Ludwig sat in the dim light of his room, surrounded by the ancient tomes he had managed to obtain from Van Dijk’s library. The words on the pages were familiar now, but one name seemed to stand out among the rest: Hcilhcra Algad. The author’s name was scrawled on nearly every cover, and Ludwig couldn’t help but feel a strange pull toward it.
“I should look him up more,” he muttered to himself, flipping through the pages. The dates were odd—many of them spanning centuries, and yet, they all seemed to align with a singular purpose, as if this writer had been crafting his legacy for lifetimes.
“That’s… old,” Ludwig thought, tracing his fingers over the worn edges of a particular book.
When the last rays of daylight finally faded, Ludwig stood, stretching his limbs. His training in Imperial Swordsmanship had become second nature. He moved through the drills with a fluidity that spoke of both his undead nature and the discipline he had forced upon himself. He would not allow his status as an undead to define his limits. Hours went by as he trained.
[Your Imperial Swordsmanship Proficiency has increased!]
With a sigh, he dropped the wooden sword, satisfied with his progress.
If he was a normal human being, usually that would be where he would rest, but since he is an undead, he continued reminiscing about the battle he had with Thomas. He knew that he did good, and also knew that although he had killed a person, he didn’t feel much. Nothing in fact, it felt almost natural to him, as if he was eating chicken. A predator feels no remorse feasting upon prey. And as an Undead, their enemy is all that breaths life.
A knock echoed from the door, dragging Ludwig from his musings. He straightened, his hand immediately reaching for the hilt of his wooden sword. He didn’t need to be told twice that this could be trouble. After all he had no friends in this academy. So who would come knocking?
“Who is it?” Ludwig called.
“It’s me…”
Ludwig scowled. “What kind of answer is that? Do I know you?”
There was a pause, then a hesitant voice. “No, but I know you. You’re the one who killed Thomas.”
Ludwig’s blood—if he had any—ran cold. He yanked open the door, his hand grasping the intruder’s collar before he even saw who it was. The young man stood before him, looking terrified, his robes marking him as one of the academy’s mages.
“W-wait! Please!” the young man stammered, eyes wide with fear. Ludwig’s gaze bore into him, searching for any hint of a threat.
The recognition hit Ludwig like a bolt of lightning. This was the same mage who had been tossed aside like a ragdoll when Ludwig first entered the academy.
“You…” Ludwig growled, his voice low, threatening. “What do you want?”
Ludwig used [Inspect]
Status Screen
Name: Hoyo Drak
Title: Fallen Noble
Level: 15
HP: 1500
Currently under the status effect: [Grafted]
“Grafted…” Ludwig muttered and that immediately caused Hoyo’s face to turn white from fear.
“H-how did you know?” he uttered completely petrified.
‘This was something that seemed to be a secret I think’ Ludwig’s mind began turning.
“Seems like you also hold a secret… and you still want to threaten me?” Ludwig said.
“I… I’m not here to threaten you,” the mage said, fear evident in every syllable. “I’m here to thank you.”
Ludwig’s grip tightened instinctively, his eyes narrowing. “Thank me? For what? Killing Thomas?”
The mage swallowed hard, trembling under Ludwig’s intense gaze. “Yes, for that. Thomas was a monster—a noble who used his position to bully and torment people. He thought he could do whatever the hell he wanted just because of his family’s name.”
Ludwig’s grip on the mage’s collar didn’t loosen. His voice was a low, dangerous growl. “And what makes you think I give a damn about your problems with him?”
The mage’s face paled, but he held his ground, desperation in his eyes. “Listen,” he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not here to blackmail you, if that’s what you think. If I wanted you in trouble, I’d have gone straight to the dean the moment I found out. Hell, I wouldn’t be here risking my neck if I wanted you dead.”
Ludwig’s eyes narrowed further. “Then what are you doing here?”
The mage exhaled shakily, trying to calm himself. “Look… Thomas made my life, and the lives of a lot of other people here, a living nightmare. He’d target commoners, fallen nobles, anyone he thought was beneath him, and he always got away with it. Everyone knew, but no one did a damn thing about it because of his family’s influence. So yeah, when I saw what happened to him… that someone finally stopped him…”
He paused, taking in Ludwig’s cold expression. “I’m here to thank you because that bastard finally got what he deserved.”
Ludwig’s gaze remained hard, unreadable, as he considered the mage’s words. Finally, he let go of the boy’s collar, shoving him back just enough to create a small space between them.
“Did you tell anyone about this before coming here?” Ludwig asked.
“No I haven’t told a soul, I swear upon the name of my house Drak!”
“Then I might as well get rid of you now and there will be no more eyewitnesses!”
Hoyo raised his hands defensively as Ludwig’s gaze hardened. “No, please! Hear me out,” he said, his voice urgent. He took a careful step back, putting a bit more space between them. “Thomas had an older brother. He’s a third-year student and likely this year’s Valedictorian. Compared to him, Thomas was… absolute trash. But his brother doted on him, and now that Thomas is dead, you can bet there’s going to be an investigation. They’ll stop at nothing to figure out who killed him. You should lay low.”
Ludwig’s expression turned dark, a sinister smirk creeping onto his face. “this only furthers my need to eliminate you. Otherwise who else would know that I was involved!”
Hoyo’s face went pale, and he stumbled back, his eyes wide with fear. “N-no,” he gulped, trying to keep his voice steady. “If you kill me, it’ll only make things worse. It’ll point all suspicion your way. You don’t understand—everyone knows about Thomas’s bullying. I was his last target before you, but I was in the infirmary until tonight, I only happened to witness him chasing after you from the clinc’s window since it oversees the training ground and the forest… So, I can account for my whereabouts, but you… You were alone with him on the training grounds near his death location. And they found traces that the corpse was afflicted with [Exhaust] shortly before death. And word’s already spreading that you used [Exhaust] on him yesterday. the two who followed Thomas had spread it.”
Ludwig clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. “fuck…”
Hoyo nodded grimly. “Exactly. If you don’t tread carefully, you’re the prime suspect. They’re not going to let this go. I’d seriously consider getting the hell out of here while you still can.”
Before Ludwig could reply, a loud, thunderous voice echoed through the night outside the dormitory, its volume sending a ripple through the walls.
“LUDWIG HEART! GET THE FUCK DOWN HERE!”
[Since you’re an Undead, you resisted the Fear Effect.]