“…What…?”

“Huh?”

Leo and Elias both stared at me, their playful expressions instantly wiped away, replaced by looks of bewilderment. Narce, too, had his eyes wide open, mouth agape.

‘Seems I spoke before Narce could use his Insight…’

“W-W-WHAT?!”

Elias tried to spring to his feet, but Leo grabbed him, forcing him back into his seat as he yelled.

“Why on earth would you drink that?!”

“What’s this supposed to mean, Lucas?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.”

“You do know what the effects of that potion are, right?”

Leo emphasized each word, his tone serious.

“Did you think I’d suggest drinking it without knowing?”

“The idea of you willingly falling in love with a Pleroma is hard to wrap my head around. But fine, you want to use that to figure out Gerda Asman’s plan, right?”

“Precisely.”

I looked around at my friends and continued.

“Gerda Asman can enter the Pleroma’s world anytime, so casting any spells directly on her could be risky. But if I cast it on myself, there’s no problem. And since she can read emotions, if I make her believe she’s got me wrapped around her finger, it’ll lower her guard and make things easier.”

“…You really have a knack for self-sacrifice.”

Leo scowled, narrowing one eye as he spoke sarcastically.

I’ve always thought so, but this guy instinctively rejects anything that seems absurd. To be honest, if someone else suggested something like this, I’d probably react the same way.

Still, I don’t just need a simple objection—I need a reason.

“If you’re against it, point out exactly where the flaw in the plan is.”

“You haven’t been out in the real world for the past ten years, so maybe you lack experience. But do you really think you can betray someone and let them die after falling in love with them? Can you really say you won’t end up aiding their plan?”

Yes, I can.

Leo might think I’m inexperienced because of Lucas’ history, but I’ve never let my emotions cloud my judgment to the point of forgetting what I need to do.

Seeing my expression, Leo continued.

“Yeah, you would say that. Everyone says that. And they all come back missing a screw.”

That… well, that’s undeniably true based on what I’ve observed.

It’s baffling how many situations seem completely irrational from an outsider’s perspective.

When my friends called me in the middle of the night, drunk and rambling about love, I thought it was a cliché until I realized that people actually do that, and I couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous it was.

I’ve spent my whole life trying to understand, but I’ve never succeeded.

But now, that very personality might be what helps me.

I can confidently say that I’ll be able to keep my boundaries more firmly than others.

“What’s the issue if there’s an antidote? I’ll take it as soon as the mission’s over.”

“Everyone avoids taking it—that’s the problem~,” Elias said, propping his chin on his hand with a smirk.

Leo nodded in agreement.

“Exactly. It’s an addiction. Even if you don’t realize it at first, after repeatedly taking the potion, you’ll start to subconsciously seek out those feelings and situations.”

Addiction, huh?

That’s a new perspective.

So you’re saying that people who take the potion even resist the antidote? Now I’m curious about just how potent this concoction is.

“Alright, that seems to make sense. But don’t worry—I’ve got you guys.”

“Us?”

Elias raised an eyebrow.

“If I refuse to take the antidote, you guys can hold me down and make me take it. I’m counting on you.”

Leo ran a hand over his chin, his expression still displeased, but he eventually nodded.

“Hmm… yeah, the three of us can handle it.”

“……”

Looking at him, I realized he’s even more paranoid than I am.

This isn’t some kind of mind-erasing drug. How out of control does he think I’d get that he’d need the three of them to restrain me…?

Judging by the way he’s talking, he seems to think magic might be involved, not just a physical struggle. If it’s just a physical fight, Lucas wouldn’t stand a chance against any of the three of them here.

Just then, Elias grinned and said,

“Hey, this might actually be fun. I’ve only ever seen you all stiff and serious in class. I’m curious to see how you react.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“But you’d have to be there to see it…,” Leo muttered, rubbing his forehead before turning to me.

“Alright, I’ll get the potion.”

“Thanks.”

“But promise me something.”

When I stared at him, Leo spoke seriously.

“In case things go wrong… even if we end up doing something drastic to avoid turning you into an enemy, know that it’s not because we hate you.”

“What exactly do you mean by ‘drastic’?”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know, Lucas.”

Narce chimed in with a smile.

“……”

If even Narce is saying that, then yeah, I probably don’t want to know.

* * *

Leo’s reaction is understandable.

Betraying your comrades and siding with the enemy because of love?

It’s ridiculous, but not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

‘I don’t plan on being swayed to the Pleroma’s side that easily, though.’

In terms of magical prowess, it would be a major problem if I defected to the enemy. That’s probably why they’re so concerned.

“Wow, the packaging is impressive.”

Though it was a Saturday afternoon, we gathered upon hearing the news that the package had arrived.

Elias marveled at the dark wooden box, adorned with gold trim.

Leo, still looking uneasy, unlocked the box.

Inside were ten bottles filled with a yellow liquid.

Leo pulled out the leftmost bottle and handed it to me.

“Here. Try this one first. It’s the weakest, so it should be easy to neutralize.”

The usage was straightforward: just drink it and look someone in the eye.

Now, who should I test it on?

After a moment of deliberation, I spoke.

“I’m going to see my professor. Let’s meet back here in five minutes.”

“What? I’m coming with you!”

Elias shouted.

I warped back to the dormitory, grabbed my textbook, and headed out.

Elias soon floated alongside me using magic to levitate his crutch and threw an arm around my shoulder.

“You’re not leaving me out of this, Lucas. Why should you get all the fun?”

“Use your crutch properly. You need to heal quickly.”

“Sure, but….”

I made my way to my professor’s office and knocked on the door.

Elias grinned as he whispered.

“This your type? Going for someone in their sixties is…”

“No.”

I cut him off before he could finish.

This is strictly a test.

Using a student wouldn’t be appropriate, and there weren’t any suitable friends I could call on at the moment. Grabbing a random stranger wouldn’t give me enough time to see the effects, so I chose the most appropriate target for the situation.

Besides, with someone who usually makes me sleepy just by looking at them, it’ll be easier to notice any changes.

I apologize to the professor in advance, but I’ll neutralize it five minutes later, so it won’t be a big deal.

“Come in.”

“Professor, I have a question.”

“Who’s the student behind you?”

“Oh, I’m just here to listen in.”

Elias grinned as he answered.

Though it was clear he wasn’t here to study, the professor didn’t seem to mind and gestured to my book.

“What’s your question?”

I handed the book to the professor and asked,

“I remember you said that differentiating the total utility of magic gives us the marginal utility. Could you go over the calculation process again?”

As the professor looked at the book, I quickly downed the potion I was holding. No change yet.

“That’s right. The more you hear it, the easier it is to understand. Let’s take a look here. You remember that delta X refers to the change in quantity, right?”

“Yes, I remember.”

The professor pointed to the textbook, not looking at me yet.

Elias, stifling his laughter, silently observed from behind.

“Now, let’s examine the utility function. The x-axis represents magic, and the y-axis represents utility. Marginal utility is the increase in utility that comes from consuming one additional unit of magic. Now, if we increase consumption by delta X, what happens? There’s an increase along the y-axis as well, which we call delta U.”

Then, the professor looked up and met my gaze.

“Are you following so far?”

* * *

Surprisingly, nothing happened.

‘Still, the explanation made things clearer.’

Well, that’s natural. Repetition is key to learning, after all.

When I returned to the meeting place, Narce and Leo were waiting for me, and Leo immediately asked,

“How did it go?”

“Same as usual.”

“Wow, how are you so unaffected by this~?”

Elias chimed in, having warped back as well, laughing.

Leo nodded and pulled out the third bottle from the left.

“People react differently, so we have to test it out. I had a feeling the first stage wouldn’t do much for you.”

“Can you just tell that by looking?”

“Some things never change.”

Leo handed me the next bottle.

After some trial and error, we discovered that stage five was where I started feeling even a hint of human affection.

“Are you a machine or something?”

“What nonsense…”

I chuckled at Elias’ comment and tucked the stage six bottle into my pocket.

Considering there were ten stages, it seemed reasonable that the effects would start kicking in at stage five.

Finally, I put on my glasses and adjusted my appearance in the mirror, using the formula I’d memorized earlier.

My hair dried and turned a soft red. Freckles I’d added to distract from my true features reappeared on my skin.

Just then, Elias pointed at my pocket and asked,

“Shouldn’t you test that one, too? It might still be too weak for you.”

“No, I need to be careful since Gerda can read emotions. It’s better to stick to a moderate level rather than jumping straight to the highest.”

Narce, who had been silently observing, shook his head.

“Lucas, hold on. Whether it’s stage six or seven doesn’t matter. But we need to change your outfit. And get some cleaner glasses.”

* * *

Since I hadn’t yet taken the potion, I hadn’t been aware of the subtle ways people consider their appearance when meeting someone they’re attracted to.

I had been entirely focused on the functionality of the disguise.

Because of that, I ended up getting called a machine by Elias again, which was a bit unfair. After all, if I had any feelings, I wouldn’t need to resort to the potion in the first place.

But more importantly…

‘This is still an enemy I need to deal with.’

It’s even more challenging to feel positive emotions in a natural state.

I had arranged the meeting with Gerda Asman in advance through a letter.

As I stood at the door, I cleared my throat and discreetly drank the stage six potion.

‘Let’s hope no one else answers the door.’

There was no change yet, but based on previous experience, the effects would kick in the moment I looked into someone’s eyes.

Still, I had the antidote ready just in case, so there shouldn’t be any issues.

