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Today was a horrible day.
In fact, for heaven's sake, what if we just erased this day from history and the timeline? I think that would be a perfect solution. At least for Ludger Cherish. Or rather, Heathcliff van Brutus. Why? Because of that stupid mana shortage! As if he didn't have enough problems already, now he had to deal with this! And how did it all begin, you ask...?
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A wonderful start to the 4th month at Ceoren Academy. Birds are chirping, the sun is shining in all its glory, and the plants in the garden are trying not to be outdone. Winter has arrived, and all these plants are beginning to wilt, but some are still holding on. There's the smell of snow in the air and a false warmth from the sun. Bad news, Ludger didn't realize the sun was lying. The result? He arrived at his office shivering. He had a difficult lesson today and couldn't afford to waste his time, especially since Bellaluna had delayed preparing the medicine. The poor elf was suffering from illness due to the changing seasons, meaning he would be confined to bed for a week.
Sedena was waiting for him in the office, and as soon as Ludger entered, she greeted him with a good morning and handed him a cup of freshly brewed hot tea.
"Everyone's sick, Professor, we can't afford to lose you too!"
Ludger honestly thought he was exaggerating. He wished he hadn't. Why? A few minutes later, a message from the headmistress, Elisa Willow, explained. Chris Benimore had taken sick leave, and Ludger was supposed to fill in for him. What was worse? Benimore had taken sick leave! Ludger had to force himself not to utter a few curses under his breath. He sighed deeply and took a sip of his tea.
- "Your class starts in ten minutes, Sedena, you can leave."
These words, spoken without lifting her head, were clearly what her assistant had been expecting. Sedena was sometimes too embarrassed to even admit it, so she was late for class. How did Ludger find out, you might ask? Through complaints. Yes, they complained about his assistant's mistakes as if Ludger were her mother. But did it work? Absolutely.
Now all the paperwork was up to him. Damn you, Benimore. Benimore had more classes and, teaching upperclassmen, required more practice. That meant more mana. Ludger pulled the pillbox from his pocket and started counting. 1...2...3...4...5. Wait, five? Ludger barely managed to keep himself from jumping in fright. He was going to be using magic constantly for a week and he only had 5 pills? God help him, the man who sometimes took five pills a day now needed to take 5 pills in a week. Bellaluna had said the pills would be ready in a week to a week and a half. God help Heathcliff van Brutus, because no one else will.
In this way, the two classes first gave practical lessons to the first and second-year students. Flora's knowing, understanding gaze, alongside Aidan's baby-cat eyes, was quite funny to Ludger, but he wished it hadn't been. Performing the same spells three times in class wouldn't normally be a problem, but this wasn't. He held his breath, counted to three, and calmed himself. There were still the third and fourth-year students to go. He tried to explain as theoretically as possible until Julia raised her hand.
- "Professor, you're a professor who teaches us practical skills even in your first class. I don't mean to overstep my bounds, but why are we dealing with practical subjects theoretically?"
"Damn it. Damn your intelligence and attention, Plumheart." As murmurs of agreement and contemptuous glances began to come from the students, especially the noble students, Ludger slammed his hand on the table to silence them all.
- You're right, Miss Plumheart. So, everyone write their name, their best element, and their best spell on a piece of paper. I'll randomly call you all one by one from the list and ask you to perform your spell. You'll get points for that.
And the deathly silence Ludger wanted in the classroom. Why couldn't they always be like this? It would be so nice to have some peace and quiet, so Ludger could finally have some peace and quiet.
Damn it again, but this time it was Ludger's idea. While giving everyone oral exams, Ludger was meticulously identifying each student's weaknesses, sometimes demonstrating them by doing it himself.
By the end of the lesson, he was practically drenched in sweat, and not all the students were finished yet.
- The lesson may be over, but the rest will get their grades in the next lesson.
Ludger was the first to dart out of the classroom and almost ran to Benimore's class. They barely finished the theoretical part because he had to get to know each student individually. Thankfully, they barely finished because he had classes with the 6th and 7th graders that afternoon.
He managed to get down to the cafeteria at lunchtime and sat down with the other professors. He felt nauseous from lack of mana, but he couldn't risk fainting if he didn't eat something. So, while he was absentmindedly eating his lunch, a sound woke him up.
- Professor Cherish... Professor Cherish? Professor Cherish!
Ludger jumped at the sudden sound, dropping the spoonful of salad he was holding. When he looked up, Professor Celina and Professor Brino were looking at him with somewhat worried expressions.
-Ah, you finally got back to us, Professor Cherish! For a moment we seriously considered calling for medical assistance; we've been calling you for about two minutes!
That long? Maybe he should have left the overthinking for later.
-I'm sorry, Professor Celina, I was a little distracted.
Celina opened her mouth to reply, but Brino was faster.
-You also teach Professor Benimore's classes, don't you? It must be tiring for you, Professor Cherish.
To be honest, Ludger found the name too long; how did they not get tired of pronouncing it? Hans, constantly changing his identity, had stopped memorizing names and started calling him "Leader," and the others had followed suit.
Ludger decided to act a little dramatic so they'd leave him alone.
—Ah yes, kids can be a bit tiring sometimes, especially the ones who aren't quite adaptable.
Ludger was the only Professor at the school who, despite teaching upperclassmen, also accepted lowerclassmen, so everyone knew. Dramatic behavior? It worked, and they left Ludger with his dropped spoon, untouched fork, and soup. Damn it.
The 6th and 7th year students, while more respectful, were also more malicious. Their eyes followed him like a cat following a mouse, so Ludger seriously considered thanking Benimore for taking them in.
When classes were over, Ludger didn't even stop by his office, wading into the freezing cold once more and heading to the house assigned to him. After throwing up the little soup and salad in his stomach, he struggled to keep himself from swallowing a sneeze, and after making sure his alarm was set, he fell asleep.
The next day, and the day after that, passed similarly, but more exhaustingly. He had finished by Wednesday and had three pills left. Frankly, he was secretly proud of himself, until what happened in the last class.
Again, first and second-year classes, and again, practical work. Ludger had hung his jacket on the classroom coat rack and was teaching, unaware that some of the girls were gossiping about how handsome he was. Why couldn't he tell? Because the girls in his class were now writing down their gossip on pieces of paper, making it difficult to tell if he was actually taking notes or just gossiping. Especially for the tired Ludger.
Nevertheless, the lesson somehow progressed, and it was time for the fire spell. If only it hadn't.
Ludger was happy that it was the last few minutes of the last lesson when one of his students, who thought himself very clever, decided to try the spell without knowing it. The result? Disaster.
The spell bounced off the coat rack and slowly made its way towards the classroom door. Luckily, Ludger noticed it immediately and extinguished the fire with his last ounce of strength. Then, deathly silence again. And Ludger's deadly glare. At least, that's what he called it to Hans and Alex, and whenever Ludger got angry, he'd give those "deadly glares"—think of the glares Sedina gives her father in chapter 135 of the webtoon.
- Who cast that spell?
Still silence.
- I asked a question, answer me!
Ludger had never raised his voice so much in class before, and he looked furious. Worse? Still silence.
"If you don't tell me who did this, or if that person doesn't confess, I'll make the exams harder and deduct at least 10 points from all of your grades."
"Is this a joke?" "No." "And is the wizard who did it known?" "No."
"So... no student in this class will pass with a perfect score until the person who did it is revealed. Class is over."
Ludger stormed out, ignoring any protests, leaving a terrified class behind. His entire jacket was burned, and it was the only one he had with him. Worse? The mana pills were in his jacket pocket, and they were burned too. God have mercy on those who will face Ludger Cherish, because Ludger, who was now seething with anger, wouldn't.
As soon as he got home, Ludger told Alex to bring as many sweets as he could. Why? Because strangely, sweets were the only thing that gave him energy similar to mana pills. Of course, they couldn't even be considered a substitute for mana pills, but desperation demanded it, didn't it?
When Alex got home, Ludger was still glaring deadly at him, so Alex, thinking of his own safety, just left the sweets and went. Three packets of brownies, four cups of puff pastries, five packets of pudding, and finally, exactly eight packets of ice cream. Ludger, who believed in the saying "If there are no pills, there are sweets," finished the pudding and brownies that night, and yes, it worked, but in what sense? His mana level was still close to zero, but at least he wasn't angry anymore. Ludger, who took a day off that night, only arrived at school five minutes before class and didn't even go to his office. He was still dizzy, nauseous, and tired despite sleeping all night, but there was nothing he could do. No pills, no energy. Today was even worse than Monday. Because classes were almost non-stop. On average, there were eight classes a day at school. The first three classes were for 1st and 2nd graders, the next two for 3rd and 4th graders, then lunch break, and the remaining three classes were for 6th and 7th graders. I guess Headmistress Willow plotted to assassinate him. Of course, she was going to make him work all week and then kill him with Benimore, but the bad news is Ludger has no intention of dying young. He may be 27, but I think he's still young. No, he won't accept that he's old until he's forty and his hair is all gray.
When the day ended and he somehow got home, Ludger was convinced he was truly old. His knees trembled, and his vision blurred. Why? Because everyone seemed determined to test his patience today! In the first few lessons, he'd had to demonstrate all the spells at least three times again – damn it, they'd covered them on Monday, how could they forget so quickly!? Ludger sometimes felt like he was teaching aquarium fish, not students. And then? A fight broke out between the 3rd and 4th graders, and he'd have to separate them. Of course, with magic, otherwise these kids would be deaf. No, Ludger wasn't even a short man; sometimes Granger would say he was like a stick and tell him to eat more, so they should recognize a Professor when they walk through the door, right? But of course, Ludger had to use magic. He locked his office during lunch break, even gave Sedena permission to sleep, and went to sleep. During the next three lessons, while demonstrating magic practices, his vision started to blur, so for almost the first time, he taught in his chair.
But he consoled himself. Just one more day. Then he would sleep uninterrupted for two days and commit suicide by swallowing ten mana pills at once. Yes, exactly like that.
But unfortunately, plans didn't go as he wanted, of course. If fate had ever been on his side, he wouldn't have been Brutus in the end, would he?
This Friday was truly awful, and thankfully today he only had classes for first and second-year students. Then he would breathe a sigh of relief and run home. At least, that was the plan.
As soon as I entered the classroom, there was silence because after Ludger's outburst on Wednesday, students were falling over twice even while asking questions, let alone casting spells without permission. Ah, I think they'd rather fight a dragon than be subjected to Ludger's full fury. The first lesson went smoothly, but in the second, Ludger could barely stand. His vision kept blurring, his hands trembled, and sweat poured down his back. As he was writing something on the board, a hand rose from behind him, and Ludger gave him permission to speak. Without even looking to see who it was.
- "Sir, could you please do what you're describing theoretically? It's difficult to understand the theory without seeing it in practice."
The red-haired girl looked at him with a touch of fear. Ludger almost jumped out the window. The harmony of air and fire was a difficult spell and required a lot of mana. Did Ludger have that much mana? No. Did he have to do it? Yes. Wishing the answers would be reversed, Ludger stood up and placed his jacket on the table because the burnt coat rack hadn't been replaced yet.
"Of course, Mrs. Priard."
If only it were a no. He slowly began to perform the spell, and the class continued to watch him in admiration, until he was halfway through. At that moment, the last thing Ludger felt was an intense ringing in his ears, the students calling out to him, and a sudden blackout. A sudden pain in his head stopped all those sensations.
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When Professor Cherish collapsed, Lynne was the first to react. She quickly ran down the classroom stairs and checked his pulse.
- Someone go find another teacher! Quickly!
Clearly, Flora Lumos was expecting this. Why? Because the man was fading away day by day. The intense scent of mana was diminishing and becoming less noticeable. Not to mention the professor's other physical condition. When the man entered the classroom, Flora was shocked because his mana was almost nonexistent. What surprised her even more was that Tessy agreed to have the spell cast. While Aidan ran outside, she went to the professor's side. High fever, fainting, and trembling. Yes, just as she suspected, mana depletion.
Some students watched in fear, while others looked at the man with contempt. Then a sound was heard.
- So... did she faint while performing the spell she described?
She was one of the nobles, but Flora didn't know which one it was because she was furious, blood rushing to her ears. Just as she was about to turn around and cast a spell at him, Headmistress Elisa Willow's voice was heard from inside.
- I advise you to know your place; you don't even have the same level of work as Professor Cherish.
All the condescending eyes from moments ago had vanished. Elisa quickly walked to the Professor lying on the floor and knelt down like a student.
- How long has he been unconscious?
- It's been about a minute and a half, sir...
Flora intervened.
- It's been 1 minute and 38 seconds, now 39.
The principal was about to lift the man up with a quick nod when a new voice was heard from behind.
- It's partly my fault that the professor is in this state, may I have permission, Principal?
Chris Benimore, who appeared to be on leave, was standing right behind him. Lynne and Flora jumped for a moment, but Elisa seemed to know he was there.
- We thought you were excused, Professor Benimore?
- I decided there was no need to be lazy now that my illness had ended early, Headmaster.
Elisa stepped back slightly, and Benimore bent down to recognize the man lying on the floor. Then he turned to the class.
- Get out! Right now, all of you!
As he said this, Flora and Lynne were watching, and out of fear, all the students left the classroom in less than a minute. Then Benimore and the Headmaster continued.
-I heard the Professor pushed himself too hard during a week with so much practice. There are even rumors that the class drove him crazy on Wednesday, but I hadn't spoken to him.
Chris felt a pang of guilt when he heard this. To be honest, he'd left the guy alone during a very tiring week, and he knew how awful the 6th and 7th graders could be. Even though he looked down on the guy for being a fallen noble, he knew he'd taken the 6th and 7th graders himself so he could handle them more easily. He was going to settle the score with the 4th and 5th graders in class on Monday anyway, but now he hugged Cherish like a princess and started carrying her up the stairs, which were off-limits to students. Headmistress Elisa was still following them, her face clearly filled with worry. So, a Professor had fainted in the middle of a lesson at her school; if anything happened to him, the journalists would be the first to demand an explanation, wouldn't they?
When they arrived at the infirmary, instead of wrapping him in a blanket, the nurses gently dismissed Elisa and asked Chris to remove the man's shirt. Why? Because, since there were no toxic cells to expel during mana depletion, his body was uncontrollably overheating, creating an almost uncontrollable fever. Therefore, the nurses were going to try to cool him down by applying cold Complex to his forehead, wrists and ankles, armpits, and neck. But why was the task of removing the shirt left to Benimore? Because he was a man, and the nurses were quite frail, neither of them had the strength to lift Cherish. After giving Benimore a thin sheet to cover him with later, they both left to prepare the cold water.
Benimore sighed deeply, hoping Cherish wouldn't curse at him when he woke up. Yes, Benimore had more classes, but dealing with first and second-year students? Even for just one day, he'd probably be silently cursing Cherish in his head.
When he took off his shirt, Benimore's face paled in shock. First, the man was definitely more muscular than he looked; second, there were his scars. Sometimes he really forgot that Cherish was a former soldier. Luckily, without noticing his back, he covered him with the thin sheet, called the nurses, and left. He still respected Cherish's privacy.
This event dropped like a bomb on the school's agenda. Gossip groups were practically celebrating, all sorts of claims and absurdities were circulating. Some even said the professor had cancer. But what was worse? No explanation was given that day. Because the professor hadn't woken up. Professor Merilda and Professor Brino went to visit him, but the nurses wouldn't let them in because they said his condition was critical.
That night, Ludger woke up with something being poured down his throat.
- Good job, don't strain yourself...
Ludger opened his eyes, but his vision was still blurry, yet he recognized those blonde locks anywhere. And without thinking, he spoke.
- Mother…?
Granger paused at the name. It had been years since Heathcliff had called her Mother. Granger had been aware of Heathcliff's condition from the beginning, but she hadn't expected him to be so reckless. That's why she decided to intervene when his mana level was almost zero and he was on the verge of falling into a coma. A portion of her blood would be more than enough to heal him. So she waited until midnight, knocked out the nurses, and began caring for her son herself. When Heathcliff called her Mother, a part of her heart warmed again.
- Mother, is that you?
- Yes, it's me.
- Will you stay tonight?
- I'll stay even if you don't want me to.
- Thank you...
Then Heathcliff's eyes closed again, and he drifted off to sleep. Granger, as he had said, stayed. She changed the cold bandages on his head several times and watched how his blood was doing him good. In the morning, she left a letter and a bottle in Heathcliff's pocket. She ruffled her stepson's hair one last time and disappeared.
The nurses who woke up in the morning were shocked by Ludger's sudden recovery, but still wanted to keep him for another day for safety. Many visitors came that day. More visitors than Ludger had expected. Sedena was the first to arrive, piling a lot of chocolate and tea on Ludger's desk. Ludger, stroking the girl's head several times, had to remind her that she wasn't dead. Then came Professor Celina and Professor Benimore. Benimore didn't mention what had happened yesterday and instead apologized on behalf of her students. When the two left for class, there was a bouquet of white roses on Ludger's desk. They were followed the next break by Flora Lumos, Lynne, Aidan's gang, and some other students. As the day drew to a close, Ludger's desk was full, and he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he ever actually fell into a coma. Principal Willow had given him a week's leave, which he could extend if he wished. She would even teach all his classes in exchange for compensation.
The last night, as he was preparing to go to sleep again, the window opened to the outside. The nurses had gone to their rooms, and Ludger was alone. Although he was scared for a moment, it was none other than Hans, Alex, Bellaluna, Arpa, and Violetta. The monster man couldn't have come because the window wouldn't leak. The whole team, especially Hans and Bellaluna, pretended he was dying, then chatted for half an hour, giving him updates on the situation, and left.
That night, Ludger woke up again, but this time the person standing over him was Surna, the Zero Command, whom Ludger equated with the Grim Reaper. Ludger didn't know if it was because of her intense aura or from exhaustion, but he couldn't fully open his eyes. Surna was talking to someone while standing over him, but Ludger couldn't understand. Then, when Surna and Ludger made eye contact, Surna smiled at him. After that, Ludger didn't remember anything. The next morning he woke up breathless, but he was alive.
At least for now.