"Professor, I'm afraid I'm not feeling well. It's been too long since I last used magic. May I be excused?"
Leo's face twisted into a scowl.
*Not feeling well?*
That was absolute bullshit.
That pathetic display of magic was deliberate. He hadn't even used one percent of the power he could have summoned.
If he'd just stood there and done nothing, maybe. But now that he'd cast something, there was no hiding it. That kind of innate talent couldn't be concealed, no matter how you tried.
*The professor has to know.*
The professor, looking as stunned as the students, gave a vague, dazed nod.
"...Alright. You may go."
"Thank you, Professor."
*Unbelievable.*
Leo let out a short, incredulous breath. Lucas offered a faint smile, bowed, and returned to his seat.
This was ridiculous.
He'd gone out of his way to answer questions in a boring history lecture, but in magic class, he deliberately held back?
*What the hell is his game?*
Leo's gaze turned icy as he stared Lucas down.
***
I bowed to the professor and took my seat. Leo's sharp stare clung to me until the very end.
Much later, as class was winding down, I glanced his way. He was still glaring at me with terrifying intensity.
*Perfect.*
He'd already figured it out.
Well, at his level, he could probably sense the subtle flow of mana around a person.
Of course he'd realized I was holding back and lying.
Still, I hadn't expected him to fail so completely at hiding his anger.
I discreetly checked the favorability meter. The number, which had been -8, was now ticking toward -9.
An impressively immediate reaction. Almost laughable.
*Easy.*
A minor change wouldn't be enough to make my brother rush here from the Papal States.
But news of 'proper' magic—that I wasn't taking the suppressants—that was a different story.
The time for my brother to find out I'm off the medication is *after* I've secured the antidote. Revealing my full power to everyone now would be idiotic.
For now, Leo should be the only one who sees my magic in its entirety.
Only one thing left to do.
Wait for Leo to come find me, unable to swallow his frustration.
I stood as the bell rang.
***
The magic I'd seen a decade ago had reappeared before my eyes, in the same form. Not in a dream, but in reality.
Leo returned to his dorm, closed the door, stood blankly for a moment, then leaned against it.
He couldn't even process how the day had gone, or what he'd been thinking.
All that remained in his head was the magic he'd seen that afternoon.
*He wasn't incapable of using magic.*
The kid wasn't *unable* to use magic. He was clearly *choosing* not to.
This wasn't speculation anymore.
But the shock and thrill he'd felt upon seeing the kid's magic faded quickly.
Why cast a spell only to duck out with the flimsy excuse of not feeling well? He couldn't figure out the reason.
Leo glared into the dark emptiness.
Judging by his expression and demeanor before and after, it was no accident.
The act was loaded with clear intent.
So then, for what purpose?
***
The school buzzed with talk of my magic that day.
But its pitiful power meant it didn't have the staying power to remain a topic for long.
Frankly, that level of magic was basic. Even families with minor titles, not just the great houses, were born with at least that much.
So the reactions were limited to, "Well, he *is* from a mage family," or "Maybe he's finally trying to take school seriously." It wasn't enough to erase the negative image of my donation-based admission.
Some conspiracy theorists suggested I was trying to actively reveal my affiliation with Pleroma, but that didn't last long either.
*Exactly as intended.*
The students' interest cooled rapidly. Leo's senses were on high alert.
Provoking Leo without letting the news reach my brother.
That was the goal, and so far, it was a success.
*Status.*
Lucas René Ascanien
Title: The Empire's Greatest Fool
Stamina: -5
Mental Strength: -10
Mana: ?
Skill: +0.015 (+0.013)
Impression: -10
Luck: -9.985 (+0.013)
Traits: Dawn777, Divine Power Rejection.
Fortunately, my Impression score hadn't risen from this incident.
The problem wasn't the score rising itself.
A rising Impression score meant the opinions of those around me were improving—clearly a good thing.
The issue was *how* I improved that image.
If I made bold moves, like demonstrating 100% of my power in magic class or proving the Pleroma rumors false, my Impression score would shoot up laughably fast.
But that would be tantamount to signing my own death warrant for my brother's hands.
*Not that I plan to leave it at -10.*
If I can't change it openly, I'll do it in secret.
Once I've secured Leo and built up my strength, I'll work on improving my Impression score.
Under the surface. Where no one can see. Slowly.
Today is Thursday.
This was only the fourth magic practice session so far.
For the past three days, I'd only produced faint glimmers. Today, I drew the magic all the way to the tip of the wand, then sent it back into my body.
Effectively, I released nothing.
I lowered the wand I'd raised and spoke.
"Professor, I'm sorry, but I just don't have the strength today."
"Then you may go."
The professor's interest had also cooled sharply since yesterday.
No change, so of course it had.
Fortunately, he wasn't an enthusiastic professor to begin with, nor one who particularly liked Lucas.
As I returned to my seat, I scanned the room.
Perhaps because I'd done even less than usual, Leo's gaze felt more piercing than ever.
The bell signaling the end of class rang.
Just as I was tidying my wand and about to stand, a shadow fell over my field of vision.
I looked up. Leo was staring down at me with a cold expression.
"Hey. We need to talk."
*Right on schedule.*
I figured he'd make his move around now. Perfect.
In the novel, Leo was always like this.
His mana was weak—by the protagonist party's standards, at least—but his stubbornness about magic was the real deal.
The type who refused to take the easy path, insisting on the proper way.
There was no way a Leo like that would stand by and watch someone mess around with magic.
Especially if that someone was the person who had led him down the path of magic in the first place.
Sorry about this… but it can't be helped for now.
I asked flatly, without changing my expression.
"Why."
"Meet me at the training grounds at midnight."
"I said why. Answer the question first."
Leo snorted at that.
His face said, *What are you going to do with that answer?*
"Forget it. If you don't come, I'll drag you out. Your choice: come willingly or get dragged."
*Look at that temper…*
Yeah, he was like this at this age.
Could things have gone any more smoothly?
Proposal: Make 'Leonard Wittelsbach' your ally. (0/1) (20 hours 07 minutes 44 seconds)
*Twenty hours.*
Plenty of time.
I met Leo's icy stare and smiled.
***
I left the dorm at midnight.
No reason to delay an opportunity that had fallen into my lap.
Given Leo's personality from the novel, he'd probably tear the dorm down to keep his word. Since things were going my way, no need to complicate matters.
*…Though it is a bit weird to just show up without a word when told to.*
He wouldn't notice something like that now, so no worries. If anything, he'd be annoyed I arrived past midnight.
I looked at the distant clock tower.
12:11.
I'd roughly reached the training grounds used by the magic department. Leo had a private training room, so I'd need to find that.
But…
*Come to think of it, did this guy assume I'd know where his private room is?*
Lucas, who'd been holed up in his dorm, obviously wouldn't know.
Anyway, he said he'd come find me if I didn't show, so if he's here somewhere, he'll find me.
I headed toward the central training field, planning to kill some time there.
Just then, someone hooked a hand around the back of my neck.
"Get inside. What are you doing out here?"
"How would I know where your training room is? I show up and you give me grief?"
Leo didn't answer. He just pulled me inside and locked the door.
As he layered locking spells on the entrance, he spoke.
"Do you think we're idiots?"
"What?"
"You think we don't know? You think *nobody* knows, so you can act like that?"
"No idea what you're talking about."
Leo turned, his eyes cold.
"You think we don't know you're deliberately cutting your magic short? The professor, the other students!"
Silence fell.
Since Leo showed no sign of lowering his furious gaze, I shrugged casually.
"The professor definitely seemed to know. But… the others didn't, right?"
Leo let out a hollow laugh.
As if my recent evasion was ridiculous, I didn't even bother hiding that I'd controlled my power. My calm words made anger flare on Leo's face.
"If you're going to act like this, get out of this school."
"Why should I?"
"This is a place to learn magic, not a playground where you can slack off and do whatever you want. You should have realized that when you bought your way in."
I nodded slowly at that.
"Am I ruining the academic atmosphere?"
"You catch on quick. If you're not going to take your studies seriously, just get out. This isn't a place for someone with your attitude."
"What's it to you?"
"What?"
Leo's face hardened further.
I stared right back at him.
I really didn't want to go down this road, but paradoxically, to avoid making an enemy of Leo, I had no choice.
I kept up the act and fired back.
"Why are *you* stepping in when even the professor hasn't said anything?"
"The students are the masters of this school. Do you think the neglect of a professor just waiting for retirement is absolute? What's so important about the silence of a professor who knows full well but doesn't care whether a student participates or not?"
Leo's voice was firm and clear.
*Hm.*
I actually agree with that.
The professor's irresponsibility worked in my favor, but it wasn't exactly an ideal image of an educator.
*Typical of a protagonist's friend.*
To hear "the students are the masters of the school" in this fantasy world.
But just because my values align with his doesn't make him absolutely right.
I need to take a different tack now.
"Professors are also part of the school's body. Is it right to ignore them without even trying to express your opinion? If you were truly dissatisfied with the professor's silence, the correct approach would be to directly petition him to maintain the quality of the instruction."
"...."
"That seems far more reasonable than summoning someone past midnight without even giving a reason, don't you think?"
Leo stared at me silently.
He still looked like he had plenty to say, but he didn't seem inclined to drag out the conversation.
*Same here. Good.*
Let's stoke his short fuse a little.
I let out a deep sigh and shook my head.
"I don't get it. You dragged me all the way here just to say this? If that's all, I'm leaving."
"Pick up your wand."
A grim voice came from behind me.
I turned my head silently to look at Leo. He had drawn his wand from his waist and was looking straight into my eyes.
"If you win, I'll shut up about whatever you do. I'll accept it all—you messing around in class, everything. But if I win, you leave this school immediately."
"...."
"Funny. You were all talk earlier. Losing your nerve?"
Finally.
Just what I wanted.
The corner of my mouth slowly twisted upward.
"As if."
—-----------
T/N:
Free members get 10 advanced chapters every week.
Want more? Get access to 40 chapters ahead on Patreon:
[email protected]//hiddenmage