“…What….”

“Are you out of your mind~?!”

Elias grabbed my shoulder tightly with a laugh.

Seeing the most intense reaction I’d ever witnessed from him, he must have really been shocked.

“I am sane. First, about why I need to go out…”

“You’re not going to reveal Nicolaus now, are you?! You said you’d refine him more.”

Elias’s loud voice echoed loudly, and Leo conveniently cast soundproofing magic on the door.

My shoulder felt like it was about to break, so I patted his back to calm him down, saying,

“No, it’s not that. It’s not Nicolaus, I’m just going to go out as myself.”

Narce was just gaping from behind, but now he was grinning, probably after using Insight.

I didn’t intend it, but Narce’s reaction put my mind at ease.

That meant I wouldn’t suffer any losses, at least.

Unlike usual, Elias showed the most intense reaction, so Leo grabbed his shoulder and sat him down.

“Let’s hear him out first.”

“Thanks. I thought about what you guys might be thinking… if I’m going to use magic as myself, you’d want to ask why I’ve been creating Nicolaus until now, right?”

Leo thought hard and shook his head.

“No, not really.”

“Huh?”

“The situation was different back then. And Nicolaus is the most powerful weapon you have. At first, I didn’t like how he looked like a thief, but now I see that choice was absolutely essential.”

“Is that so….”

A thief, huh.

I just smiled, and Leo continued.

“I think I know why you’re saying you’re going to use magic. Since your brother sent you knowing you could use magic, he must think it’s not a problem, right?”

“Yeah.”

Not “he must think,” it really isn’t a problem.

Even when I poured out magic power strongly without controlling the output, the Probability of Change didn’t change.

‘The Probability of Change remains the same, so there’s nothing more to say, but I can’t explain it that way.’

I already told my friends that I used magic in front of my brother.

If I made it seem like they figured it out through inference, I wouldn’t be able to convince them.

“I told him that I unleashed my magic power so strongly that he had to retreat and he didn’t budge. He didn’t even flinch. That level of output means that even though I’m taking medicine twice a week, it’s not working at all, which means I received someone’s help every time after taking the medicine.”

“That’s right. Otherwise, there’s no way out.”

Leo nodded.

“My brother left me alone because of the help of others above all else. Since someone knew the truth, he must have thought it would blow up if he touched me carelessly.”

“Yeah.”

Of course, my brother would have a few more questions, but this is the most plausible prediction I can make right now.

I immediately brought up the most important point in this logic.

“There’s a problem at this point. I’m being mistaken for a 1st generation Pleroma, right? My brother said my core keeps trying to absorb other people’s magic.”

At my words, Narce smiled amusingly and said,

“Yeah, enough to kill people~ The whole nation thinks so.”

“Yet I wasn’t arrested because my brother killed my core. It was part of the oath not to disturb the empire at all. But you see.”

I clasped my hands together and leaned forward.

“Until now, it wasn’t a problem because my core rank was the lowest, making me no different from a non-mage, but my brother, who begged to be allowed to keep me alive, promising to be directly responsible for the safety of the empire….”

The faces of my friends sitting around the table began to show signs that they were catching on.

Before I could finish, Elias gaped.

I smiled and continued.

“Now he’s seen with his own eyes that the medicine doesn’t work anymore, so why is he encouraging it? He knows I might go out there and use magic, so why is he being so carefree?”

“……”

“If this continues, my brother, who begged like crazy to take care of me, and the Askanian family, will clearly suffer damage because they broke the oath with the Imperial Family.”

Leo nodded with a serious face.

“…Looks like you have a plan. You said he said, ‘I’ll always help you,’ right? Looks like he really intends to keep that promise.”

Of course.

But since it’s a problem involving my brother, I need to examine it more thoroughly to avoid any future problems.

“I thought about it one more time here. What if that’s a trap? He reassures me, and the moment I use magic in front of people, he sends an execution order to the Imperial Family? There’s a plausible argument that ‘I did my best, but now the core can’t be suppressed even with medicine, so there’s nothing I can do’.”

“……”

“If he does well, he can tie up my helpers and send them away too, so isn’t it a good idea?”

Logically, it sounds plausible, but my brother’s plan isn’t this.

If he was thinking that way, the Probability of Change would have decreased.

Leo tilted his head and opened his mouth.

“The timing is bad. I don’t know if you know, but the live broadcast of the magic medicine competition has changed your image a lot. Your brother is benefiting from that too.”

Elias, who had been listening silently, opened his mouth.

“…Yeah. People are praising him for turning a bum into a human being, so do you really think he’s going to give up on you like that now?”

“I think he’s planning to create a situation that will benefit him much more than immediately framing me as a Pleroma and requesting the Imperial Family to execute me. Just like you can kill your brother right now but you don’t.”

Leo said.

‘Accurate.’

My brother is prepared for me to use magic. I even thought before that he was planning to spend more effort and send me carefully.

He’s not experimenting and turning back time like me, but he’s saying the closest thing to the correct answer.

“Yeah. My brother is probably going to put aside the plan to frame me as a Pleroma ‘for the time being’. My brother will encourage me to use magic from now on, just like he did at home.”

Judging from his carefree attitude, he must have already thought about the case where the Imperial oath is threatened. He would have created a logic that would be okay even if he revealed to everyone that my core had become healthy.

‘Then he’ll slowly set the stage.’

The anxiety gradually disappeared from Elias’s face as he looked at my expression.

Elias put his arm around Narce’s shoulder and asked.

“Narce. Give us a prophecy.”

“Haha, I think it’ll be okay?”

“Tell me exactly.”

“Hmm, I don’t think it’ll mean anything even if I say it. Lucas. You’re trying to shed the image of Pleroma as Lucas, right? Until now, you were going to live like this and integrate Nicolaus.”

“Yeah.”

He knows me well.

My brother is a secondary problem.

Why are you trying to build the mage image of Lucas Askanian, who you haven’t tried to raise until now?

This is the real problem.

“Actually, if you step up, the team’s safety will be much higher, so it’s beneficial to the students. But personally, it’s a situation where you don’t have to step up, so tell me why you’re trying to build an image as Lucas.”

“Is there anything more to say? There’s no more effective way to change an image than having a Pleroma take down a Pleroma.”

“Haha, that’s true. But there’s more. Tell me with your own mouth.”

This is what I thought when I went to Baden-Baden before.

Now there are three people who wish for the downfall of Nicolaus.

The Emperor, the Crown Prince. And after revealing his identity, even my brother.

No, is it just three? All the pro-Imperial politicians are Nicolaus’s enemies.

“There are many people who want Nicolaus to fall. When I reveal my identity, my Pleroma accusation will hold Nicolaus back.”

Leo, who had been silent, asked.

“So, you’re going to shed the Pleroma accusation in advance?”

“Yeah. I have to change the situation even a little. Especially now, the situation is perfect for reversing the image.”

“Ah, I’m curious how the kids will react when Lucas shows his magic power~! I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Elias was now laughing carefree, as if he had never been anxious.

Then, Leo called my name without expression.

“Lucas.”

“……”

Does he still think it’s too much?

‘There’s no way to show him the Probability of Change window.’

Perhaps because of my past experiences, my shoulders reflexively twitched, but I didn’t show it and looked straight at him.

But the words I heard were unexpected.

“I’m not going to stop you. I’ve been feeling since the Catacombs that His Majesty the Emperor is always thinking about when to send you.”

“…I’ve been thinking since earlier, why do I agree with you for once?”

“What?”

“Hey, you should’ve listened to me more often~”

This time, Elias playfully hit Leo’s back, even though he himself was more surprised.

Leo took a breath and cleared his throat.

“…Yeah. If you think we agree, tell us how we can help in the future.”

* * *

‘Kind.’

Truly, all his words and actions are just like Leo.

I thought so and packed my bags in the club room.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and turned around as I approached the entrance, and I saw Adelbert sitting alone in the corner with his head buried.

“I’m turning off the lights. Aren’t you leaving?”

“…I’m leaving now.”

“Well, okay.”

I’ve run into him three times since I started club activities, but this is the first time I’ve spoken to him.

I need to get close to get information, but….

He looks like he’s in a bad mood, so there’s no need to talk to him. In the first place, there are friends who keep sticking to him because of his status, so there’s no need for me to add to that burden.

I put my hand on the magic light switch, then remembered something I had forgotten.

‘Ah.’

Earlier, there was one more reason why I wanted to participate in the exam.

〈 Chapter 5. Good things take time (1) 〉

Proposal 3: Make the optimal choice. (0/1) (1 hour 48 minutes 59 seconds)

* Route 1 — 〈 Chapter 6. Do what is right and fear no one 〉

* Route 2 — 〈 Chapter 6. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today 〉

This was the window that appeared in front of me when class ended today.

As always, the development will diverge depending on my choice.

Judging from the fact that the annoying proverb that I should never put off until tomorrow what I can do today is on Route 2, it’s obvious what the optimal choice is.

Now that my brother knows everything, there’s nothing particularly beneficial to delay any longer.

I put my hand in my bag and took out the paper.

Leo didn’t have an extra consent form earlier, so I brought one from the consent forms that were placed in the main building lobby.

The moment I wrote my name on the consent form, white letters appeared in front of me.

Congratulations!

‘Proposal 3: Make the optimal choice.’ completed!

‘Route 1 — 〈 Chapter 6. Do what is right and fear no one 〉’ is confirmed.

‘This proposal is a bit easy.’

Of course, it’s easy because I saw this as an opportunity, but if I hadn’t been thinking about it, it would have been an utterly hopeless proposal.

As I was smiling with satisfaction, Adelbert’s voice came from behind.

“Senior.”

“What?”

Why is someone with -5 Favorability calling me?

Thinking so, I turned around, but Adelbert sat silently for a while before bowing his head.

“It’s nothing.”

“……”

Why is he like that?

I don’t even know what’s wrong.

If there’s a problem at home, it’s worth listening to, but that’s not a story he’ll tell if I ask.

I simply greeted him and left the club room.

The next morning, the professor finished taking attendance and opened his newspaper and notes.

Other magic schools were the same, but now that the water was contaminated, classes were secondary.

Most of the professors had gone out to suppress rampagers, so there was no one to take classes.

“…Fortunately, the number of rampage cases has decreased compared to yesterday. However, since there have been more cases of those who have already rampaged rampaging again, please be careful if you have to go out for unavoidable reasons.”

He scanned the list and said, looking at us all.

“Next, I have to talk about the Student Military Corps exam that I mentioned yesterday. All 50 students in Magic Department 2nd group submitted their consent forms. I am moved by the courage you have shown.”

In an instant, an atmosphere of bewilderment lingered in the classroom.

Someone whispered softly.

“50 people…?”

“…Shouldn’t it be 49 people?”

The professor didn’t seem to want to stop the reaction, so he just looked down at the list silently before raising his head.

“Student Lucas Askanian.”

The classroom became quiet as if cold water had been poured on it.

The eyes of the remaining forty people, excluding my group of friends, turned to me with shock.

“Student, your core was Magic General Level 9. Even if you participate in the exam, you will fail the document screening that will be announced tonight. I understand your heart, but everyone will understand even if you don’t participate.”

So, I don’t need to participate to fulfill my duty as a noble, right?

He probably thought I would be criticized even more if I stepped up to participate.

The professor said as if to comfort me.

“It’s okay if you withdraw now, student.”

“No. Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine. I believe that only core suitability is reviewed in the documents, so can I resubmit the inspection results today?”

The students looked at each other in confusion, then glanced at me.

The professor also asked me questioningly.

“That won’t change even if you re-examine it. You’re going to resubmit it?”

“Yes.”

“…Okay, then submit it by today.”

The professor nodded, still looking like he didn’t know what was going on.

The students’ expressions were the same.

The only people smiling in this classroom were Narce and Elias.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep