‘Leonard Wittelsbach.’

An individual who had the greatest influence on the protagonist’s victory and was deeply involved in Luca’s story.

Born into a family renowned for magical medicine for generations, Leo succeeds in creating a core enhancer from his brother’s poison.

While the ingredients are surprisingly simple, I need to create connections within the school to obtain the medicinal herbs without the family’s help.

‘He’s the same age as the protagonist and Luca.’

I began writing down my memories of Leo beneath that note.

When I was about to fill up an entire notebook, I checked the time. There was still more than half a day left before departure.

‘Shall I look for something to do next?’

Just by properly setting the target earlier, I had achieved one-third of the task. If it could help me in any way, it was likely to be generously approved.

‘It would be good to raise some points.’

Raising my stamina or impression points right now isn’t appropriate.

It would be better to test the skill categories that I can access before departure.

I stepped out of the room to search for the library, aiming to familiarize myself with the house’s layout.

As soon as I left the room, the murmurs and soft laughter abruptly ceased. The servants who were walking down the corridor carrying tasks stood against the walls, stiff and silent.

The exclusion Luca experienced in the novel was now happening to me.

‘It’s refreshing to experience it firsthand.’

I didn’t particularly feel bad.

They were avoiding Luca, not the real me.

I enjoyed the fresh experience while recalling the novel’s content.

The servants weren’t behaving this way because they were trying to gain favor with my father or brother. If that were the case, there would be no reason to avoid a person.

Moreover, my brother is so adept at acting that most don’t doubt his brotherly love.

The reason Luca became a target of avoidance was due to the rumors my brother had fabricated over a long period.

He had long spread rumors linking me to Pleroma.

Pleroma is a religious group that believes in absorbing others’ magical power through blood to maintain eternal life.

Most of its members died long ago but were resurrected about ten years ago, claiming they had been chosen by the gods to be revived.

‘Up to this point, they are just crazy people.’

To expand their power, Pleroma killed living people and revived them.

Most of the revived corpses failed, but occasionally, a corpse would revive with its consciousness intact.

These revived corpses and Pleroma members absorbed others’ magical power to sustain their bodies. To reduce the damage from direct absorption, they consumed blood mixed with magical power. It was an unsettling group in many ways.

My brother had spent considerable effort creating various incidents, from minor controversies to murders, to let people imagine my abnormality.

Finally, he succeeded in spreading scandals without dirtying his mouth.

Once a lie was created, it spread nationwide in an instant. My brother performed with all his might to protect Luca from the imperial investigators and the press that stormed our territory.

That was almost ten years ago.

For ten years, my brother continued to build lies, driving his brother’s image to the grave.

Throughout this process, he never forgot to cultivate his good character.

As a result, he successfully deceived everyone, including my father, the entire population, and even Luca himself. The servants were no exception.

‘It’s rather good.’

If they openly harm me like this, it’s welcome.

It doesn’t mean they won’t interfere with everything I do, but at least it’s better than meddling in every matter.

As I turned the corner and passed the stairs, the servants all reacted the same way.

Among them were frightened sneers as a defensive mechanism.

The strange sensation of my existence drifting away and becoming isolated did not fade.

Luca’s memories blended with mine, reviving the emotions he felt, making the servants’ attitudes more vivid.

However, unlike Luca, I did not feel anxious.

‘What does it matter?’

Should I just disappear?

The more they act this way, the more I want to brazenly show my face.

But now is not the time to get irritated. It’s not the right time to mock them as I please.

After wandering around the house for a long time, my stamina was nearly exhausted when I finally entered the library on the first floor.

I wandered through the library, pulling out books on history and magic.

Ding―!

Chapter 1 Special Reward

Turn your knowledge into skills! Perfectly embody the knowledge you acquire now. (0/1)

‘Hmm?’

They give this too.

Though I was relaxed, the situation itself was not one to be taken lightly.

I quickly thought it over.

‘That number 1 bothers me.’

It means there’s only one chance.

I looked over the books piled on the desk.

I can’t waste this opportunity on something like a history book. I can just memorize that myself.

I need to choose a field where the knowledge and results often don’t align, requiring countless practice sessions.

I pushed the history books aside and laid out the magic books.

‘Introduction to Basic Magic.’

Of course, this is useless.

I can study the basics on my own.

’50 Practical Combat Spells.’

This is a bit intriguing.

But I can find a better option. I can learn these in school anyway.

I piled all the books on one corner of the desk and moved to the bookshelf where the magic books were.

‘Change Your Life with This Knowledge – Easy Study of Practical Magic Pharmacy.’

Even if I know it, my life likely won’t change.

‘Absolutely Forbidden Cursed Arts.’

Considering the rumors that I’m involved with a cult drinking human blood, there’s no need to reinforce that.

And since this passed the imperial censorship and is in this mansion, it’s unlikely to be proper cursed arts. Probably just a cultured book.

‘Let’s think for a moment.’

I can learn regular magic on my own.

I need to choose something that is difficult for me to master, requiring significant time, effort, and opportunity costs.

Then there’s only one answer.

I immediately moved to another section.

After searching through the books, I finally found a useful one.

‘Study of Divine Power as Authority.’

It detailed special magic using divine power.

Divine power is processed magical energy, fundamentally similar to magical power.

However, since it’s processed magical power, users proficient in divine power can handle both divine and magical power, but those who use only magical power struggle with divine power.

‘Though divine power is mainly needed by clergy…’

Now, I need it too.

Especially for this.

My eyes were drawn to the mind-control magic in the table of contents.

I needed to learn how to control people’s minds to keep them silent for any potential issues.

This magic places a significant strain on the caster’s stamina and mental strength and has many restrictions, so even if I learned it, I couldn’t use it on my brother….

‘But I can delay any news of my changes from reaching my brother’s ears.’

**In short, I can expand my range of actions.**

More importantly, mastering divine power allows me to learn not only mind control but also various special magics derived from divine power.

I opened the book and absorbed all the knowledge about divine power into my head.

I had to learn it by myself. Since I didn’t fully understand it, I started by memorizing it blindly.

Ding―!

Chapter 1 Special Reward

Turn your knowledge into skills! Perfectly embody the knowledge you acquire now. (1/1)

The ‘Divine Power’ attribute has been added!

‘Done.’

Just memorizing it counted as a success.

I smiled as I caught my breath.

* * *

I spent the night in the library, and when I heard the faint bell signaling the servants’ waking time, I stood up. It was about time to leave for school.

“Young master.”

Just then, the servant I saw yesterday came to find me in the library.

I walked behind the servant who was guiding me and fell into thought.

I know it’s quite a distance to the school, so it might take about three or four days.

We probably can’t use a teleportation tool since it works on a mage’s core.

Luca was born a mage, but thanks to my brother’s weekly medicine, which shatters his core, he can’t do anything only a mage can do. Most likely, we’ll take a carriage.

As we passed through many corridors and gardens and reached the outermost part of the building, a carriage was indeed waiting.

‘As expected.’

It’s no longer surprising.

I roughly nodded toward the carriage and asked.

“How many days does it usually take to the capital?”

“Oh, it took me just under three days. I haven’t been here long, so I haven’t heard how long it takes for you, young master.”

Three days is three days. What’s with “for you”?

I didn’t expect my servant to be sharp, so I just boarded the carriage without replying.

“I’ll see you next vacation, young master. Take care.”

The servant who guided me here said farewell.

Recalling Luca’s timid nature, I just nodded slightly.

Surely there were more servants attending to me, but no one else came to see me off.

If my brother’s servants had acted this way when he left, they would all have been fired.

‘Well, they will all be replaced next time I come, so it doesn’t matter.’

I closed the carriage window with a sound and leaned back against the plush seat.

And the next day, I understood why the servant mentioned “your case.”

The carriage bearing the family crest passed through other territories without a single inspection and arrived just outside the capital in a day.

‘Having the family name really speeds things up.’

I closed the divine power book I had brought from the library and looked out the window.

The main road ahead was already filled with carriages. It was the start of the school term, and there was also a checkpoint, making it even more congested.

‘This will take some time.’

I opened the book again.

