I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 637: Unforgotten Grudge (2)

Flora Lumos was staying at the Theon dormitory.

Amid the great turmoil in world affairs, even Theon couldn't be completely free from it.

As a result, all classes had stopped, and most students had to either return home or stay quietly in their dormitories.

However, Flora's situation was different.

She was somewhat forcibly confined to the dormitory.

Even at the entrance to her dormitory, someone sent by her family was watching her under the pretext of protection.

The clever Flora knew that things were flowing in a strange direction.

Especially her family, the Lumos family's movements were unusual.

'Where is Father diverting the family troops to?'

After the demon incident, the Lumos family showed movements completely different from those of the Empire.

Unlike their name as one of the Empire's three great ducal families, they did not follow the Empire's will and instead joined hands with the Holy Kingdom of Bretus.

She knew that Kayden Lumos was a fervent believer in the Lumensis religion, but even so, he wasn't someone who couldn't distinguish between public and private matters.

'Father is trying to start something. Could he possibly be planning to rebel against the Empire?'

She couldn't just stay put like this.

But there was a problem: the watchful eyes outside.

'People sent by Father.'

Normally, Theon should have prevented this in advance, but after the demon incident, Theon's administrative capabilities were virtually paralyzed.

External help couldn't be expected.

Flora immediately slipped out through the dormitory window.

Her magical skills, which had become even more extreme than before, made the watchers beyond the door completely unaware of her escape.

Flora tried to slip away quietly, hiding her body as much as possible, taking advantage of the darkness.

'Oh no.'

However, Flora, who was trying to move secretly through the grass, had to pause.

There were people nearby.

Their positions showed clear signs of being deliberately placed, not just passing by chance.

From the way they kept glancing at the dormitory, their intentions were obvious to anyone.

'They're monitoring from outside too.'

Flora felt a chill run down her spine as she realized that her family's reach extended all the way to Theon.

'I haven't been discovered yet, but I can't escape from here either. What should I do?'

Fly away with flying magic?

Even though it was night, she couldn't avoid attention with flying magic under the bright moonlight.

Should she surprise them with magic?

But if she attacked people with magic inside Theon, the matter would become even bigger.

She couldn't make a hasty decision in a situation where she didn't know how many more watchers there might be besides those she could see.

No matter how much she pondered, she couldn't find an answer.

But why?

Suddenly, the smell from that day came to mind.

There had been an incident where several people went missing in the Theon forest.

At that time, Flora had been walking in the middle of the night and smelled something peculiar from the empty air.

When she headed somewhere, drawn by that smell, the person she encountered was Rudger Chelici.

'That smell from back then. It was definitely magic.'

Flora closed her eyes and concentrated her mind.

She didn't know how to do it. She knew neither the principle, nor the process, nor the result.

She was merely vaguely imagining, recalling the smell from that day in her mind.

Even though she knew it was realistically impossible to replicate someone else's magic, Flora strangely felt that she could do it well.

'I remember it. The magic that Professor Rudger showed me.'

That's what she was implementing.

When Flora opened her eyes that she had closed her body was covered with black shadows like a mirage.

The color visible to the eyes and the scent felt at the tip of her nose were exactly the same as back then.

'I succeeded!'

Flora clenched her fist at the fact that she had implemented the magic she encountered that day.

Though she vaguely thought it might work, after actually succeeding, Flora realized that the clues to the next level, which had been vaguely visible until now, became clear.

This was truly remarkable.

Flora's implementation of magic was not based on thorough reason and calculation, but on her senses.

Eyes that see the color of magic and a sense of smell that can detect the scent of magic.

She had managed to identify the sensations of magic through smell and vision and implement something similar, a truly unbelievable talent.

A flower bud that would normally never bloom had blossomed through Rudger's teaching.

'With this, it's possible.'

Flora realized that the watchers spread around hadn't discovered her, and boldly passed between them.

"Huh? What was that?"

"Did something just pass by?"

"Stop talking nonsense and focus on surveillance. What are you saying when there's no one here?"

After passing the watchers, Flora could only release the magic after she had gone far away to a place without people.

As soon as she released the magic, considerable fatigue washed over her.

'My goodness. The magic consumption is extremely severe.'

This level of consumption even though she hadn't maintained it for very long.

How could Rudger use such magic so frequently?

Still, she was fine for now, so Flora composed herself for a moment and moved secretly, taking advantage of the darkness of night.

Now she just needed to escape Theon and return to Leathervelk.

As she was thinking that, Flora unexpectedly encountered someone.

Sheryl Wagner was standing in front of her, as if she had been waiting.

"Flora."

"Sheryl, you......"

The moment Flora saw Sheryl's eyes full of sadness, she realized that her uneasy imagination had become reality.

"Are you planning to stop me?"

Sheryl knew that she would escape today and even which route she would take if she sneaked out because the two had been friends for a very long time.

"Orders came down from the Lumos family. To keep you confined as is."

"Why me?"

"The elders didn't explain the details. But they say you've been tainted by the power of demons."

"......"

Flora bit her lip finely.

Tainted by the power of demons was an extravagant claim, but not entirely wrong either.

After all, Flora Lumos had once had her body temporarily taken over by the demon Basara.

Thanks to that, or perhaps because of it, after Basara disappeared, her body became even more optimized for magic, and her already excellent magical abilities improved a level further.

It was from that time that her hair color changed from navy blue to something closer to black.

'But how did they...?'

At the time when Flora's body was taken, she was surrounded by a black storm.

Because of that, no one recognized who the owner of the storm was.