I avoided looking around as much as possible until the door finally opened.

“You’re here.”

Fortunately, it was Gerda Asman who appeared.

She smiled as she held the door wide open.

“……”

“Mr. Weitzel?”

“…Ah, yes. It’s a pleasure to see you again. Thank you for making time for me.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble. Come on in.”

Stage six is a bit strong.

Feeling this way toward someone I have no interest in… I have to admit, the potion is quite effective.

Once Gerda was out of sight, I allowed myself a quick glance around.

While the upper floors were likely unchanged since they rarely had guests, the first floor was still rather stark.

Except for one new addition: a diploma with Gerda Asman’s name hung in a frame across the hallway.

‘Arvin Asman must have changed his name when he was reborn.’

The diploma next to it bore the name Eric Asman.

Pleroma probably set that up for them. They would need to establish a solid identity for the last 25 years of their lives to avoid any legal issues.

This means Pleroma intends to fully utilize them.

‘I’d better wrap up my inspection.’

I’ve already looked around more than necessary, and too much snooping could raise suspicion.

As I redirected my attention to the unremarkable sofa, Gerda returned with a tray of tea and asked,

“Your friend from the last visit didn’t come along this time?”

“He had some business to attend to.”

I replied with a gentle smile.

Gerda responded with a knowing smile, studying me closely.

“Really? Is that so?”

“…What do you think?”

I mirrored her smile and tilted my head slightly.

Judging by her expression and words, she had realized the state I was in. She must have picked up on the fact that I wasn’t here just for the journalism project.

‘Faster than I expected.’

I hadn’t planned to reveal anything this quickly. Even if she used her ability, I thought she’d pretend not to know.

In any case, Leo was way off the mark.

Despite the slight warmth in my face from the manipulated chemical reaction, my mind remained perfectly clear.

Of course, if I were to push it to stage ten… I might lose some confidence.

Fortunately, Gerda only smiled and redirected the conversation back to our original purpose.

“Shall we start the interview? We agreed to finish by 7 PM, right? We’ve only got about 40 minutes left.”

“Of course.”

She brought it up at just the right time.

Now, I could use her awareness of my feelings as a shield while I extracted information about Pleroma’s plans.

To get the information I need about Pleroma’s broader plans, I first need to get closer to Gerda Asman.

And for that, I need to know more about her.

With that in mind, I spent a considerable amount of time asking Gerda Asman questions that were practically a background check.

At 6:58 PM, Gerda asked,

“So, is that all the questions you have?”

“No.”

She looked at me with wide eyes as if asking what else there could be.

“Are you free now?”

Damn it all… having to say something like this to someone I had absolutely no prior interest in… well, it was a bizarre and surreal experience, but the potion worked wonders.

Any lingering self-loathing quickly faded, replaced by a racing heartbeat.

‘I could use this in all sorts of ways.’

Definitely worth noting.

Gerda Asman laughed, amused, and replied,

“Now? But you said the interview was until 7 PM.”

“That’s true. But I’ve changed my mind.”

“This isn’t about the journalism project, is it?”

“Of course not.”

At my response, Gerda chuckled softly, tilting her head without saying anything further.

“You mentioned you arrived in the capital about a week ago. Are you familiar with the theater about 30 minutes away by carriage?”

“I see. I’ll have to check it out sometime.”

Gerda responded with a shameless smile, her lips curling up.

She kept her eyes on me, carefully watching my reactions.

Suppressing the urge to get up and head straight back to the dormitory, I forced a smile and asked,

“No. There’s a Schiller play starting in an hour. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me?”

* * *

It was nearly midnight when I returned to the dormitory that night.

Once there, I was promptly dragged by Pai to warp to our meeting place. As expected, my friends were gathered, waiting for me.

“You kept Pai up just to call me here at this hour?”

“Of course! You need to take the antidote!”

Oh, right. That.

I took the transparent liquid Leo handed me and downed it in one go.

“So, how did it go?”

“What do you mean? It’s only just begun.”

“Did you manage to set up another meeting?”

I removed my glasses and rubbed my eyes as I replied,

“Yes, of course. Why do you ask?”

“Wow, even with the freckles and glasses, you still can’t hide the fact that you’re Adrian Askanian’s brother~.”

“Does it make you happy when people compliment the Emperor?”

“Oh, come on.”

Elias chuckled and shook his head.

I, having used up all my energy for the day, slumped into the chair.

The potion did its job, but I couldn’t let my guard down around Pleroma.

‘Fortunately, Gerda probably just interpreted my tension as nerves, so there’s no issue.’

“I’ve set up another meeting for tomorrow. I’ll use the stage seven potion next time.”

“Back to being a machine, I see….”

“No.”

I laughed lightly and continued.

“It’s time to speed things up. I need to become a Pleroma myself.”

“Huh?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep