couldn’t get ahold of my power properly yet. I was still young back then.”

She had the authority to wield the National Accredited Security Department Agency with one of her hands, as she had them under her thumb.

She hasn’t had such a huge influence from the beginning.

Just like everyone else, she also had a time when she was alone.

“I, who had not yet fully achieved my power, absolutely had no choice but to seek help from the outside to increase my power.”

“Outside, you said?”

“Ah. Don’t overreact too much. Even from the outside, it had nothing to do with other countries. I’m certain you won’t get entangled with them, Nightcrawler Knight Commander. Because the person I received the help from was a wanderer who had no place of origin.”

“That makes me even more confused. wanderer? Are you saying that you received help from such a person, Your Majesty?”

“Yes. I did.”

The first princess did not deny it.

—Her own past and her own inadequacies.

“Even though I didn’t have the strength at the time, I opened my hand to someone. It’s a funny story.”

The owner of the audience chamber and someone who had been decided to be the next emperor of the Empire…

Eileen von Exileon, the first princess.

As she recalled the past, her golden pupils curved  like the crescent moon within the shadow.

Someone whose position was second to none.

As the superwoman who remained aloof and had a strong pride while standing on her own said that she was helped by someone, Terina couldn’t believe it.

“Terina. So you’re thinking that I’m joking, I see.”

“…No.”

“What a stern answer. I don’t mean to blame you. Because if I had said those words through my mouth, no one would have believed them. I must be that kind of existence for all of you right now. But this is a definite fact.”

The first princess, Eileen, carefully lifted the black king.

“Lord Protector.”

“Yes. Your Majesty.”

“You know about the military pretty well right?”

“I don’t know much, but I’m confident that I know about them.”

“In the past, more than five years ago, the military had prepared a coup.”

“…Pardon?”

First princess Eileen shook her hand, at Terina who asked back in surprise.

“Listen quietly. It’s something thats nothing more than history. Anyway, the main culprit of the case was Marquis Tetheron, who took control of the military. As he seemingly had senility in his later years, after he made up his mind to become emperor of the Empire, he secretly formed a military corps under his command and attempted to launch a coup.”

“He was crazy, I see.”

“Indeed. But what’s even more surprising is that the maneuver almost succeeded because my incompetent father, who was worn out by peace, had absolutely no idea about that fact, and I, who knew about it, didn’t have any men under me yet.”

How could such a first princess stop the Marquis of Tetheron, who had taken control of the military?

“Terina. Do you know anything about Black Ops?”

“Aren’t they special forces that operated in secret within the Empire?”

People thought that the Nightcrawler Knights Order of the Security Department was a group that handled the most dangerous and dirty work, but that was wrong.

In fact, there was one more organization unbeknownst to them.

If the Nightcrawler Knight Order was to deal with the dangers within the empire…

These Black Ops were the ones who secretly did their activities beyond the territories of the empire and in the other countries.

“Among the Black Ops, there was an Alpha team that consisted of only the most dangerous people.”

“That alpha team…”

Eileen laughed low at Terina, who mumbled like that

“No.”

“What do you mean with no?”

“What you’re thinking about. That I was handling the Alpha team in Black Ops. It’s wrong. It’s the opposite instead.”

“What do you mean, the opposite…?”

“The Marquis of Tetheron who attempted to launch the coup was the one who handled the Alpha team of Black Ops.”

The Black Ops team who didn’t have any traces and only existed as the shadow of the empire…

Among them, there were six people from the Alpha team that had been established first and were the most veteran.

“There’s a person who eliminated the Alpha team alone.”

“…What?”

Fighting with Black Ops all alone?

Terina didn’t understand those words.

The Black Ops team was made up of a small number of people, but each of them was a person who had the nickname of ‘human weapon’.

Unlike the knights, who only received formal training, they had been polished by real battle, and they were also people who possessed a unique strength which hadn’t been accepted well in the world.

But someone had eliminated such a team alone?

“At that time, I was still a bit of a greenhorn who couldn’t hone my talent compared to the current me, but even so, I had the eye for the flow of the war.”

“…I see.”

“I could see everything about the coup, the people who secretly supported the coup, and the people who couldn’t be aware of anything and lived stupidly and how they would move, but that guy… couldn’t be seen.”

Just like the black king that she currently grabbed.

He’d appeared all of a sudden like a ghost haunting in broad daylight, and he’d suddenly disappeared like a mirage.

“I asked around afterward, but I couldn’t find him. But now I have a thought all of a sudden. The person who abruptly disappeared at that time… perhaps he’s this person who appeared now.”

“Who on earth is he? The person who helped Your Majesty in the past.”

“I don’t know. Hedidn’t tell me his real name in the first place. It’s all just a false name to hide his true identity.”

The first princess recalled the false name and laughed interestingly.

“Jack the Ripper, that man introduced himself like that.”

“Jack the Ripper…”

Jack the Ripper…

But there was no way Jack was his real name.

Because Jack there was only a word that represented an unspecified name and had a meaning of ‘anyone’.

Because of that, the man who introduced himself as Jack the Ripper was just someone who had the name of anyone that killed people.

No matter how they looked at it, it was a really insincere fake name.

But if he was a skilled person who’d killed the whole Black Ops team that was the core power of those who’d attempted to lead the coup…

At that time, the meaning of the name would be different.

“Hohoho. It became more interesting, I see.”

“Your Majesty?”

Terina Lionhowl was confused after she read the delighted emotion that was shown within the first princess’s eyes.

Because the woman who always thought that everything was a bother and always got bored had laughed for the first time.

“It still hasn’t been properly revealed yet, but the fact that he left his traces like this… it means that it was surely ‘that person’.”

“Are you saying that the person called Jack is making a move again?”

“I don’t know whether it’s a yes or no because I’m not someone who knows about everything. But isn’t it fun for me to not know?”

The delicate laugh of Princess Eileen resounded quietly throughout the interior of the audience chamber.

Her eyes shone sharply.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

* * *

“Hm?”

Ludger, who was reading a magic thesis that was submitted from the magic tower in his office, felt something ticklish in his ears.

‘Is someone talking about me?’

It wasn’t a big deal anyway.

Soon after his mana decreased, there had even been voices that’d called for him persistently.

‘Tsk. Damned God’s possession.’

After he’d consumed mana pills, he’d felt the voices subside again.

Ludger thought that it was insignificant and directed his stare toward the thesis again.