As I scanned the last chapter and looked up, another surprising scene unfolded.

The carriages that hadn’t yet passed the fork all simultaneously turned off to another road, clearing the previously crowded road.

Then, a shrill cry came from a passing carriage.

“Ah…!”

A child looking out the window saw me and slammed the window shut.

Wondering why, a reasonable suspicion crossed my mind.

‘Are they avoiding me?’

I began to understand why the road suddenly cleared.

There’s no reason for the Askanien family, known for its mages, to use a carriage. They could use teleportation magic.

So who could be in this carriage?

Obviously, me.

“…Hahaha!”

Knowing this made me laugh.

Not because I felt bad, but because it was absurd.

‘Is this really necessary?’

Even if I did get off the carriage and blow up the road for a resurrection ritual, there’s no need for this.

‘……’

Thinking this way, it seems plausible from their perspective.

I quickly dismissed the thought and maintained my composure.

Anyway, I had already known that Luca was a pariah to the entire nation, but experiencing that outside the house, with more than just a few servants, was a whole different level.

‘I’m looking forward to it.’

When I bring my brother down to my current position and rise higher than where he is now, what will happen to them?

How will my brother react to his completely reversed situation?

I closed the window and opened the book.

‘Hmm.’

I’ve now memorized all the magical formulas and additional information about divine power written here.

Since I reached my destination early with nothing else to do, I had no complaints against them.

Ding―!

Did you get a sense of it? Keep going like this!

‘Suggestion: Life is about taking initiative! Find what you need to do.’ 2/3 achieved!

A new notification appeared.

Since I had already sensed success from the special reward at the library, it wasn’t surprising.

However, the timing of its appearance was noteworthy.

‘It showed up right after I mastered the content here.’

Besides gaining the new attribute, there might be other changes.

‘Status window.’

Lucas Rene Askanian

Title: Empire’s Biggest Fool

Stamina: -5

Mental Strength: -10

Magical Power: ?

Skill: +0.002 (+0.002)

Impression: -10

Luck: -9.998 (+0.002)

Attributes: Dawn777, Divine Power

The skill did increase, though insignificantly.

The rise was so minimal it was almost surprising.

‘…Well, I expected this.’

Given that the mental strength and impression scores seem very reasonable, each category probably has a maximum of 10 points. They wouldn’t give away a whole point just for reading a book.

I quickly accepted this and dismissed the window.

The increase in luck was more surprising. It seems to interact with other categories.

“We’ve arrived.”

The coachman opened the carriage door.

In the distance, there was a building unmistakably a school, with students in uniforms walking around the plaza.

I grabbed my bag and got off the carriage, looking around the surrounding shops.

‘Now I have something to do.’

Though it seems sudden, this might fulfill the last part of the ‘suggestion.’

I need to cut my hair.

I ran my hand through my hair.

My waxed hair clumped together, covering my eyes and ears. I couldn’t tell how long it had been since I last cut it.

Since my servants avoided me unless summoned by my father, the last time I cut it must have been before enrolling.

‘The more the servants avoid me, the more assertive I need to be.’

Alright.

Luca had no choice but to grow up this way, so what can I do?

Since I left the library just in time, I had no complaints.

However, if I continue to look like this, I won’t be able to gather any allies, so I need to tidy up my appearance.

‘The problem is, I don’t know where to get my hair cut.’

I stood still and looked around.

As soon as the family carriage appeared, the crowd in the plaza began to clear, leaving only a few people visible.

Among them, a student in uniform saw me, hesitated, and quickly turned into an alley.

‘Hmm.’

I don’t find it particularly irritating.

I don’t feel bad either.

They’re avoiding Luca, not me.

Still… it seems a bit irritating now. Let’s just call it that for now.

I widened my stride and entered the alley. I grabbed the shoulder of the student in uniform.

“Excuse me.”

“Ah!”

The owner of the shoulder jumped and slowly turned around. Judging by his reaction, he already knew who had grabbed him.

I softened my expression as much as possible and smiled gently.

The other person, as if unable to believe the situation, opened his mouth but eventually spoke in a small, crawling voice.

“Wh-Why…?”

“I need to ask you something.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep