The room fell silent as Narce’s expression froze briefly, showing that even he hadn’t expected this news.

“…Who does he want to see?”

“Nicolaus,” Leo replied.

“The Emperor is planning to hold a small celebration before the excitement fades. You and Elias are the guests of honor.”

Leo had left his own name out of the reports to avoid overexposure. If the situation with Pleroma escalated, he might step in, but the imperial ceremony carried too much weight for him to lead the charge this early.

Handing me an invitation, Elias grew serious and said, “There’s one issue, though. Are you prepared to hear it without getting too surprised?”

“Go ahead.”

“Duke Georg of Anhalt has also been invited.”

“……”

Georg Askanian.

Adrian and Luca’s father.

“Luca, you’ll likely have to meet him at some point. As one of the guests of honor, there’s no way to avoid it.”

“It’s not a problem. He has no way to recognize me.”

Of course, my father hadn’t seen Luca’s face since he was young.

The last time they’d met, Luca was about five centimeters shorter. With only my eyes visible, a changed physique, and a naturally altered voice, he wouldn’t be able to identify me.

‘The real issue is the Emperor.’

Who knows what he’s planning.

It’s our first encounter, so nothing too drastic will happen, but there’s no harm in being cautious.

“Really?! Great! We’re in this together then! Thank goodness, I wouldn’t want to face that old man alone.”

Elias sprawled onto the floor dramatically.

“When we get back, let’s have an after-party in my room. We’ll keep it light at the banquet, and the real fun will start at dawn.”

“Elias, you’d better not have more than three bottles. And don’t force him to drink, either.”

“….”

For once, I fully agreed with Leo’s scolding.

Knowing what Elias had done to Eric Asman’s head after drinking, I wasn’t about to encourage it.

***

The banquet was scheduled for Saturday, the day finals ended.

“Next week’s already winter break, Master Luca,” the steward remarked as we sipped tea in the familiar tea house that I’d grown quite accustomed to over the semester.

“Is it still only two weeks? It was that short even back when I was a student, but I wasn’t sure if it’s still the same.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Winter break here was unusually short.

Just two weeks, but since it included Christmas and New Year’s, nearly everyone left to spend it at home.

‘Luca had stayed at school, though.’

Of course, he was dragged home for Christmas Day.

But this time, I planned to avoid it altogether.

As I drank my iced water to hide my scoff, the steward stared out the window nostalgically.

“I remember taking your father ice fishing over the break. We used to get competitive, and I always won.”

“That sounds like fun.”

I nodded politely.

If this was all we were going to discuss, I saw no reason to linger.

I stood to leave.

“I’ll be heading off now. My next class starts soon.”

“Oh, but you still have time until your next period; there’s no need to rush back.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve already informed your professor. I told him I needed a bit more time to speak with you, so you might arrive a little late.”

He had something to tell me?

A vague sense of foreboding washed over me.

He’d never requested a private talk before. We typically had tea, exchanged pleasantries, and parted ways.

Standing over him, I looked down and waited for him to continue.

“I understand you’ll be staying at school over the winter break.”

“…Yes, as I did last year.”

“Yes, indeed.”

He took a sip of his tea.

“However, you’ll be staying at the estate this winter, Master Luca.”

“……”

I stared at him silently.

They never cared where ‘Luca’ spent his breaks, yet now, out of the blue, they wanted me to stay home?

“There’s less than a week until the break, and you’re telling me this now? Who ordered this?”

“I’m sure it’s inconvenient. I understand—you applied to stay here well in advance. But…”

“Go on.”

“It was His Grace, the Duke. Please understand, Master Luca. It could reflect poorly on an Askanian family member to remain at school over a holiday without a specific reason.”

‘Without a reason, huh…’

They’re good at making excuses.

They left me alone last year, so clearly, they weren’t that concerned.

“I intended to focus on my studies, but I’m sorry if that’s an inconvenience.”

“My apologies. But sometimes, certain matters do take precedence over academics. Besides, Young Master Adrian also expressed that he’d like you to come home this year.”

“My brother?”

“Yes.”

Of course, he would think that.

It was likely his doing in the first place.

If it were truly my father’s decision, he’d have given the real reason instead of using flimsy excuses.

I sat back down and asked.

“Is my brother coming as well?”

“Unfortunately not. He originally intended to, but due to Pleroma, tensions in the Papal State have escalated. Young Master Adrian is focusing on keeping the peace there over the holiday.”

So, if it weren’t for this situation, he would’ve been here in the Empire.

After saying nothing for so long, they were now suddenly telling me to come home just one week before break.

‘I didn’t expect them to act like this.’

Unable to act personally, my brother was trying to move me.

Home was practically an extension of Adrian, with eyes and ears at every turn. In fact, it may as well be Adrian himself.

If there were a hundred servants, every last one would be his loyal ally.

Everyone there would be watching me and acting according to his instructions.

“I understand your frustration at the change in plans. But I cannot disobey His Grace’s orders. I’ve already received permission from your professor, so if you could just ease your mind…”

“That’s enough.”

“…Pardon?”

“I’ll go. It’s my father’s order, after all. What choice do I have?”

The steward looked at me in surprise.

“…You usually seemed uncomfortable with staying at the estate.”

“They’re all like family to me. Besides, it’s been a while since I last saw my father.”

“Oh, you’ve really changed, Master Luca.”

I raised an eyebrow at him, and he laughed, shaking his head.

“His Grace will be overjoyed to hear what you’ve said.”

“Good.”

I smiled back.

Be as happy as you want.

No matter what, I won’t be setting foot in Anhalt.

***

I can’t let things go his way that easily.

I took a dose of elixir and headed to class, flipping through the booklet Leo had given me yesterday.

When I mentioned that I wanted to turn around Luca Askanian’s reputation, His Majesty the King had offered to help.

This booklet was that help.

[Royal Bavarian Academy of Medicine]

[151st National Magic Alchemy Competition – High School Division]

[Eligibility: All High School 2nd and 3rd Years in the Nation]

▶ “5-point preference for ‘Bavarian Nationals’ category removed”

▶ “5-point preference for ‘Magic Alchemy Schools/Departments Students’ category removed”

▶ “2-point preference added for top 50 students in ‘Bavarian Academy High School Academic Competition’”

The Bavarian Magic Alchemy Competition.

It was an ideal opportunity to overturn Luca’s image.

‘This’ll get plenty of attention.’

The Bavarian Kingdom’s magic alchemy competition always had a huge impact.

Tickets for the venue, which could hold ten thousand people, sold out early every time.

And on top of that…

[‘First in 10 Years’ Bavarian Magic Pharmacology Expo to Open]

That was the headline of a news article published a month ago.

The expo would be held near the competition site, and it would start during the week of the competition.

‘…The help I’m getting is definitely not subtle. It’s thorough.’

Under the usual qualifications, I wouldn’t have been able to participate in this event.

It was all due to the extra points.

Since it’s a five-member team event, adding up the team members’ extra points would give a total of 50 bonus points.

‘It’s practically impossible to even attempt this without being eligible for extra points.’

This year, they’d adjusted the participation requirements just so I could join.

Of course, it wasn’t just a great opportunity to change Luca’s image.

[December 18-24: Magic Potion Experimentation Competition Week]

[December 26-31: Training Week for the Top 8 Teams]

Since they need to gather students from across the country, the competition will be held during the beginning of the holiday season.

As long as I participate in the exam, I’d be able to spend at least a week in Bavaria.

The following week would depend on the competition results.

‘So, first, let’s focus on getting into this.’

This isn’t a competition that anyone who wants to join can just sign up for. Since it’s a team exam, the school will likely select candidates based on academic rank.

I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the favor of being invited to a banquet after the finals.

Of course, unlike such kindness, Elias openly skipped today’s class.

He seemed to have anticipated the flood of students.

‘A wise choice.’

And since I couldn’t make the same decision, I focused on something else.

“I really want to meet him…! I have so many questions, do you think I’ll get the chance?”

“Hey, how do you even know when or how you could meet him?”

“Should I ask the school to invite him? I could pay for the lecture fee myself, right?”

“That’s a great idea! I’ll split the cost with you!”

“Wow, your brain’s working overtime.”

‘…Yeah, sure. No chance I’m going.’

Right in front of me, Melvin was passionately chatting with his friends, all eager to meet Nicolaus.

“What would you even do if you met him?”

At a friend’s question, Melvin took a deep breath.

“Well… I’d want to ask how he became like that. But could I even talk without getting nervous…?”

“……”

It seems like he’s already treating him as a role model.

‘…Should I step outside for a bit?’

When I looked up, I locked eyes with Leo from across the room as he chatted with his friends.

He quickly averted his gaze, but he was definitely trying to hold back a laugh.

“……”

Fine…

If I were him, I’d laugh too.

Right then, the break ended, and the professor walked in.

He posted a flyer on the blackboard and raised his voice.

“Everyone, I have an announcement. At the end of December, the Kingdom of Bavaria will be hosting the Bavarian Magical Potion Experimentation Competition.”

As the topic of the competition came up, the previously noisy classroom gradually fell silent.

A few students started whispering among themselves, looking confused.

“Aren’t we not allowed to enter?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

One student raised their hand to ask a question.

“Professor, what about the eligibility? Isn’t it restricted due to the bonus points?”

“The extra points system has been removed this year. Instead, the top 50 students from the academic contest hosted by the same institution will receive an additional 2 points.”

The professor tapped on the blackboard.

