Ding—!
'Suggestion: Life is up to you! Find what you must do.' 3/3 achieved!
Congratulations!
'Suggestion: Life is up to you! Find what you must do.' succeeded!
'Chapter 1. If you help yourself, even God will help you (1)' completed!
'Route 1 — ⟨ Chapter 2. If you help yourself, even God will help you (2) ⟩' has been confirmed.
"Now that's refreshing."
I touched the short-cut hair at the back of my head.
Yeah, this is it. If you're going to grow your hair out, you should at least trim it along the way—or just cut it outright.
Luka had left it unattended for a long time despite having no intention of growing it out, so it had ended up looking like a complete beggar's mess.
'Still, cutting it makes me look less haggard.'
Instead of the dispirited face that surfaced when I wasn't paying attention, I looked at myself in the mirror with no particular expression.
I hadn't realized it before, but I actually looked decent.
My skin was pale, sure, but if I ate well and exercised properly to bring some color back, I'd look much better than now.
I left the shop and thanked the student who had been following a step behind me.
"Thanks for showing me the way. So, we're in the same class?"
"…Y-yeah. At our school, once you're admitted, you stay in the same class until graduation, Lukas… You didn't know?"
"I knew that."
Since the protagonist had been a student here, I was already familiar with this kind of information from the novel.
"Oh, r-right…? Haha! I see. Guess I didn't know that. Haha…."
"So what's your name?"
"H-huh? M-me?! I-I'm Melvin. But why…?"
Can't even ask a classmate's name?
And why are you standing so far away?
For some reason, it felt like I'd become a delinquent shaking someone down, so I just shut my mouth.
When I saw how the entire nation avoided me, I hadn't thought much of it—but seeing someone trembling like this in a one-on-one situation made me feel strangely guilty.
When we arrived in front of a building, Melvin brightened and pointed at it.
"This is the dormitory. I'll head in now—see you in the classroom tomorrow."
"Hey, wait."
"Y-yeah…?"
"If I want to find my room, where do I go?"
With a face like he was on the verge of death, Melvin led me to the administrative office while keeping as much distance as possible.
'That reaction's kind of funny.'
The guilt didn't last long.
Having already adapted to reactions like that, I smiled and waved at him.
Out of curiosity about just how bad it was, I pulled up Favorability—and sure enough, it was sitting at -10.
"Thanks. See you later."
"U-uhh… I-I'm really going now…!"
Before I could even respond, the student bolted down the hallway.
After asking for my room number at the administrative office, I headed to my room. When I opened the door, the luggage sent from home was already inside.
"Guess I should organize first."
The luggage consisted of a few sets of clothes, textbooks for classes, stationery, and medicine—that was all. Even a family wand that was useless to Luka had been shoved into a corner.
After tossing everything into the wardrobe and onto the desk, only the medicine box remained.
Suppressing the urge to kick it aside, I opened the lid. On top of black cloth wrapped to block out light lay a cream-colored envelope.
I hadn't even checked the sender, but I knew immediately who had written it.
I tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter.
[To my beloved younger brother.]
[Hello. By the time you read this, you'll already be at school. I can't tell you how worried I was when you collapsed like that. I wish I could have stayed by your side even a little longer, but I had no choice but to leave early. I didn't realize the medicine would hurt you that badly. I sincerely hope you can forgive me.]
That apology was probably the lightest apology in the world. Knowing Luka's ending, all I could do was laugh.
After that, it was nothing but pointless content—how father had been doing, what he had said about me, and how it would be good if I could at least raise my grades to average.
Reading with dead, lifeless eyes, I eventually reached the end.
[I may have nagged you a bit earlier, but I trust that you know well what you must prioritize. Always put your health first. Especially these days, things seem to be changing a lot, so if even a small problem arises, be sure to let me know.]
[May God's blessing always be with you.
With sincerity, your older brother.]
It was an utterly ordinary, utterly useless letter.
The fact that he'd taken the time to write something this long just to look kind spoke volumes about his tenacity.
I shifted my gaze to the line that stuck in my eyes the most.
[I trust that you know well what you must prioritize.]
Yeah. I know very well.
I picked up the box, dumped the medicine bottles into the drawer, and locked it shut.
The pitiful fool who obediently drank this whenever told to may have been your younger brother until now—but not anymore.
'I'd like nothing more than to throw it all away, but…'
I can't do that.
To bury my older brother, I need to keep some of these as evidence.
And if I can pull Leo onto my side, this will become an exceptionally useful medicine.
Since my future plans depend on how much of the effect remains, I should first check how much magic I can still use.
'Three days ago, my older brother made me drink a bottle.'
I spat most of that out, so it hardly counts. If I go by the last day I drank two bottles in a row—before he replaced the medicine—that was four days ago.
Since it's a medicine taken on a weekly cycle, the effect should have diminished significantly.
So, let's try using magic once.
'…But.'
For anything to work, my memory would need to be reasonably intact. Was the last time when I was twelve?
Well, I was born into a Prestigious Magic Family, and only my core was somewhat sealed—somehow, it should work.
I stretched my hand straight out.
Piiing—!
At that moment, red magic flashed. Before I could even be surprised at the unfamiliar spell, searing pain struck my heart.
"Ugh…!"
It actually worked. My knees buckled on their own. The pain made it hard to stay standing.
'And this is with the medicine's effect weakened….'
He really slept soundly at night while feeding this kind of drug to his younger brother.
It was absurd even when I was just a reader—but experiencing it firsthand made it even more ridiculous. I couldn't help but laugh like I'd lost my mind.
'Anyway, there's no problem with the plan.'
Today is the last weekday.
Tomorrow starts the weekend. Once the weekend passes, the medicine's effect will completely wear off.
Even with cold sweat pouring down, I smiled.
Yeah. First, let's make Leo my ally.
***
The next morning, as I stepped out of my room, I ran into students preparing to go to school.
'They're not avoiding me as much as I expected?'
I looked around in amazement at this surprising situation.
Just then, one student casually passed by, noticed my face, and flinched before quickly moving away.
The situation was similar even when I went down to the crowded dormitory lobby.
'....'
It wasn't that they weren't avoiding me—they just hadn't recognized me.
Today, for once, I'd shown up with my hair neatly trimmed instead of my usual beggar-like appearance, causing a brief delay in their reactions. Students had always avoided and loathed Luka.
To make matters worse—unlike outsiders who merely avoided him—there were those within the school who were bolder, openly ignoring and insulting Luka.
There were three main reasons.
First, the rumors about Pleroma.
Second, because he had entered the magic department through donation admission despite being unable to use magic.
And lastly, because one student with a solid power base at school particularly hated me.
And… that student was Leo.
'This is going to be a long road.'
Leo had excellent relationships, grades, and conduct, giving him strong standing within the school. His magical ability also ranked near the top.
Since someone like that openly hated Luka, some students—brave but lacking in character—took it as a sign that it was safe to openly bully him.
That was why bold contempt and mockery, different from what he faced outside, remained in Luka's memories.
But the situation wasn't completely hopeless.
While investigating Luka's death, Leo would later share stories from the past with the protagonist.
Unbeknownst to Luka, Leo had seen him before the older brother began seriously harassing him.
Coming from a family that had passed down medicine for generations, and possessing talent too weak for conventional magic, Leo had been far removed from magic. It was only after witnessing Luka's magic that he began to devote his life to it.
Perhaps because he had formed a blindly positive impression of Luka since childhood, Leo never fully believed the rumors about Pleroma.
But because of that, the backlash fell on Luka.
'He thought it was foolish for someone with such outstanding talent to bow to strange rumors, so he treated him coldly.'
That was what Leo confessed to the protagonist while digging into Luka's death. And now was likely that very period of 'cold treatment.'
'How did I even get tangled up in a mess like this….'
Still, this worked in my favor.
No matter the type of emotion, having strong feelings was better than indifference.
As long as I could maintain that depth, I could dramatically flip its direction.
Click—
The moment I opened the door and entered, the noisy classroom fell silent.
The confusion caused by my unusual appearance washed over me plainly.
Ignoring their reactions, I found a seat near the very back and sat down.
From afar, I felt a piercing gaze.
"Well, I'll be damned. Never thought I'd see the day."
A cynical voice rang out.
Without a word, I took out my book and let out a silent scoff.
'All this just because I cut my hair….'
What kind of beggar must I have looked like over the past year?
Anyway, it was obvious who had said that.
I raised my head and looked in that direction.
A student surrounded by friends rested his chin on his hand, tilting his head slightly as he stared at me with cold eyes.
Wheat-colored blond hair, blue eyes, gently sloping eye corners, and lips pressed shut with stubborn resolve.
Along with clothing neat to the point of perfection, it was instantly recognizable—even without Luka's memories.
That student was Leo.
Ding—!
'Route 1 — ⟨ Chapter 2 ⟩' has begun.
「Chapter 2. If you help yourself, even God will help you (2)」
⟨Chapter 2. If you help yourself, even God will help you (2)⟩
Suggestion: 'Leonard Wittelsbach' — make him your companion. (0/1) (167 hours 59 minutes 58 seconds)
Route 1 ― ⟨ Chapter 3. Undetermined (1) ⟩
Route 2 ― ⟨ Death ⟩
'…Death.'
167 hours and 59 minutes. One week.
Throwing out something this insane as a quest without a second thought.
My breath caught before I even realized it.
'No.'
Even with a one-week limit, there's still a chance. Now that I'm in the same class as Leo, I'm actually confident I won't fail this suggestion.
I tore my gaze away from Leo's vivid blue eyes and sat back down.
***
"Good morning, students. Did you enjoy your vacation?"
On the first class of the new semester, the professor placed the attendance ledger on the lectern and greeted them energetically.
In contrast to the professor's enthusiasm, the students' response was lukewarm.
Unbothered, the professor continued with the introduction.
"You already know this from last year, correct? This course covers the history of magic."
A low-pressure subject right from the first class—nice.
While the professor continued explaining, I emptied my mind and leaned back against the chair.
Leo's Favorability, which I had quickly checked when our eyes met earlier, was -8.
It was higher than most students here, who were sitting at -10, but as long as it was still negative, it couldn't be called good.
If I wanted to make Leo my ally within 168 hours—one week—I'd have to speed up my original plan.
I scribbled something in my notebook for a while, then glanced at the clock. Even after an hour had passed, there was no sign of the class ending.
"And this becomes the cornerstone for carving out the future through the past. By directly confronting the microscopic world of the self, we can autonomously pioneer our lives—"
"...."
Is it really okay to talk like this for an entire hour in high school?
I lifted my eyes from the notebook and looked around. The students were already half-listening, half-dozing, busy with other things.
Clap—
The professor clapped his hands, drawing their attention.
"Now, everyone. Focus. I'll give you just one last question. There was a council that decided those with manifested magical power must participate once a year in the sacrament ceremony. What was it? Whoever answers correctly will receive full marks for class attitude this semester."
"The professor's doing it again…. We haven't even learned this properly yet—how are we supposed to know?"
"What do you expect."
The students sitting in front of me whispered to each other in voices barely audible.
No matter how far they were sitting, that kind of nerve…
It was an attitude that only came from looking down on a teacher.
'Brings back memories of high school….'
Once a teacher became a joke, nothing else mattered.
Feeling a bit sorry, I listened to the professor.
"This won't be on the exam. But you should at least know this much to call yourselves students of our proud Second Imperial Academy. It's not heavily covered in the textbook, but it's an important event that reveals the origin of today's holy power. Does anyone know?"
Naturally, the lecture hall fell silent.
I skimmed the action routes I'd scribbled in my notebook, lost in thought.
First class of the first day of second year.
It wasn't a bad time to begin executing my plan for this suggestion—and to decide my direction going forward.
'Should I test it once?'
Did I really need to keep acting the same way at school as I did at home?
I'd already shown behavior uncharacteristic of Luka to the student who guided me, but that was only one person. I could still change direction now.
Besides, the professor's question came straight from the holy power books I'd been sick of memorizing on the way here.
Since I knew the answer, it was a decent opportunity to make use of it.
'Isn't anything popping up?'
Just in case, I called up the quest window.
Aside from the suggestion to make Leo my companion, there was nothing else.
It pops up even for the most useless things, yet when I actually need it…
'Fine.'
It's just once, anyway.
Yesterday's newspaper had an article saying the imperial court mage group my older brother belonged to had departed for the Papal States.
Even if his business wrapped up, it would take at least a year. And since international teleportation magic was prohibited, returning would require traveling to the Empire's border by carriage or train.
Under those circumstances, it would be hard for him to return solely to lock me up in a basement.
'More importantly… he's the one who told me to raise my grades.'
I'm saying I'll do exactly what my older brother told me to do because I'm scared of him—and he's going to nitpick that?
Answering a question during class might draw some caution, but it's not enough to provoke direct action.
And that's assuming the news even reaches him.
In the novel, my older brother never assigned a watcher to Luka. That made sense—just looking at my condition right after possession made it clear. A human being so completely broken mentally and physically couldn't possibly act on their own.
So answering a question in class wouldn't immediately reach his ears.
I smiled faintly and listened quietly to the professor's dissatisfaction.
"No one? This question connects directly to what I discussed earlier. I'm sure we touched on it briefly last year as well…."
"...."
"Well, it can't be helped. Then remember this properly from now on."
"The Second Leyterum Council."
A heavy silence fell over the classroom.
Students filling the lecture hall turned their bodies toward me, staring with unmistakable shock.
The professor, too, seemed utterly unprepared for me to answer, his mouth hanging open.
No one looked capable of breaking this awkward atmosphere. I smiled gently and spoke to ease it.
"Was that wrong?"
"Student?"
"Yes."
"…Is what you answered correct?"
Tilting my head, I replied with a look asking what the problem was.
"Yes."
"…It's not wrong. The Second Leyterum Council is correct. I heard you were frequently absent last year due to illness… yet you remembered?"
I answered with a smile instead of words, ending the exchange.
When I met the countless gazes fixed on me, the students hurriedly turned their heads away as if something were stuck to my eyes.
What mattered wasn't the others.
I looked toward where Leo was sitting.
Instead of his earlier cold expression, Leo was staring at me with a visibly flustered face.
At that moment, a new window appeared before my eyes.
Ding—!
Chapter 2 Special Reward
Hint: Check your chances of survival!