Hugo swallowed dryly.

There was only one reason Ludger would come to see him, and he knew it.

‘He knows everything.’

His eyes darted nervously as he considered how to escape this situation.

Should he deny it? Cut off the tail and blame someone else? Or claim he’d been forced into it under Ranpaltz’s threats?

Hugo’s mind raced.

But Ludger had already read every thought running through his head.

Even when cornered, this man’s first instinct was to plot an escape.

How typical.

“Let’s stop wasting time, shall we? Hugo Burteg. I think you know very well why I came here.”

“That’s...”

“Or shall I say it myself, as the Chief of Planning? That you took Russell Ranpaltz’s money and tried to act as his mole inside Seorn?”

“......”

Hugo clamped his mouth shut.

He knew instinctively that anything he said now would only make things worse.

Ludger smirked inwardly.

As expected, when it concerned his own survival, this man’s instincts were sharp—like a canary in a coal mine.

“Hugo Burteg. Did you enjoy your old position of power that much? Enough to bow to outsiders and become a loyal dog?”

“......Watch your words.”

“Watch my words? That’s something you should be doing. Do you not realize what position you’re in? You’ve been caught red-handed.”

“Evidence. Yeah, where’s the evidence? Do you have proof I made any kind of deal with Ranpaltz?”

Hugo almost laughed. There couldn’t be any.

No way could Seorn dig up proof—not even Ludger, as Chief of Planning, had the authority to look into his bank accounts.

This was all just circumstantial.

But then Ludger casually held up a piece of paper in front of his face.

“You didn’t think there would be, but Chairman Russell clearly thought otherwise.”

Russell had been kind enough to keep records of the money he gave Hugo.

At the sight of it, Hugo’s face went blank, as if he’d seen a ghost.

“H-How... how...?”

“You should have chosen who to trust more carefully. Did you think Russell Ranpaltz would just let you go after using you? The moment you struck a deal and became his obedient dog, you put a leash around your own neck.”

Maybe Hugo had realized that from the beginning and simply chosen to live high and mighty in Seorn anyway.

Better to rule over a sandcastle than to be a faceless soldier in a fortress.

“I... I...”

Hugo trembled, realizing there was no way out.

Before, he might have salvaged the situation by cutting off the noble-faction teachers who were his allies.

But not this time.

“Hugo Burteg. Do you know why the Headmaster and I left you alone all this time?”

At that unexpected question, Hugo looked at him, puzzled.

“We didn’t leave you alone because you were hard to deal with. If we wanted, we could have removed you anytime.”

“Th-That’s impossible.”

“Believe it or not, it doesn’t matter. We let you stay because we needed someone to keep the nobles in check.”

“What... what are you saying?”

“Hugo Burteg. You’re not a great teacher, nor an exceptional mage. But when it comes to faction politics, you were a necessary evil.”

Hugo had been the focal point for the noble-faction teachers.

If he had been expelled, the noble-faction teachers would have risen in uproar.

The only reason he had kept his position this long was because the Headmaster didn’t want to stir up a hornet’s nest.

“Among nobles, no matter what you did wrong, they would have tried to cover for you. Blood runs thicker than water, after all.”

But this time, involving Russell Ranpaltz was something even the nobles couldn’t cover up.

“If you had kept your head down, your chance might have come eventually. But why did you go out of your way to bring ruin upon yourself?”

Ludger’s mocking tone finally broke Hugo’s patience.

“What do you know?! Do you have any idea what it’s like to be a noble and watch commoners waltz into Seorn?!”

“Was that the problem?”

“Problem? Of course it’s a damn problem! These are people who, in the past, wouldn’t even dare meet our eyes, let alone enter Seorn! And now they not only come in openly but dare to stand equal to nobles!”

To Hugo, magic was a privilege, a proof of superiority reserved only for the chosen.

Only nobles were meant to learn and wield magic.

Allowing commoners to do so was unthinkable.

Watching that privilege stripped away over the years was like bleeding out through his eyes.

“......”

Ludger just looked at him, unmoved.

There was no point arguing.

No matter what he said, Hugo would never accept it.

Their lives had been too different.

Hugo had grown up in comfort, fed on noble arrogance since birth.

Telling him, “The world has changed; you must change too,” was asking him to deny his entire life.

And when faced with such a reality, most people resisted change violently.

They’d claim they were right, that others were wrong, that the world itself was wrong.

This was no different from any generational conflict.

“Damn it! It’s all your fault! If it weren’t for you and that damn Headmaster, this wouldn’t have happened! Why, when you have such privileges, do you bother giving them away? Is it just to brag that you’re some generous, noble soul?”

Hugo spat his rage, but his voice soon weakened.

Realizing how futile it all was, he slumped into a nearby sofa.

“Damn it. Damn it all... I didn’t climb this high for things to end like this.”

“Whatever you lived for, whatever effort you put into it—I don’t know, and I don’t care. And I doubt you care about us either.”

“......”

“You don’t know what we’re trying to do or what we want to achieve. You never cared. So what does it matter? Let me put it simply.”

“Simply...?”

“You lost. That’s the only truth that matters. Isn’t that the simplest thing in the world?”

“......”

“No grand mission, no noble cause. We fought, I won, and you lost.”

Hugo’s eyes widened.

“That’s how the world works. You lose, and it’s over. Nothing is more straightforward than that.”

“Damn it...”

Hugo couldn’t deny that.

He slumped into the sofa, shoulders sagging, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

“Ha... damn it. So that’s it, huh? It’s already over.”

Finally, he looked at Ludger with eyes filled with resignation and regret.

“So what now? Are you going to take me to the disciplinary committee and have me expelled from Seorn?”

“That’s one option.”

“There’s no better one than that. But there will be people who won’t like such a decision.”

“Your punishment has already been decided. I’m just here to inform you.”

Which meant that, whatever it was, expulsion wasn’t necessarily guaranteed.

“Hugo Burteg. First, congratulations.”

“Congratulations? Are you mocking me?”

“At the very least, you’ll still keep your position as a Seorn instructor.”

“What?”

Hugo’s cheeks twitched in disbelief.

He should have been fired on the spot. How could he possibly keep his job?

“Of course, your salary will be cut, and funding for your classes and research will be drastically reduced. And you’ll relinquish all authority over research facilities and club budgets.”

“Hah.”

In truth, all that remained of Hugo’s position was the title itself—his arms and legs had been cut off.

Even if the head and torso remained, could that really be called living?

But Ludger knew Hugo Burteg all too well.

A man like Hugo would want to survive—even like this.

“......Is that the condition?”

“Why? Do you think it’s too generous?”

Hugo nodded silently.

It seemed an explanation was in order.

“At first, I considered expelling you completely. But I soon realized it would be meaningless.”

“Why?”

“Because even if we removed you, sooner or later another Hugo Burteg would appear.”

Hugo didn’t argue. He understood perfectly well {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} what that meant.

Even if Hugo were expelled and the teachers opposing it left one by one, those vacant positions couldn’t simply be filled with commoners.

If they were, noble support for Seorn would diminish, and noble students would stop coming altogether.

Besides, removing him would send a message to the outside world that Seorn had internal problems. That cost would be far too great.

“Then...”

Hugo’s despairing expression shifted slightly, a glimmer of hope returning to his face.

But Ludger crushed it with a dry remark.

“Don’t be too pleased. You’re not staying because you did well.”

“......But, is there really anyone who can replace me?”

“There is.”

Ludger smirked and gestured toward the door.

“Come in.”

The office door opened, and someone stepped inside.

Hugo’s eyes widened in shock.

“C-Chris Bennimore?”

Chris ignored Hugo’s unspoken question—Why are you here?

Instead, Ludger answered.

“Hugo Burteg. From now on, Chris Bennimore will take over your position.”

“W-What?”

“He’s a noble like you, from a family of equal standing, and he’s considered more moderate. He’s perfect for the role.”

Hugo turned to Chris, as if asking for denial, but Chris simply nodded.

“That’s how it turned out.”

“Chris... Why? Why would you...?”

“We can’t keep wasting time on meaningless internal conflicts, can we?”

“Meaningless... conflicts?”

Hugo was visibly shaken that even another noble—one of his own faction—would reject him like this.

But Chris had no intention of taking his words back.

He had seen, with his own eyes, the dangers lurking outside.

The underground sewer battle had shown him how dangerous the world truly was.

And how weak the students would be if they were caught in it.

That was precisely why Ludger had chosen Chris for this role.

There had been no coercion—Chris Bennimore had accepted the offer willingly.

Hugo finally staggered out of the office, his steps hollow, his face lifeless.

His days of glory were over. From now on, he would live like a scarecrow within Seorn.

But he had no one to blame but himself.

This was the result of his choices.

“Will it be alright to leave him like that? He might do something drastic.”

“No. He’s too obsessed with self-preservation to do anything of the sort.”

“You really do see right through people. It’s almost frightening.”

“Thank you for the compliment. And congratulations—this office is yours now.”

The spacious office that had once belonged to Hugo Burteg was now Chris Bennimore’s.

“Hmph. I never wanted this in the first place.”

“Still uncomfortable about how this played out?”

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. But I’m not going to cling to things the way Hugo did. He went too far, and I agree with the outcome.”

Even if he understood it logically, his emotions lagged behind.

After all, they had once been allies—friends, even if only for political convenience.

“Well, at least I’ve repaid my debt.”

“What debt?”

“For letting me meet her again. I still owe you thanks for that.”

His tone was still begrudging, but the quiet joy in his voice was undeniable.

“......Ah, I see.”

All this trouble just for the chance to meet Bellaruna again.

Ludger shook his head, as if he couldn’t understand Chris at all.

* * *

The [Mystic Night] was about to begin.

Though he would be gone only for a few days, Ludger decided to make one last inspection of Royal Street, just in case.

Since dealing with the Pablo family, no suspicious individuals had shown up.

In fact, after absorbing Ranpaltz, more people had come forward seeking alliances, wary of Ludger’s growing power.

‘Not bad.’

Declining Hans’s offer to accompany him, Ludger stepped out into the streets under the night sky.

Just a few blocks away, the streets glittered brilliantly despite the dark weather.

Which made the street where Ludger stood feel even darker by comparison.

“......Well now.”

No, it wasn’t just a feeling.

It wasn’t that it seemed dark—this entire area was unnaturally dark.

At some point, the pedestrians had disappeared.

A late-night visit, then.

Ludger turned his head, meeting the gazes of uninvited guests who had silently surrounded him, all wearing green robes.

A faint breeze carried a distinct scent.

The sharp, earthy smell of fresh plants.

“Quite the long trip for you people.”

So they had finally come—

Elven assassins, confident enough to believe he still had the luxury of being at ease.