Chapter 6 :

“It’s been so long since I last used magic that I’m not feeling well, Professor. May I leave now?”

Leo’s face twisted at those words.

‘Not feeling well?’

That guy was spouting nonsense.

That weak magic was intentional. He didn’t use even 1/100th of his power.

If he hadn’t used any magic at all, he might have fooled us, but once he cast a spell, there was no hiding it. His innate talent was impossible to conceal.

‘The professor should know too, right?’

The professor, looking as surprised as the other students, just nodded absent-mindedly.

“…Alright. You may go.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

‘Unbelievable.’

Leo let out a short, incredulous breath. Lukas smiled faintly and returned to his seat.

It was an absurd situation.

In a liberal arts class like history, he’d go out of his way to answer questions, but in a magic class, he deliberately held back?

‘What a joke.’

Leo glared coldly at Lukas.

*

I greeted the professor and found my seat. Leo’s piercing gaze stuck to me until the end.

As the class neared its end, I glanced at Leo’s seat. He was still staring at me with those terrifying eyes.

‘Successful.’

He must have noticed by now.

Given Leo’s level, he could probably sense even the faintest magic around him.

Of course, he would realize that I was holding back and lying about my condition.

Still, I didn’t expect him to be so unable to hide his anger.

I checked my favorability with him. The score, which had been -8, had now dropped to -9.

His immediate reaction made me chuckle.

‘Easy.’

It’s not easy for my brother to rush from the Holy See all the way here over a small change.

But if he hears that I’m not taking the medicine and performing proper magic, that’s a different story.

The time for my brother to know I’m off the meds is after I find the antidote.

There’s no need to foolishly reveal all my magic. All I want is to bring Leo over to my side. Right now, Leo should be the only one who sees my true power.

Now, all that’s left is one thing.

I just have to wait for Leo to come to me, unable to contain his anger.

I stood up at the sound of the bell signaling the end of class.

*

The same magic I saw ten years ago appeared before my eyes. Not in a dream, but in reality.

Back in his dorm, Leo leaned against the closed door, staring blankly.

He couldn’t make sense of the day. He couldn’t recall what he thought about or how he spent it.

All that remained in his mind was the magic he saw earlier.

‘He wasn’t unable to use magic.’

It was no longer a guess.

But the shock and excitement from seeing his magic quickly faded.

He wasn’t unable to use magic; he was deliberately not using it.

There was no way to understand why.

Why, with such enviable power, would he hide it? Unless he enjoyed living as a wretch, it didn’t make sense.

Lukas, now a second-year, was completely different from last year. The person who couldn’t answer simple questions and avoided eye contact out of fear now stared back with a mocking smile.

Why would someone who changed so much remain the same when it came to magic? Why use magic, then make a flimsy excuse about not feeling well to escape?

Leo glared into the dark void.

His expression and demeanor made it clear it wasn’t a mistake. It was a deliberate act.

If he won’t reveal his intention first, there’s only one way.

‘I have to find out the reason myself.’

*

That day, the school was buzzing about my magic.

But because its power was so lackluster, it didn’t stay a hot topic for long.

After all, this level of magic was basic.

Even without being from a prestigious family, anyone from a noble house could do this much.

So the reaction was mostly, ‘He’s from a mage family after all,’ or ‘Maybe he’s going to start taking school seriously.’

Some speculated that I was trying to show off my connection to Pleroma, but that didn’t last long.

‘Just as intended.’

The students’ interest quickly waned, while Leo remained on high alert.

Provoking Leo without the news reaching my brother—that was my goal for now, and so far, it was successful.

‘Status window.’

Lukas Rene Askanian

Title: The Empire’s Biggest Fool

Health: -5

Mental Strength: -10

Magic: ?

Skill: +0.015 (+0.013)

Impression: -10

Luck: -9.985 (+0.013)

Traits: Dawn 777, Holy Power

As expected.

Fortunately, this incident didn’t improve my impression score.

Having a higher impression score itself isn’t the problem.

A higher impression score means people around me are viewing me more favorably, which is a good thing.

The issue is ‘how’ to improve my image.

If I demonstrate my full power in magic class or prove the rumors about Pleroma are false, my impression score would skyrocket.

But that would mean dying at my brother’s hands. No one is more sensitive to my changes than he is.

‘But I’m not planning to leave that -10 as it is.’

If I can’t improve it openly, I’ll do it secretly.

Once I recruit Leo and improve my skills, I’ll work on improving my impression score.

Subtly, without anyone noticing, gradually.

Today is Thursday.

This is the fourth magic practice so far.

For the past three days, I’ve only emitted a faint light. Today, I drew the magic back into my body after extending it to the tip of my wand.

In the end, I hadn’t released anything outward.

I lowered my wand, which I had raised into the air, and spoke.

“Professor, I’m sorry, but I’m really not feeling up to it today.”

“Then you may leave.”

The professor's interest had waned sharply since yesterday.

It was only natural given the lack of change.

Fortunately, he wasn’t a passionate professor to begin with, nor was he particularly fond of Luka.

As I returned to my seat, I scanned the surroundings.

Perhaps because I did even less than before, Leo’s glare grew even sharper.

The bell signaling the end of class rang out.

As I was putting away my wand and getting up, a shadow loomed over me.

I looked up to see Leo glaring down at me with a cold expression.

“Hey, I need to talk to you.”

‘Just as expected.’

I had thought he would act around this time, and it was right on target.

In the novel, Leo was always like this.

Even with his relatively weak magic—by protagonist standards—he had an unwavering stubbornness about magic.

He never took the easy path, always sticking to his principles.

Someone like Leo would never stand by and watch someone play games with magic.

Especially if it was the person who introduced him to the path of magic.

Sorry, but... it can’t be helped for now.

I asked simply, without changing my expression.

“Why?”

“Come to the training ground at midnight.”

“Why? Explain first.”

Leo scoffed at that.

He looked as if wondering what was the point of explaining.

“Fine. If you don’t come, I’ll drag you out. So choose: come on your own or get dragged out.”

‘What a temper….’

Yeah, he was like this at this age.

Could things go any more smoothly?

Suggestion: Recruit Leonard Wittelsbach as your ally. (0/1) (20 hours 7 minutes 44 seconds)

‘20 hours.’

That’s plenty.

I smiled at Leo’s cold eyes.

*

At midnight, I left the dormitory.

There was no reason to pass up this opportunity that had come my way.

Considering Leo’s personality from the novel, he would keep his word even if he had to tear down the dormitory. Since it worked out as I hoped, there was no need to escalate things.

‘…It’s a bit strange that I’m coming out without complaint just because he called me.’

But considering his current state, that thought probably wouldn’t cross his mind. Instead, he might get annoyed that I arrived at the training ground just after midnight.

I looked at the clock tower in the distance.

12:11.

I arrived near the training grounds used by the Magic Department. Leo had his own private training ground, so I should head there.

But….

‘Come to think of it, did he assume I’d naturally know where his training ground is…?’

Lukas, who spent most of his time holed up in the dormitory, obviously wouldn’t know such things.

He called me out without even considering what I might know or not, which shows either his big ego or lack of thought.

Anyway, he said he’d drag me out if I didn’t come, so he should come looking for me.

I started heading towards the field in the center of the training grounds, intending to kill some time.

Then, someone grabbed me by the nape.

“Standing there like an idiot. You should’ve come inside, what are you doing?”

“How am I supposed to know where your training ground is? Even when I come, it’s a hassle.”

Leo didn’t respond to that and just dragged me inside and locked the door.

As he set up locking spells on the entrance, Leo spoke.

“Do you think we’re fools?”

“What?”

“Do you think we wouldn’t know? Do you think everyone wouldn’t notice your antics?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Leo glared at me coldly.

“Do you think we wouldn’t notice you deliberately stopping your magic? The professor, and the other students too!”

A silence fell.

Seeing that Leo wasn’t planning to break his intense gaze, I casually shrugged.

“The professor did seem to know. But… the students didn’t.”

Leo let out a bitter laugh.

As if finding it ridiculous, I didn’t even bother hiding that I was controlling my power. My nonchalant response made Leo’s face grow more enraged.

“If you’re going to behave like this, leave this school.”

“Why should I?”

“This isn’t a playground where you can do whatever you want. It’s a place to learn magic. We should’ve known when you got in through a donation.”

I nodded slowly at that.

“Are you saying I’m ruining the study atmosphere?”

“You know it well. If you’re not going to take the classes seriously, just leave. This isn’t a place for someone with your mindset.”

“What does it matter to you?”

“What?”

Leo’s face grew even harder.

I stared right back at him.

I didn’t want it to come to this, but ironically, to avoid making Leo an enemy, I had no choice.

I continued the act as naturally as possible and retorted.

“Why are you butting into something the professor hasn’t even mentioned?”

“The school belongs to the students. Do you think the silence of a professor just waiting for retirement is absolute? Do you think it’s important for a professor to silently allow students to slack off?”

Leo spoke with a firm voice.

‘Hmm.’

This aligns with my views.

Though the professor’s negligence ultimately worked in my favor, it wasn’t the ideal image of a responsible educator.

‘As expected of the protagonist’s friend.’

I didn’t expect to hear someone say that the school belongs to the students in this fantasy world.

However, just because our values align doesn’t mean it’s absolutely right.

I have to take a different stance now.

“Professors are also an essential part of the school. Isn’t it wrong to ignore them without even trying to express your opinion to them? If you really didn’t like the professor’s silence, it would be more rational to directly request for better class quality.”

“…….”

“Calling me out at midnight without explaining anything seems far less reasonable, don’t you think?”

Leo silently glared at me.

He still seemed to have a lot to say, but he didn’t look like he wanted to prolong the conversation right now.

‘That’s good for me too.’

Maybe it’s time to light a little fire under his hasty temper.

I sighed heavily and shook my head.

“I don’t get it. Did you call me out here just to say this? If you have nothing else, I’m leaving.”

“Draw your wand.”

A chilling voice came from behind me.

I turned my head silently to look at Leo. He had drawn his wand from his belt and was staring right at me.

“If you win, I’ll keep my mouth shut. I’ll accept whatever you do in class. But if I win, you leave this school.”

“…….”

“Laughable. You were so talkative earlier, but now you’re not confident?”

Finally.

Just what I wanted. A slow smile twisted my lips.

“Of course not.”