I Got a Fake Job at the Academy
Chapter 432: The Time of Magic (3)

All sounds were muffled as if absorbed by cotton and the surrounding scenery was swept away like the receding tide.

All Rene could see was Rudger standing before her.

His appearance. His gaze. Even his movements.

Like a balloon filled with wind, sometimes excessive reality felt more dreamlike than dreams themselves.

Rene thought this was exactly one of those moments.

In a world of complete selflessness where even the sound of falling feathers seemed audible, the time of magic ended as quietly and naturally as it had begun.

"Ah."

The sounds of the world returned, and colors filled her vision.

The spotlight that had illuminated only the two of them disappeared, and the entire ballroom that had been dimly lit became bright.

Rene couldn't help but let out a sigh of disappointment.

‘Just a little more.’

Five minutes. No, even one minute would be fine—she wanted to savor this feeling longer.

Cruelly, Rudger's hand that had been resting on her waist fell away.

A chill and emptiness greater than the lost warmth washed over her but she couldn't ask for more here.

She had already pushed her luck unreasonably.

"Teacher."

Still, she had to ask this.

Rene stared intently at Rudger with eyes full of starlight flowing from her dress.

"Why are you so kind to me?"

Thinking about it carefully, it was strange.

Rudger had no particular reason to be kind to her but he had bestowed many things upon her.

Even someone as insensitive as herself could clearly feel it.

However, Rudger gave no answer.

Only the emotion contained in those blue eyes staring at her could be vaguely felt.

Before she could ask why he was looking at her with such eyes Rudger slowly stepped back.

Then, as if filling his empty space, women in dresses rushed toward Rene in droves.

"Hey, where did you get that dress?"

"Wow, look at the hem. It's really beautiful."

"To think you'd dare ask Professor Rudger for a dance. You're really something."

‘Huh? Huuuh?’

Rene was thrown into confusion, not knowing how to handle the attention flooding toward her.

"Wait a minute! Rene is my close friend!"

Erendir's urgent intervention only added to the confusion.

In the midst of this, Rene couldn't even think to stop Rudger as he quietly disappeared through the gaps in the crowd.

Rudger returned to the second-floor terrace of the ballroom, leaving the crowd behind.

At that moment, Selina approached him.

Beside her stood Merilda, her face even more gloomy after drinking from the cup of defeat.

Selina took a big step toward Rudger.

The fresh pink dress hem swayed gently in rhythm with her steps.

"Professor Rudger. Good work. Watching you dance was so breathtaking I almost stopped breathing."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Selina's face was quite flushed after watching Rudger's dance with Rene.

Even though she had only watched, it felt like an electric current was running through her skin.

While she couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like if she had been in Rene's place.

Her satisfaction from just watching was so great that any regret quickly vanished.

"...I thought you wouldn't dance in a place like this."

Merilda spoke in a subdued voice.

Rudger shrugged his shoulders lightly.

"It was a request from the Miss Contest winner. I thought it was worth granting as courtesy toward the victor."

"Victor. That's right. She's the victor. And I'm the loser."

At the word victor, Merilda's voice sank even heavier.

If left alone like this, she might continue to crouch in a corner by herself.

"Your friend seems to need consolation."

Rudger believed Selina would do that role well.

"Y-yes?"

Selina didn't know what to do as she watched Rudger brush past.

Originally, she had planned to ask Rudger for a dance even if she was second, but who knew Merilda's sore spot would be triggered here of all places.

In the end, while unable to do either, as Rudger moved away, Selina made a sad face but approached Merilda to console her with all her might.

"I-it's okay, Professor! There will be another chance next year! Professor Merilda has the charm of maturity!"

"...That's right. The only thing I have is being older."

"T-that's not what I meant."

As Merilda fell deeper into despair and Selina tried to comfort her while breaking out in a cold sweat.

Leaving the two behind, Rudger went out to the outdoor terrace.

As the hot atmosphere of the ballroom disappeared, the cool night breeze pleasantly swept across his face.

Looking up at the sky, the stars were slightly visible as the sky was particularly clear today.

Of course, it was nothing compared to the beauty embedded in Rene's dress.

"So. Did you follow me here because you have something to say?"

As Rudger muttered that, a new person revealed themselves in the outdoor lounge.

Rudger leaned his back against the railing as he turned around.

Freuden Ulburg, one of the few people who knew his past, and a youngster who was very hostile toward him.

Freuden was staring at Rudger with an expressionless face, but he couldn't hide the emotions churning in his eyes.

Of course, Rudger read those emotions but didn't bother to provoke them.

He just stared at Freuden silently with sunken eyes and Freuden flinched slightly.

There was something indescribable about Rudger's figure against the night sky beyond the terrace but he wasn't someone to be intimidated by others either.

The wolf of the Ulburg family was educated for this purpose.

'Hooh.'

Seeing Freden’s attitude of not backing down and standing up to his pressure, a slight interest flickered across Rudger's face.

Even when he was a complete youngster, he had potential.

Should he say he was the most noble-like noble?

At least he had a clearly different pride from other good-for-nothing nobles who just boasted about their status.

"So what's your business?"

"Are you really asking because you don't know?"

Wrinkles formed on Freuden’s forehead.

"You're the one who provided Rene with the dress, right?"

Freuden was already certain.

If that wasn't the case, there would have been no reason for Rene to keep glancing at Rudger during the event.

"Yes. I provided it."

Rudger admitted it straightforwardly.

"Is that a problem?"

"Think about what you did to Rene. Do you think this kind of behavior is acceptable? Or have you perhaps forgotten about that day?"

"..."

Seeing Rudger keeping his mouth shut, Freuden felt his anger rising unnecessarily.

"Let's say coming here was a coincidence. But why do you keep approaching Rene? If you really had any conscience, you should have deliberately ignored her."

"Is it wrong to be kind to someone?"

"When an enemy shows kindness, it's nothing but mockery. Especially when it's coming from someone who knows the truth, directed at a victim who has forgotten the past."

Under normal circumstances, Freuden would have retreated after this warning.

However, today he was different.

Though he didn't show it outwardly, his heart had already slashed at Rudger several times over.

"Quietly disappear. Or better yet, tell her the truth, if you really care about her."

"..."

"What, you can't do that? Yet you're kind to Rene, is it because of guilt over past events?"

"..."

"Say something in response!"

Freuden stepped toward Rudger and grabbed his collar with one hand.

"Is playing with people's hearts that entertaining?!"

"You youngster..."

With a voice like something hot boiling up from deep underground, Rudger strongly gripped Freuden’s wrist that was holding his collar.

"What do you know to talk like that?"

Despite the immense force applied to his wrist Freuden didn't turn his gaze away from Rudger even while grimacing in pain.

It was his pride both as a noble and as a man.

"While you claim to care for Rene and think about her, what do you actually know about her?"

"What?"

"You don't know. Because you're still just a young wolf who knows nothing. That's why you can make such bold claims."

"...What nonsense are you spouting?"

"Rene is terminal."

At those words, Freuden’s expression was painted with shock.

Freuden glared at Rudger with eyes full of disbelief.

"...Don't lie."

"This is why you're still a youngster. You don't even know how serious her condition is. Have you heard about Rene's magic?"

"...Only that it's non-attribute magic."

"Seeing your reaction while knowing that much, it seems you don't know the characteristics of non-attribute magic."

Rudger struck away Freuden’s hand but Freuden couldn't make any retort.

"Rene's magic gradually grows and destroys her body as it develops. The vessel that is her body cannot withstand the excessive power. If she cannot somehow expend it, it will eventually lead the user to death."

"..."

"The average life expectancy is around 25 years. Even living long, one cannot survive past 30. Moreover, even that life is accompanied by such great pain that death would be preferable, to the extent that a mother who loves her only daughter would choose the extreme path of suicide."

"...!"

Freuden drew in a breath at Rudger's final words.

"You asked what I know? I know everything. The truth of that day. Why did such things happen? And I'm searching for a new truth. A way to somehow resolve the symptoms of non-attribute magic."

Rudger, whose voice had been gradually rising, calmed his emotions with a small sigh.

"...I've been searching. Continuously."

"..."

"Meanwhile, what have you done? You who are still buried in only the surface-level partial truth, continuing to act emotionally—what can you do?"

At that moment, Freuden couldn't give any answer.

Neither a rebuttal to being pointed out by the person he most hated, nor even a clear acceptance that those words were true.

"Why."

Freuden’s pupils shook violently.

"Why didn't you say anything when you knew this?"

"That's why you're still a youngster. Would anything change if I spoke up?"

"What?"

"Then let me ask you. You now know the truth. Whether you believe it or not is up to you, but if you truly believe it, what choice will you make? Will you tell Rene the truth and say you'll cure her?"

"Of course..."

"Then how will you do it? What about the data on non-attribute magic that hasn't been uncovered until now? Do you think you, of all people, can break through an unsolved problem that has persisted for generations?"

If that had been possible, it would have been done long ago.

"You are a pillar of one of the Empire's three great ducal houses. Can you, who must lead your family in the future, be confident in moving for personal purposes for the sake of a mere commoner girl?"

More than anything else, these words gave Freuden the biggest shock.

Rudger was right.

While he vaguely thought he should help Rene, he hadn't been prepared to pour everything in by dragging his entire family into it.

'But this person.'

Though he didn't want to admit it, Rudger would try to improve Rene's constitution even if it meant using everything he had.

"If you're a youngster, act like one and stay out of adult affairs."

Rudger coldly rebuked Freuden.

He knew that Freuden held Rene in his heart but what awaited at the end was ultimately only tragedy.

That's why he thought it would be better not to know until the end.

'He ended up finding out anyway.'

But it didn't matter.

If this was what it took to break that youngster's will, it wasn't a bad method.

Now that he knew his place, at minimum, if he was someone who knew how to use his head, he would give up on his own.

However, Rudger slightly underestimated the person called Freuden.

"Fine. I'll do it."

At Freuden’s voice muttering as if declaring to himself, Rudger's eyebrow twitched.

The atmosphere of the guy he thought would be frustrated and despairing had changed, if only slightly.

"I said I'll do it."

"Are you serious?"

"I told you. I'll do it. I have no intention of taking back words I've spoken."

Freuden shot an intense look at Rudger and his eyes no longer wavered.

"You called me a youngster? I'll honestly admit that part. As you said, I'm still lacking. So I'll move in my own way, befitting a youngster."

"..."

"And I'll defeat you in a way that everyone can see."

Freuden’s response was something Rudger hadn't expected at all but the enthusiasm churning in his eyes and the intense passion felt in his voice was complete sincerity without a trace of falsehood.

'I thought he was just some youngster who was only hostile toward me.'

Is this what makes him a man despite that?

"Try all you want, youngster."

Then I'll accept that challenge.

Rudger sneered at Freuden before returning to the ballroom.

Freuden remained standing in place, staring at the night-stained sky.

However, his eyes burned more intensely than ever before.

As Freuden was about to go back inside, he ran into Flora who was coming this way.

"...Flora Lumos."

Just as he was about to pass by since they weren't close anyway, Flora opened her mouth.

"You were more passionate than I expected."

"..."

At those words, Freuden stopped in his tracks.

"...You were eavesdropping?"

"Unintentionally."

"Why? Are you trying to console me?"

"Console? Me? Ha!"

Flora lightly snorted.

"As if I would! I was just surprised. I didn't know you liked that Rene girl so much. I never even imagined you liking anyone in the first place."

"What about you? Didn't you follow Rudger Chelici all the way here?"

Flora and Freuden stared at each other silently.

While that gaze was by no means friendly, it also contained a slight sympathy of fellow sufferers toward each other.

Flora snorted with a smirk.

"I'm not worried."

"...You've changed."

"I had good reason to. Can't act like a child forever."

"Is that so?"

Freuden muttered that and started walking again, leaving these final words behind.

"Same here."

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