Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 211: The Ancient Language (2)

The next day.

Ludger summoned six applicants to the laboratory.

“Starting today, you will undergo clinical research for one week.”

The seated students listened attentively to Ludger’s words, their expressions a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

“Before we begin, you were all given a mana examination in advance. The results are listed here on this chart.”

The mana check had precisely recorded how much mana each student possessed and their maximum output capacity.

“Based on this record, we’ll measure how much your mana output increases over the next week and document it in detail. And the person who made this opportunity possible—the Headmaster herself—will be assisting us.”

“Hello, everyone.”

Elisa Willow, the headmaster, waved her hand and spoke in a gentle tone.

The students looked at her with confused expressions, wondering, ‘Why is the Headmaster here?’

The main reason the six students were tense was her unexpected presence.

“The Headmaster specifically requested to observe in person. Since this research is possible thanks to her support, I hope you all welcome her with gratitude.”

The students gave a half-hearted applause.

However, the Headmaster wasn’t the only observer present.

“Oho! To witness such research firsthand!”

It was Lushek, from the New Mage Tower, who had handed Ludger his business card during the Magic Festival.

Also present were a mage from the Old Mage Tower and another from the School Alliance.

Altogether, there were four observers including the Headmaster.

Lushek’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

On the other hand, the mages from the Old Mage Tower and the Alliance still looked visibly skeptical.

Though they were attending as observers, both seemed to wonder whether this would truly proceed as simply as it sounded.

“Before we begin the experiment, I’ll explain exactly how it will proceed. The method I’ll be using starts by suppressing the participants’ mana.”

“By suppressing... you mean taking the special potion you mentioned before?”

Aidan raised his hand and asked.

Standing in front of the magic board, Ludger nodded.

“Correct. Of course, some of you might be wondering how that would lead to increased output. So, take a look at this.”

Ludger projected some prepared material onto the magic board.

Twisting, irregular fragments that still had a sense of structure.

To the students, it was a completely unfamiliar language.

“What is that...?”

“It’s a language over a thousand years old. Larsil.”

Even after the explanation, Larsil was still a foreign term to the students.

The ones who reacted instead were the observers.

“Larsil? Don’t tell me that text actually explains the method?”

“But Larsil hasn’t even been deciphered yet, has it?”

As the confusion spread, Ludger calmly continued his explanation.

“Technically, what I’m about to say is closer to an Ancient Language lecture. I won’t be teaching how to decipher it, so I’ll just highlight the main points. Look here.”

Larsil was inscribed on the laboratory’s magic board.

“As you can see, the structure is chaotic. Larsil has an inherently complex linguistic system, which is why it eventually died out. A language has to be at least intuitive and concise to be learnable. Take this example.”

Even a simple greeting like ‘Have you eaten?’ changed in nuance over ten different variations.

“Larsil has virtually no commonality with any of the more than three thousand known languages in existence. So it’s nearly impossible to deduce its roots from what we currently know. The only slightly related tongue would be Queoden.”

Then Ludger continued.

“But even Queoden can’t fully unlock Larsil. That’s because this language uses three different script systems simultaneously. Queoden only shares a portion of one—what we now call ‘Lar-Sil.’”

The students’ eyes widened.

The observers were no different.

“The reason this language, which should have remained unnamed, came to be called Larsil is precisely because that portion—‘Lar-Sil’—was the only part deciphered. According to the ancient texts, the other two script systems are called ‘Geu-Ka’ and ‘Sham-Ra.’”

“Ooh...”

Lushek of the New Mage Tower couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

“I see now why Larsil was so difficult to decipher. They were using three completely different forms of language in parallel. They looked similar but were entirely distinct.”

It now made sense why even teams of mages and archaeologists failed to decode it.

They had assumed it was one language when in fact it was three.

If not even a third of the total language had been understood, no wonder there had been no progress.

“You’re saying Ludger Cherish deciphered that?”

The Old Mage Tower observer muttered in disbelief.

Ludger continued his explanation.

“I’ve completed the translation of the other two scripts known within Larsil, and from that, I’ve come to understand the historical context written in this manuscript.”

The original characters on the magic board were erased and replaced by new ones.

<Geu-Ka> <Sham-Ra>

The two remaining script systems comprising Larsil were now clearly categorized.

“These are the foundational words—the basic skeleton, if you will. Explaining the grammar is too complex, so I’ll skip over that. It’s not the priority right now.”

The observers couldn’t hide their disappointment.

Only the Headmaster watched calmly, her gaze relaxed and knowing.

More content ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) from the Larsil manuscript appeared on the magic board.

“When combining these words and interpreting the text, it becomes clear that this manuscript is the personal journal of a mage. According to it, ancient mages once used crude, unrefined spells, lacking the structure we now take for granted.”

The power of ancient mages was often described like natural disasters.

That may have been an exaggeration, but it was true that their magic held significantly greater destructive force than modern magic.

Ludger’s master used to say the same thing.

—“Modern magic’s got no bite. Back in my day...”

Ludger had heard that line from his master more than a hundred times.

“This journal says their magic, despite its simplicity, carried overwhelming force. And it was all made possible through what they called ‘The Grand Rite.’”

“The Grand Rite—is that...?”

“Yes. It’s the method ancient mages used to increase their mana output.”

And the potion Ludger had prepared for today’s clinical trial was derived from that method.

“Ancient mages were few in number. Back then, mages held an almost sacred status, accessible only to a chosen few. Magic hadn’t yet spread to the general population.”

Because of that, the number of mages was low compared to today, but enormous effort was invested into nurturing each one.

The Grand Rite was the key process in developing such powerful mages.

Rine raised her hand and asked,

“Then why was that method lost over time?”

“There are several reasons. But mainly, because it was passed down only among a select few, it naturally disappeared with time.”

“Could they not increase the number of mages?”

“Mages of that era had very short lifespans. Despite their strength, they were frequently exposed to danger and died young.” free𝑤ebnovel.com

“Ah.”

Even now, there were occasional accidents in magical experiments.

In an era with even less stability in magic, it must have been far worse.

“To summarize: the Grand Rite is a method where one trains to control mana while suppressing it to the extreme.”

The method seemed crude.

A very ancient kind of idea, fitting for the times.

Whether or not it would actually work was unclear—but that was exactly why this experiment was happening.

“That’s all for the explanation. Sedina, assistant? Please bring what we’ve prepared.”

“Yes.”

Sedina quickly moved to distribute bottles to each student.

“Th-this is...”

The students looked at the bottles placed before them with uncertain expressions.

It was a special potion crafted by Ludger.

Specifically, it was a mana suppressant supposedly consumed by ancient mages.

“The color... is unusual.”

The problem lay in the appearance.

It looked like thick, sticky purple porridge. Even bubbles were forming on the surface.

Everyone, observers included, had the same thought.

‘Isn’t this poison?’

They all stared at Ludger with wary eyes—but he was unwavering.

“Drink it.”

“Huh?”

“I said, drink it.”

“E-excuse me?”

“I said drink.”

You want us to drink this? It looks like we’ll drop dead from one sip...

“Fine!”

In that hesitant moment—

Surprisingly, Rine was the first to muster courage.

Deliberately taking a sip of the purple liquid, her eyes widened.

“Mm?!”

“R-Rine! Are you okay?!”

“...Surprisingly, it tastes fine?”

“Huh, really?”

“Yes. It’s actually not bad. Kind of like a sweet juice? You should try it.”

To prove she wasn’t lying, Rine downed the entire bottle in one go.

Her expression didn’t change at all—so apparently, it really did taste better than it looked.

Then... maybe I should try it?

Encouraged, the others slowly brought the potion to their lips.

Then came a wave of very mixed reactions.

“Gah! Bitter!”

“...Hmm.”

“So sweet.”

Some said it was fine. Others grimaced at the horrid bitterness.

The ones suffering the most were none other than Third Princess Erendir and Freuden Ulburk.

“Ah. I forgot to mention—there will be differences in how the taste is perceived depending on the individual. Still, it won’t affect your body, so just endure it and drink.”

This guy...

Freuden glared sharply at Ludger.

There was no doubt about it. He had definitely done it on purpose—singling out the students he didn’t like and deliberately giving them the most foul-tasting version.

Ludger casually brushed off Freuden’s hostile gaze.

Oh please, glaring at me?

Of course, the taste of the potion did differ slightly from person to person. For students who behaved well, he had added a hefty dose of sweetness to make it more palatable.

The effects, however, were identical.

So complaining wouldn’t get them anywhere.

But Aidan, seriously...

Though Aidan was a model student, he was also the hardest to read.

As a small nudge to get him to tone down his enthusiasm, Ludger had added an extra kick of bitterness—but to his surprise, the boy drank it without a single change in expression.

“Ooh. So this is the taste of an ancient potion. I feel stronger already.”

While the others looked like they were dying from the bitterness, he alone mumbled those words with a straight face.

“...Seems like everyone’s finished. The effects will begin shortly.”

Just as Ludger said, the students who had taken the potion felt nothing at first—but after about five minutes, a strange sensation crept in.

“Urgh! My body feels heavy.”

“What... what is this sensation?”

It felt like being shackled by invisible chains and submerged beneath the ocean’s surface.

They could still move, but the persistent pressure and discomfort wouldn’t go away.

“Looks like the effects have kicked in.”

“Sir, this is...?”

“As I mentioned earlier, this is the mana suppressant at work. The mana you used to handle so naturally has now solidified and won’t move the way it used to.”

“This is... hard...”

“Of course it is. You may be students still in training, but you are still mages. And right now, with your mana unresponsive, you're little better than a slightly stronger ordinary person.”

For a mage, not being able to command mana was like losing a piece of their soul.

Naturally, it was an unfamiliar and disturbing sensation.

“Now try to move your mana in that state.”

Following Ludger’s instruction, the students concentrated to manipulate their mana.

Normally, it would flow as naturally as breathing. But now it felt like something was blocking it—immovable.

It was like trying to release a river behind a massive dam with only the smallest gate open.

They couldn’t even extract 1% of the mana they were used to wielding.

Ten minutes passed, and still, not a single student had succeeded in releasing their mana.

Beads of sweat formed on their foreheads.

“Stop. That’s enough.”

As soon as Ludger spoke, the students broke their concentration and gasped for breath.

Haa... haa...

In the silence of the lab, the only sound was their heavy breathing—until Ludger’s deep voice echoed through the room.

“It’ll be difficult at first. Losing control over the mana you always took for granted is a mentally disorienting experience.”

“Are we... really doing this for a whole week?”

At Aidan’s question, Ludger nodded.

“Today is just the beginning. For now, focus on getting used to the sensation of heaviness in your body. The actual mana output training will begin tomorrow.”

“How long do the effects of the potion last?”

“Exactly one day.”

At that, Erendir let out a groan.

Even just breathing felt unnatural and aggravating—was she supposed to endure this all day?

She already felt like giving up.

To be honest, it would be a lie to say she hadn’t underestimated this clinical research.

“One day should be enough to get used to it. If you have any real talent, half a day—or maybe even less—might suffice. You’ll have to learn to use mana in that state. That in itself is part of the experiment.”

Ludger checked the time.

Explaining the ancient language before beginning the experiment had eaten up more than two hours.

Feels like I ran a whole extra lecture.

“That’s enough for today. We’ll adjourn here. There’s nothing to record for the first day anyway.”

“Will this... really be effective?”

Julia wiped the sweat from her brow with a handkerchief as she asked.

She still couldn’t fully believe such a primitive method could actually increase mana output.

“It will.”

But Ludger’s reply was almost absurdly firm.

“I’ll show you proof.”

With those words, he released his mana.

TWOOONG—!

A powerful resonance shook the room as a bluish mist began to swirl around him.

Mana mist—the phenomenon that appears when high-density mana is concentrated in one place.

It was something only seen when high-tier mages unleashed grand magic.

“This is fifty percent of my total mana. Exactly half.”

And yet it was enough to fill the lab with that blue aura.

The students held their breath, and even the observers widened their eyes at the sight.

“It took less than two seconds to release this amount. It far exceeds the average output of any ordinary mage.”

Within that glow, Ludger’s voice resounded with an ethereal echo—like someone walking among the clouds.

SWOOOSH!

And then, as if obeying his will, the mist flowed back into his body.

“If, over the next week, you follow my instructions properly...”

Ludger emerged from the fading mist and looked over the students.

“You will be able to do the same.”

There was no reply.

They were too overwhelmed by what he had just shown them. Words simply refused to come out.