"Young Master."
Just as I was about to look around the room, a servant cautiously opened the door and came in.
"You're awake. It's been almost a day since you collapsed. The older young master treated your injuries with magic yesterday."
Treated?
Of course, 'Brother' always pretended to be kind. While I held back a scoff, the servant continued speaking.
"Your eyes were severely damaged from sudden exposure to bright light. Be careful not to look at direct light until today, and don't push yourself with meals as your stomach hasn't fully recovered. All your belongings have been sent to the dormitory, so please rest here until you move tomorrow morning."
The servant quickly rattled off his speech with a tense face and then cautiously withdrew.
"Well, I'll bring you your meal shortly."
"Hey."
The servant's eyes widened in shock.
He gaped at me before finally managing to stammer out a small question.
"…Yes?"
Of course, the servant wasn't the only one surprised.
'Hey'? That confirmed for me that this wasn't the world I lived in.
The servant wasn't shocked because I called him without formality. He was just stunned that I spoke to him at all.
'Makes sense.'
Luca had become extremely introverted because of his brother. He hardly spoke even to the servants he saw every day.
The servant, still in disbelief, hesitated before asking again.
"…Did you mean me?"
"Who else is here if not you?"
The continuous stream of rude remarks made me bite my lip.
Is this the norm here?
Reflecting on my memories, I recalled that Luca, as a member of the family, didn't necessarily speak politely to the servants.
Of course, his tone was usually timid and lacking confidence. My current tone was more like my brother's. It seemed my personality was influencing the way I spoke.
'Well, this might actually be good.'
To drag my brother down and rise above him, the original timid personality wouldn't suffice.
However, if I kept using this tone, everyone would notice my change. Though I couldn't help what I'd already said, I needed to start behaving more like the original Luca.
I subtly relaxed my voice, unnoticed by the servant.
During this, the servant collected himself and straightened up.
"Sorry. Please speak."
"…Ahem, where is my brother now?"
"He left for the Imperial Palace the day after he arrived here."
"The Imperial Palace?"
"Yes."
The Imperial Palace.
Of course, my brother's physical location would determine the difficulty of my success.
As a magician affiliated with the royal family, my brother often engaged in diplomatic activities and was frequently dispatched overseas in the novel.
Given that I was supposed to die two years from now, and considering my brother was in his mid-twenties, he might soon be heading abroad.
"Do you know when he will return to the estate?"
"It will take at least another year to finish his current assignment. Even after returning to the Empire, it's uncertain if he will stay at the estate."
He's gone overseas.
That was somewhat relieving news.
I would have a bit more freedom for the next year.
"Is there anything else you need, young master?"
"No, you can…."
Wait a moment.
I had a thought and decided to call up the status window for the servant.
Anton Clausen
Favorability: -5
Title: —
Health: +2
Mental Strength: +2
Magic Power: +0.5
Skill: 0
Impression: +3
Luck: +1
Trait: —
"…Cough…!"
"Young master?"
I choked on my saliva seeing the entries under his name.
Favorability… probably a score regarding my image.
Did I really need to see my already rock-bottom image in such stark numbers?
'…I guess this guy is only -5 because he's my servant….'
I accepted the handkerchief the servant offered and coughed slightly.
Well, whatever the score is, the important thing is that I can see other people's information.
'This could be useful.'
Noticing I was silently staring at the status window, the servant cautiously asked again.
"Young master?"
"Yes. You may go now."
"Yes, I'll bring your meal shortly."
The servant left the room and soon returned with my meal.
As a patient, my meal consisted only of a watery aperitif and grain porridge.
I quickly finished my meal and looked around the room.
'I need to find what I need to do.'
I didn't need the suggestion to tell me to do so.
I summoned the suggestion window again.
〈 Chapter 1. God Helps Those Who Help Themselves (1) 〉
*Suggestion: Life is Up to You! Find What You Need to Do. (0/3) (70 hours 53 minutes 01 second)*
* Route 1 ― 〈 Chapter 2. God Helps Those Who Help Themselves (2) 〉
* Route 2 ― 〈 Chapter 2. Even a Blind Chicken Finds Grain Sometimes 〉
The meaning of Route 2 is irritatingly vague.
It means the story will progress even if I fail the suggestion… but there's no need to go down a negative route.
Let's try one step at a time.
I picked up a notebook from the bedside table. It was time to organize what I needed to do and the novel's plot.
Although I had a good memory, I couldn't rely on it alone. I picked up a pen and began to write.
'First, the overall plot.'
In a nutshell, it's the story of a delinquent protagonist, born a collateral member of the current emperor, who experiences various events over ten years and finally becomes the emperor.
In the process of ascending to the throne, the protagonist eliminates Luca's brother, who was almost like the emperor's right-hand man.
Luca's death is highlighted during this process, and the true nature of his brother is revealed to everyone.
Luca's story is just one of the many incidents the protagonist deals with.
I paused to breathe after scribbling down everything, even skipping the meal that arrived again, and noting down every piece of information that came to mind.
I also organized the major character relationships.
'Now it's time to decide how I should move forward.'
It wasn't a difficult question.
I need to build my strength and secure as many allies as possible without openly using magic or doing anything that would provoke my brother to come after me.
So, there's a more important issue.
Even if I can't act freely, I need at least one ally to act as my hands and feet.
'I think the protagonist attends the same school as Luca.'
That could be a great connection.
Although he's just a problematic student now, he will become the emperor in ten years.
Should I try to get close to the novel's protagonist?
'No.'
Maybe later, but now I need to focus and choose wisely.
I turned my gaze away from the protagonist's name.
Then, I underlined another name next to it.
Ding—!
*Applause for Your Insight!*
'Suggestion: Life is Up to You! Find What You Need to Do' 1/3 Achieved!
Achieving this goal in the next stage will increase your survival probability by more than 3%.
'Hm.'
It seems I made a good choice.
I will align myself not with the emperor but with the kingmaker who made the protagonist the emperor.