Leo's eyes trembled as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"…What on earth?"
"So, promise me first."
Even without a promise, Leo wasn't the type to spread someone else's story. After all, he'd been by my side for over ten years.
Still, it was important to understand the weight of what he was about to hear.
Leo looked at me suspiciously, then let out a deep sigh.
"I promise. In the name of God."
"You don't have to bring God into this, but fine. I'll explain briefly, so listen carefully."
Leo nodded with a determined expression.
"I was born with the strongest magical power in our family, and my brother wants to inherit our father's title and become the head of the family."
"…Is that it?"
Despite his words, Leo seemed to have grasped the gravity of the situation as his face darkened.
I nodded.
"You know that the right of succession is usually given to the one with the strongest magic, right? You can guess how things have played out from there."
"…You're saying you can't use magic because of your brother?"
"Yeah, if I use it, I die."
"Would your brother really come to kill you?"
Leo asked, not understanding the severity of the situation. But knowing the future where I'd be killed by my brother's hand, I could only smile bitterly.
I took a crystal bottle out of my bag, which I had brought from the dormitory at dawn, and held it up to Leo's eyes.
"What do you think this medicine is?"
Leo squinted as he took the bottle and held it up to the light.
"Medicine? What was extracted to make it glow like this? It looks like ink."
"It's the medicine my brother sends me every month. It's made from ingredients that have never been officially distributed in the empire, so you wouldn't know."
Why would the medicine sent by my brother, who wants to become the head of the family, be made from substances that have never been officially distributed in the empire?
Seeing the ominous combination, Leo furrowed his brows.
"No way…."
"That's right. When I drink this, my core gets completely blocked, and if I try to use magic, it shocks me."
"Wait a minute, even if he's your brother, how can he do that? A mage dies if their magic doesn't circulate. How does he expect you to survive if he blocks it?"
"What do you think? My brother wants me dead as soon as possible. Giving me this medicine is proof enough that he wants me dead."
Leo's face turned pale with shock.
A look of disbelief, as if he had never imagined such a thing.
Leo, who had always grown up in a warm and harmonious family, wouldn't understand.
Leo, who had been making a confused expression all this time, slowly opened the bottle and sniffed it.
"When did you start drinking this?"
"I think I was ten."
"That's during your growth period. The most important time for a mage, and this…."
"...."
Leo ground his teeth, looking more upset than I was.
I let out a helpless laugh.
It seemed he found my lack of growth in magic to be the most severe issue.
I wondered how powerful the magic he'd seen me use as a child was to make him react this way.
"Wasn't there a way to avoid drinking it? What about your father…?"
"When I was twelve, I skipped it for a week. Then I suddenly passed out, and when I woke up, my brother said I had killed a wolf. After that, it was obvious."
"What happened?"
"Every time I showed reluctance to drink it, I was locked in a room. They didn't even give me food. It was under my brother and father's orders."
That's how I remembered it.
Leo clasped his head, hearing the absurd situation.
"…I'm sorry to ask this in such a situation, but did you really kill the wolf?"
"I have no memory of it. I have no recollection after losing consciousness."
"It might be presumptuous to suggest, but is there a chance your brother lied? Honestly, how could a young kid like you catch and eat a wolf, even with magic? It wouldn't be hard to fake a scene like that."
"It's possible."
"Then the rumors about you being a vampire, and the ones about you being involved with Pleroma… those could also have been spread by your brother."
"Yeah."
Leo buried his face in his hands.
After a long sigh, he looked up with a haggard face.
"This is crazy. This should be reported to the Imperial Investigation Team immediately."
"You're not going to report it."
"Yeah, we shouldn't act hastily yet. Your brother must have prepared for such an event."
"You know well."
Indeed, the protagonist's friend was different.
It was convenient to talk to him.
"What should we do from here…? You want to get away from your brother, right? You've definitely changed. This time… well, you fixed your appearance, and seeing you use magic, it seems you've stopped taking the medicine. Honestly, this is the first time we've had such an uninterrupted conversation."
"Of course. I want to live."
"Is controlling your power because you were afraid your brother would notice? Is that right?"
"Yeah. But that's over now. If I continue, my brother will get suspicious."
"…And here I was, not knowing anything, saying all sorts of things to you…."
Leo once again buried his face in his hands, reflecting on the past.
As he dug through his memories, he recalled all the times he had pressured Luca during their first year.
At the time, he hadn't known the circumstances, so it couldn't be helped, but now, he felt a mix of guilt and regret.
'I just… wanted him to use magic properly.'
He didn't want to acknowledge that the person he had admired all his life, the one who had changed his future, was being trampled on by others.
He thought Luca had given up too easily in the face of adversity.
He believed Luca was acting weak despite having the power to turn public opinion around.
Belatedly, his face flushed.
He had judged another person's life too easily.
He had turned school into a place of suffering for a friend who was already tormented by family issues.
Even if he wasn't the only one who had made things difficult for Luca, he had certainly influenced the atmosphere.
Leo, unable to meet Luca's eyes, apologized.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you had such circumstances, and I…."