She thought she hadn't been discovered since she didn't show herself. Rudger had told her to keep it secret, and there hadn't been any particular mention of it afterward.

But it was a mistake.

Even if the priests of the Lumensis Order didn't know, other excellent high priests who came to Leathervelk could sense the faint demonic power remaining in Flora's body.

It was not hers, and it was gradually disappearing with time, at the level of a few embers left among ashes.

But someone of Cardinal rank could easily see through even that.

Even without meeting her directly, just by sensing that energy from a distance.

'I was careless.'

This news had reached the ears of her family members. Flora seemed to understand why her family members were trying to confine her.

It was not to protect her.

Rather, considering Kayden Lumos' temperament, the purpose of the surveillance was the opposite.

'Father is trying to punish me directly.'

Until now, even though she was an illegitimate child, they had left her alone because she was officially their bloodline, but now it was different.

They now had a clear justification to expel her.

Flora stared at Sheryl with a stern face.

"So you're thinking of capturing me?"

"The family elders will have already found out that you escaped from the dormitory. Flora, please don't make this bigger than it needs to be."

As if Sheryl's words were true, shouts could be heard from far away.

"If it were the old Theon, they would have protected you. But the current Theon can't do that. The aftermath of this demon incident was too great. Moreover......"

Professor Rudger isn't here either.

Sheryl swallowed her words.

"Flora. So, please don't resent me too much."

Flora's eyes trembled.

Just as she was resolving that she couldn't avoid a fight with Sheryl at this point.

"If you keep going straight, there'll be a carriage waiting."

"......Sheryl?"

"Take that and go. If I don't come, you can leave first."

"What are you......"

"That's what I mean."

Sheryl smiled playfully, showing her teeth to Flora.

"I prefer being Flora's friend rather than a member of the Wagner family."

"......"

"So hurry and go. I'll try to buy some time for the people coming from behind."

"......Thank you."

Flora left, and Sheryl faced the pursuers coming from far away with a determined face.

"I should be able to buy some time, at least."

When she arrived at the place Sheryl mentioned, there really was a carriage.

Flora immediately boarded the carriage.

She waited to see if Sheryl would follow, but Sheryl never came.

She wanted to go back right away and help her, but that would only dishonor Sheryl's sacrifice.

"Driver, sir."

Flora was about to ask the driver to depart.

Until the driver's figure suddenly slumped sideways.

"......!"

The driver was already dead.

Startled, Flora immediately drew her staff and entered a defensive stance.

An impressive reaction speed considering her age as a student.

But her opponent was an even more seasoned veteran.

People who had been hiding in the darkness around the carriage appeared one by one.

They were wearing pure white garments and had now surrounded the carriage.

'The Lumensis Order!'

The Lumensis Order people sneaking into Theon in the middle of the night like this?

Even more surprising was their stealth.

'These aren't ordinary priests or holy knights!'

Flora sensed that they were the ones who handled the dark affairs of the Order.

"Flora Lumos. Where are you going in the middle of the night? That's not where you should be headed."

A man with a cold impression, dressed in white, spoke.

He already knew everything about Flora trying to escape.

Flora pondered as she looked at him.

Just as she was wondering what to do, the opponent entered into his next action, as if not intending to leave Flora any room for thought.

"You had a foolish friend."

As the man spoke and gestured, the priests brought in the subdued Sheryl.

Flora, who saw this from inside the carriage, widened her eyes.

'Sheryl!'

She had no idea Sheryl would be subdued in such a short time.

"If you don't want your friend's life to be in vain, get out of the carriage right now and disarm yourself. Even though you're of Lumos blood, this is the only opportunity I'll grant you. If you don't."

The man drew a sharp knife from his waist and put it to Sheryl's neck.

"I will execute you on the spot, by my authority."

"......"

"Don't make this bigger than it needs to be for just one person. This is the last mercy I can give you."

Flora opened the carriage door and came out.

Seeing this, the man sneered.

"Hmph. So you're not completely stupid. Yes. How much better it would have been if you had been like this from the beginning."

"Let Sheryl go."

"Worried about your friend? That's admirable. However."

It was then that killing intent filled the man's eyes.

"Traitors must be cut off at the root."

"No!"

Flora shouted as she realized what the man was trying to do, but it was already after the blade had been swung towards Sheryl's neck.

At that moment, as Flora was in shock.

-Clang!

The white blade was cut in half and bounced away.

Sheryl was fine, and instead, the Lumensis Order man who had swung the sword opened his eyes wide.

His eyes were directed towards Flora.

More precisely, right beside Flora.

Flora also turned her head in that direction and was startled.

"Professor Rudger?"

Rudger Chelici was standing beside Flora, though no one knew when he had appeared.

"Mercy, you said?"

Rudger spoke to the man.

"It seems that priests these days call swinging a blade at the neck of a child who can't resist 'mercy.'"

"Who the hell are you!?"

"Who am I? You people should know me better than anyone. Or should I introduce myself?"

Rudger, who hadn't been clearly visible in the darkness, deliberately revealed himself proudly under the moonlight.

The man who recognized him widened his eyes.

"You, how could you! You shouldn't be here!"

"That's not what's important."

Rudger shook his head and glared coldly at the priests surrounding them.

Though they wore the disguise of priests, they were the Order's special unit that specialized in killing people.

Rudger declared to them.

"How dare you touch my students at Theon. You've got some nerve. I'll return your words right back to you."

"What are you all doing! Attack together!"

"I will show you mercy."

Magical power whirled around Rudger's body like a storm.