"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. Lucas 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 Lucas.
***
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.
Lucas, 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.'
**Lucas 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, Divine 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 Luca.