“We’ll be taking a total of ten subjects for the finals, correct? In the contest, only six of those subjects will be assessed. We want to send students who have a chance at extra points, so we’ll select the top five students per grade based on their final exam scores in the designated subjects.”

Six subjects in total.

Fortunately, the basic Magic Practice course, which has been lowering my average, isn’t included.

Some students gulped nervously.

Announcing that the selection would be based on the final exam scores just two days before the test? Naturally, they were taken aback.

I’d only found out yesterday myself, so I wasn’t in a much different position.

The notice must have been delayed because the eligibility expansion was a recent change.

‘…Still, I can’t miss this.’

I had no intention of playing into my brother’s plans.

There were only two days left until the first exam, but thanks to my determination to memorize everything in class, I was at least prepared with the basics.

I pulled out all my lecture notes from after the midterms.

‘Top five out of the second years, huh.’

My final ranking for the midterms was 10th.

It’s worth a shot.

Sleep is for the dead, after all.

* * *

‘…Done…’

I put down my pen and massaged my temples.

The grueling finals were over.

For a while, I thought I might die, but since sleeping wasn’t an option, I put my heart into studying as best I could.

“Last row, please stand up and collect the test papers.”

I downed a cup of coffee and elixir that I’d kept at the corner of my desk.

After sitting for so long, I eventually noticed that the noise around me had quieted.

It seemed everyone had finished their rough scoring and left the classroom.

‘Time to head out.’

Just then, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

Leo nodded towards the door without a word.

“They’re locking up. You planning to study here?”

“…No, I’ll leave now.”

From the back, Leo’s friends called out to him.

“Leo, you’re heading to the Special Class, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll study a bit, so you guys go ahead.”

“Ooh, already made the cut~ Get us some souvenirs when you go to Bavaria!”

“I was there just yesterday, what’re you talking about?”

“See you on Christmas Eve!”

“Hey, we have an announcement before dinner, so we need to gather in the classroom.”

“Oh, right. See you later.”

I listened to their trivial chatter while shoving my pen into my bag.

Once he confirmed no one was around, Leo cast a soundproofing spell and stepped closer, his tone sharp.

“Are you seriously okay?”

“Of course.”

“Why are you pushing yourself so hard? If you want to change your image, join a club or something; there are other ways.”

“Noted. Thanks for the advice.”

“…Snap out of it. You were there for only half a day in real-time, but it was over four days in that place.”

“Right. I appreciate the concern, but first, I need to get through this.”

Leo sighed.

“…Fine, you’ve already stayed up all night, so nothing to be done. Do you think you’ll pass? We’ve got the royal celebration banquet tonight, so we won’t even have time to rest. It’ll be worse if you don’t make it.”

“I don’t know yet.”

Leo stopped in his tracks, looking at me as if exasperated.

I’d caught some sleep instead of grading myself, so even I didn’t know how I’d done.

Soon, Leo changed the subject.

“See you at the dorm. I’ll give you some medicine.”

When I made my way to Leo’s room, he handed me an elixir, saying abruptly:

“…I hate to bring this up before the banquet, but you’re aware, right? It’s been almost a week since we disrupted Pleroma’s recruitment network, and they haven’t retaliated.”

“Yes, I know.”

I closed the lid on the empty elixir bottle and continued.

“Everyone says we must have dealt a severe blow to Pleroma’s forces, so they can’t retaliate…”

“The lack of retaliation is more ominous. We didn’t actually inflict much damage on their current strength.”

“Yes.”

Having power but withholding retribution only means they’re planning something else.

While analyzing reports and recent intel on their movements, the school clock tower struck five.

The chimes signaled the time.

“Results should be out now. Let’s check and head to the classroom.”

I pulled out the report card from my bag.

‘Why am I so nervous about this?’

Clenching the paper, I stared at it, watching the blue text move fluidly beneath my midterm rank.

[2nd-Year Fall Semester Finals] [Rank 6/50] [Overall 8/100]

“Ha.”

I’d improved.

Last time, I ranked 6th in my class, 10th overall.

“Leo, what about you?”

Without taking his eyes off his paper, Leo smirked.

“Take a guess.”

“……”

Judging by his expression, he must’ve done well.

Since we’d been instructed to gather in the classroom immediately after the results were announced, I warped back to my room, grabbed my things, and headed there.

“Alright, is everyone here? Those selected will need to start packing tonight, so we’ll announce the results quickly before dinner. First, I’ll call out the ranks submitted for the academic contest.”

‘I guess I’ll just make it in.’

Despite ranking 8th in my major, practical exams had been excluded, so I should be in the top 5. I had to be.

I found myself clenching my fists without realizing it.

Even if I didn’t make it, I wouldn’t sit around at home as my brother wanted, but it would be frustrating to miss such a close opportunity.

The professor looked around the room and began calling names.

“First in the Magic Department, Lucas Askanian.”

“…?!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep