I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 798 - Side Story 71: Duke Lumos (2)

Rudger wondered if it was okay to do so and glanced at Hermoa. Thanks to Flora's advice, she seemed to have felt some kind of inspiration and was absorbed in it.

Among mages, when some gain enlightenment, they concentrate as if entrusting themselves to a certain flow, and naturally, one should not disturb them at such times.

Rather, it was right to leave the room so she could digest the enlightenment on her own, so Rudger left the lecture hall with Flora as she suggested.

"It will take several hours to digest that. Of course, her talent is so exceptional that it might be shortened even more. Either way, us being here won't help right now."

Today's lesson was essentially over. It didn't take that long, but Rudger wasn't particularly disappointed.

Because he knew that 10 minutes filled with sufficient enlightenment was far more valuable than a meaningless 1-hour lesson.

"Do you have any plans after this?" 

"No. Today's lesson was only for Hermoa, so it's essentially free time." 

"Oh, really? I happen to have time too, so since it turned out this way, how about we go to a café?"

At the mention of having free time, Rudger looked at Flora with slight doubt. Of all things, where would the head of the Lumos family find time to spare?

But since she said so herself, it would be ridiculous to express doubt about it, so Rudger nodded.

"Ah. It's been a while since I've been here. It's still the same after all these years."

As they walked through the campus and happened to spot a café, the two went inside. Flora seemed to have visited a few times before and muttered as if feeling nostalgic.

Rudger looked around the interior and realized it was surprisingly familiar.

'Come to think of it, this is a place I came to a few times when I first arrived in Theon.'

It had already been more than 4 years since he came here. Although many things had happened in the world during that time, there were things that remained unchanged.

The two ordered coffee and sat down. Beyond the railing, the campus of Theon was clearly visible.

The campus, which had passed early spring and now entered full warmth, was filled with fresh petals and green leaves.

Seeing the students gathered in small groups walking through the campus, he freshly realized that he had returned here again.

"How is it, teacher? Is life at Theon manageable?" 

"Since I did it before, there's no difficulty adapting. Especially since it's not regular classes but teaching special children." 

"Other teachers would find it harder to teach children with talents that would make them throw their hands up." 

"For me, this is more comfortable." 

"Hmm."

Flora made a meaningful sound.

"So, how is the work as head of the family?"

Flora had become the head of the Lumos family. With her exceptional skills, she succeeded in quickly erasing the traces of her father, the previous head, and solidifying her position.

But even so, there must have been many difficult matters for Flora. Although she had now grown into a proper head of the family, what lay beneath that were countless hardships and ordeals.

"Well, to be honest, it's not easy."

Flora didn't need to hide that part either and readily admitted it. If it were other people, she would have put on a mask and acted as if nothing was wrong, but with Rudger, it was different.

After all, wasn't he someone who had made a tremendous contribution to her becoming head of the family?

In fact, he understood the internal affairs of the family even more thoroughly than people of the Lumos family itself.

"Going around here and there, saying words and wearing smiles I don't mean is quite an ordeal."

Usually, nobles frequently encounter such situations from a young age, following their parents.

But Flora's case was an exception. Because she was an unrecognized bloodline, the previous Lumos head never once took Flora to external activities.

The only place Flora proved her worth was Theon. There, people became aware of Flora's existence and took an interest in her.

"Still, after doing this for a few years, I've become somewhat accustomed to it. I also received advice." 

"Advice?" 

"Duke Heiback helped me."

Heiback Kadatushan. Did that cunning old man help?

'It's not entirely strange.'

Heiback Kadatushan had a somewhat mischievous side, but his nature itself wasn't evil. Moreover, since he had finished succession to his child and stepped back into retirement, he had no restrictions on movement, so it would have been easy for him to have contact with Flora.

"Yes. Having a senior in life is a good thing." 

"That's right. A senior in magic and a senior as head of the family. In the past, I thought I had no fortune with people, but thinking about it now, that's not quite true. Rather, I'm better off than anyone."

Flora was young for a head of a family. It was closer to her unintentionally sitting in the position because the previous head, Kayden Lumos, had committed acts close to treason.

Naturally, there must have been attempts to devour the weakened Lumos in reverse.

However, Flora maintained the prestige of Lumos and stood tall as a proper head of the family.

There would have been Heiback Kadatushan's help in that, but that wouldn't be all.

'Rather, it was possible because of her own excellent skills and political acumen. Those without ability cannot digest help even when given it.'

The society of nobles was in a different sense no different from a wild jungle. Even while smiling at each other on the outside, they were sharpening sharp daggers behind.

If you show even a little weakness, you'll be devoured. That's the society of nobles. He wondered if Flora, who lacked experience in this area, could do well, but looking at the results, it seemed his worry had been needless.

"Now the family's affairs have stabilized, and I'm expanding my influence again. Of course, I received His Majesty the Emperor's help with this as well."

The current Emperor Aileen pushed out Kayden Lumos and seated Flora in the vacant position. Originally, the three ducal families were in a kind of balanced confrontation with the imperial family, neither opposing them nor completely joining hands with them.

But this time, Aileen succeeded in politically absorbing the Lumos family to her side by drawing Flora to her side.

'That's why Heiback Kadatushan is particularly kind to Flora.'

Rudger smiled slightly inwardly. Heiback doesn't oppose the imperial family, but he's not pro-imperial either. He's a more calculating person than one might think, so he would be wary of one of the three ducal families completely going over to the imperial side like this.

Because power tends to corrupt quickly the moment it leans to one side.

"Have you decided on a course?"

It was a short question, but one laden with much meaning. And Flora had grown enough to perfectly understand the intent of such a question.

"I did receive help from the imperial family, but I haven't forgotten the help of the Kadatushan family either. I'm not such an ungrateful person."

Flora said this and elegantly sipped her coffee.

So what Flora was saying now was that she would walk a tightrope between the other ducal family and the imperial family, gaining benefits from both sides.

Aileen's help was one thing, but that didn't mean she would pledge perfect loyalty to the imperial family.

It was a choice possible only by not being swayed by sentiment and properly drawing the big picture of what was rational.

"Excellent. Rather than your talent as a mage, aren't you even more outstanding in that area?" 

"Aren't you underestimating my magical talent too much? Even if I look like this, I'm a mage." 

"Yes. You've already achieved Lexer rank. Such an achievement at that age is rare even if you search through history."

At those words, Flora's eyes widened as if surprised.

"How did you know that? I was deliberately hiding it." 

"I can tell just by looking." 

"Haa. I was thinking of surprising you, but this is useless. That's right, I'm now a proper Lexer-rank mage too."

It seemed Flora had only recently crossed the wall of the 6th tier.

"Is there a reason to deliberately hide it?" 

"Because later, if the Lumos family's position becomes unfavorable, it'll be convenient to draw public attention by revealing my level." 

"Using even your own level politically. You've truly become the head of a noble family." 

"If anything, it's closer to not being particularly attached to my level as a mage."

Perhaps it was because she wasn't obsessed with becoming 6th tier that she was able to cross that wall.

"Still, as expected, I can't fool the eyes of a superior mage. I didn't know before, but now I understand how distant a level teacher is at."

When she knew nothing, Rudger seemed impressive, but after becoming 6th tier, her perspective changed.

She realized that Rudger's level, which she thought was just high, was high beyond imagination.

"So, is it awkward?" 

"No. Rather, it's the opposite."

Flora grinned. Flames were burning in her eyes.

"I wanted to be both a head of the family and a great mage who would remain in history. So I'm even more excited now."

Although she became head of the family, Flora's essence was ultimately that of a mage. At the fact that she hadn't lost but kept that appearance, Rudger nodded as if pleased.

"We've finished drinking, so let's get up." 

"Right. Ah, by the way, did you get assigned an office?" 

"Yes. It's the same one I used before." 

"Can I go see it?" 

"There's nothing particularly wrong with that."

Rudger headed to the office with Flora. Along the way, several students they encountered stared intently at the two.

To anyone watching, a distinguished-looking young man and woman were walking through the campus together, so naturally they drew attention.

Among them, a few even recognized Flora and covered their mouths with their hands.

"You're popular." 

"I've been in the top five of the most influential people of the year ranking every year. Being too famous is tiring though."

Flora swept her hair back with her hand, striking a haughty gesture. To Rudger, the fact that his former student had grown this much just seemed adorable.

Having arrived at the office like that, Flora naturally sat on the sofa.

"This brings back memories. I once fainted and woke up here." 

"Come to think of it, that happened. You won't do that this time, right?"

 "Goodness. What do you take me for? Do you still think I'm that naive student from before?"

Rudger shrugged playfully.

"Teacher. But isn't this a bit strange?" 

"What's strange?" 

"I've graduated now, and I'm no longer a Theon student. Isn't it a bit much to keep calling you teacher?"

He wondered what she was going to say, but it was about how to address him.

"Feel free to call me whatever you're comfortable with. I have no intention of forcing the title of teacher. You're an adult too, and you've even become the head of a ducal family, so I wonder if I should use honorifics with you instead." 

"But then wouldn't it feel distant? I'd like you to treat me as usual when addressing me. That's more comfortable too."

Sitting on the sofa, Flora propped her chin and stared intently at Rudger. How could he be so unchanged from before? It's as if he doesn't age at all.

"So, how do you want to call me?" 

"Hmm. Well. I thought about just continuing to call you teacher, but that would be too cliché, so I want to call you something different." 

"If you want to make it different, feel free to call me anything." 

"Then can I call you oppa? Ah, but then it would be too similar to Rene, wouldn't it? I'd like something a bit more radical."

Rudger silently stared at Flora. It was a gaze filled with the question of why the word "radical" was coming up when talking about forms of address.

"Because that's how I feel. If I call you Rudger-ssi, that also feels distant in its own way. Hmm. This is really troubling." 

"As I said, I don't really care how you call me." 

"You really don't care? Even if I call you 'you'?" 

"......"

'You.' Unless it was a pronoun to respectfully address a superior, this was usually a form of address used between lovers or spouses.

He tried not to react, but even for Rudger, this wasn't easy. Seeing Rudger hesitate for just a moment, Flora grinned mischievously.

"Ah. You surprisingly reacted. I thought you didn't care at all."

That expression of Flora's was exactly the same as when she asked questions during his first lessons. The expression of a mischievous child who found prey. Come to think of it, it's been a while since he saw this side of her, so it's nostalgic.

"Your teasing is a bit mischievous." 

"What if it's not teasing?"

Flora stood up from her seat and approached the bookshelf on one wall. Her white, slender fingers lightly brushed the surface of a book on the shelf.

Her tone and expression were even provocative as a bonus.

"If it's not teasing."

Rudger approached Flora, pushed her against the wall, and pressed one hand against the wall.

"Then I can be serious too, right?"

It was the posture commonly called kabedon.