I hadn't expected him to go that far. Leo's eyes wavered.
"...What the hell is it?"
"Promise first."
It wasn't like he was the type to spread rumors even without a promise. That's why he'd stayed by the protagonist's side for over a decade.
Still, I needed to know the weight of what he was about to hear.
Leo gave me a suspicious look, then let out a heavy sigh.
"I promise. In the name of the gods."
"Bringing gods into it seems excessive, but fine. I'll keep it simple, so listen."
Leo nodded, his expression grave.
"I was born with the strongest magical power in our family. My older brother wants to inherit our father's title and become head of the house."
"...That's it?"
Even as he said it, Leo's face darkened. He'd already figured it out.
I nodded.
"You know succession rights usually go by magical strength, right? You can guess how this played out."
"...You're saying you couldn't use magic because of him?"
"Yeah. Using it would kill me."
"He'd come here to kill you himself?"
He said it like the idea was rationally absurd. Knowing I'd actually die by my brother's hand, I could only manage a bitter smile.
I pulled the crystal vial from the bag I'd grabbed from my dorm at dawn and held it up to Leo's face.
"Looks like medicine?"
Leo took the vial, tilting it against the light. His eyes narrowed.
"Medicine? What's extracted to glow like this? Looks like ink."
"My brother sends it to me every month. Made from ingredients never officially circulated in the Empire, so you wouldn't know."
Why would a medicine sent by the brother who wanted to be head of the house be made from substances never officially circulated?
Anyone could see it was a bad combination. Leo's brow furrowed.
"Don't tell me..."
"Yeah. Drinking this completely blocks my core. The moment I use magic, the shock hits."
"Wait, but you're family. If a mage's magic doesn't circulate, they die. What happens if you block it?"
"What do you think? My brother wants me dead as soon as possible. Giving me this medicine means he wants me dead. Isn't that obvious?"
Shock washed over Leo's face.
That look—like he'd never imagined such a thing.
Raised in a warm, harmonious family, Leo wouldn't understand.
After a long moment of confused silence, Leo opened the cap and slowly wafted the scent toward himself.
"How long have you been taking this?"
"Since I was ten."
"That's your entire growth period. The most crucial time for a mage, and this..."
"..."
Leo gritted his teeth, looking more aggrieved than the person who'd actually taken the medicine.
I let out a disbelieving laugh.
So this guy was most upset that I hadn't grown magically. More than anything else.
Just how powerful had Luca's childhood magic been to get this reaction?
"Couldn't you have refused? Your father..."
"I skipped it for a week when I was twelve. Passed out at some point. Woke up to my brother saying I'd eaten a wolf. After that, it was obvious."
"What happened?"
"Every time I showed I didn't want to drink it, I got locked in my room. No meals. On my brother and father's orders."
That's how I remembered it.
Leo clutched his head like he was hearing something insane.
"...Sorry for asking this given the situation, but did you really eat a wolf?"
"I have no idea. No memory at all after losing consciousness."
"This might be overstepping, but is it possible your brother lied? Honestly, even if you used magic, how could a kid that age catch and eat one? Staging a scene to look real wouldn't be hard."
"Plausible."
"Then the rumors about blood-drinking, the rumors about being connected to Pleroma... your brother could have spread those too."
"Yeah."
Leo buried his face in his hands.
He groaned for a while before looking up, haggard.
"...This is insane. We should report it to the Imperial investigation team immediately."
"You won't report it."
"Right. Can't move carelessly yet. Your brother would have prepared for that."
"You catch on fast."
A protagonist's friend was different, alright.
Convenient that he understood.
"What do we even do here... You want out from under him too, right? You've definitely changed. This time... well, fixed your appearance, and seeing you use magic, seems you quit the medicine. Honestly, this is the first time we've talked without cutting each other off."
"Obviously. I want to live."
"You holding back your power... you wanted to change but were scared your brother would notice. Right?"
"Yeah. That ends now too. Continuing would make him suspicious."
"...And I said all that to you without knowing..."
Leo buried his face in his hands again, frustrated, replaying the past.
Once the memories started, all of first year came back—constantly giving Lukas dirty looks.
I didn't know the circumstances then, so it couldn't be helped. And maybe it wasn't something to blame myself for alone... but hearing the story, regret washed over me.
'I just... wanted him to use magic properly.'
I didn't want to admit that the person I'd admired my whole life, the person who changed my future, was being trampled by others.
I thought he gave up too easily against hardship.
Thought he was weak, holding a weapon that could overturn public opinion.
Only now did my face burn.
I'd judged his life too lightly.
Made school a place of pain for a friend already suffering at home.
Even if the whole school disliked Lukas, and I wasn't solely responsible, I did influence the atmosphere.
Leo apologized without meeting my eyes.
"Sorry. I didn't know you had circumstances like that..."
"I'd like to hear exactly what you're sorry for."
"...For treating you carelessly all last year without knowing anything. For suddenly calling you out yesterday and picking a fight. All of it."
I carefully sifted through Luca's memories.
Leo had played a big part in making Luca's school life bleaker.
Someone disliked by a popular student couldn't have a proper school life.
'Even if Leo hadn't shown it, Luca would have had the same image here...'
A bitter laugh escaped at the unfortunate reality.
Leo pouring oil on the fire by openly looking down on Luca.
But that fire had been burning brightly since the first day of school.
'Still, can't say it didn't hurt at all.'
Watching Leo silently, he hung his head.
"Sorry. It's late, but if there's anything I can do to help, I will."
"Well, can forgiveness wait?"
I'm not Luca. The one who endured all those scornful looks wasn't me, it was Luca.
If I ever leave this body, he'll have to live on his own after.
So more than anything, I wanted to leave this for Luca to decide himself.
Leo nodded at that.
"Of course. You don't have to accept. This apology wasn't meant to burden you. Just... whatever the circumstances, you must have had your reasons for living that way... I'm sorry for showing my dislike."
I watched quietly as Leo's words grew more tangled.
Actually, this timing should have come ten years later, during the process of dealing with my brother.
Changing the flow meant Luca could hear a sincere apology while still alive.
Right now, it must be a mess of emotions, but for Leo too, clearing his conscience while the other person is alive is better than apologizing to a grave.
Most importantly, seeing him feel guilt and apologize despite being able to just go with the school's atmosphere showed his character wasn't bad.
I studied Leo's face carefully.
He seemed stuck in a slump for too long.
Time to lighten the mood.
"Enough. How were you supposed to know if I didn't tell you?"
"That's why, even if you didn't say, there must have been reasons for living like that, and I let my feelings lead..."
"...I know, man. That's what I'm saying—stop thinking about it."
I'd noticed since yesterday when he was spouting unfiltered words, but maybe this guy's trait is not knowing what he's saying.
Suppressing the urge to hit him, I nodded.
I gave him time to think, but even after a while, Leo's face remained ashen.
'This isn't working.'
If he digs this deep, it's trouble for me too, not just you.
Didn't want to bring this up, but no choice.
"Don't blame yourself too much for this. Honestly, the class attitude and all—you just wanted to see my real magic, right?"
Leo looked slightly puzzled, then nodded.
"...Partly. It annoyed me that you could use magic but took the others' disregard. Actually, I saw your magic when we were kids. I thought if you used that magic, everything would be solved..."
"That's different from what I heard."
"Huh?"
"I think it was more like, 'To think I could see this again, how much I've waited for this day...'"
"Me?"
His eyes shook wildly.
'Definitely not in his right mind back then.'
"Must have misspoken. Not that much..."
"No, you said you started magic because of me."
"Huh?"
Silence stretched.
Leo, unable to close his mouth, spoke awkwardly.
"Wait. Who told you that..."
"...If you're going to panic this much, should've just denied it outright."
Even though I brought it up, seeing his shocked reaction made me laugh sadly.
Denying it would have been pointless anyway.
Can't say I read it in a book. I opened my mouth calmly.
"You told me right before you collapsed yesterday. Was I not supposed to know?"
All color drained from Leo's face.
He shook his head, trying to answer normally.
"No, it's fine. You can know. Just don't tell the others."
"Won't tell. Anyway, I'm honored. You started magic because of me."
Luca should have known this.
What would the real Luca have done if he knew?
Smiling at the thought, he must have thought I was mocking him. His face flushed as he snapped.
"Aren't we going to class? And to be precise, it was because of your magic, not you. I didn't even remember your face. Just remembered the name."
Wanted to ask if my magic just manifested from thin air, but let it go lightly.
"Right, got it. Enough of that. I have two requests. I need your help."
"What's with setting the number? Just say it."
Leo answered brusquely.
I ignored the tone mismatch with the content. At least it was a good sign he was willing to cooperate actively.
"There's a medicine I need. Help me get it."
"In the Empire?"
"Yeah."
I pulled a note from my pocket and handed it over.
I didn't remember the exact medicine name from the novel, so I'd searched the books whenever I had time. Managed to find a familiar name from a herbal text.
Leo took the note and nodded.
"Common stuff. Can get it in a week. I'll tell my house. What's the second?"
"Spar with me every day."
"Huh?"
Leo's face brightened instantly.
He tried to fix his expression, realizing his slip, but too late.
I laughed without meaning to.
"...Ahem..."
"...Feel like you're mocking me. It's just that I haven't found a friend on my level until now. Got it?"
"You think we're on the same level? Don't make excuses. So, can you do it?"
Leo avoided my eyes and closed his mouth.
Truthfully, even as a white lie, we weren't on the same level. His magic power was exceptional, not his skill.
Leo recalled last year's memories.
Growing stronger alongside the person who set me on this path.
Something I'd hoped for since hearing he'd enrolled here.
'No, maybe I've wanted it for ten years.'
Since the day I saw Lukas's magic, how hard had I worked to build skill to stand shoulder-to-shoulder?
So this wasn't a request he had to fulfill—it was actually my request.
Leo nodded.
"Yeah. Of course."
Ding—!
Simultaneous with Leo's answer, white text flashed before my eyes.
Congratulations!
'Proposal: Make 'Leonard Wittelsbach' your ally.' Success!
'Chapter 2. Help yourself and heaven will help you (2)' Complete!
'Route 1 — 〈Chapter 3. Constant dripping wears away the stone (1)〉' Confirmed.
「 Chapter 3. Constant dripping wears away the stone (1) 」
'Hmm.'
Good. Satisfying.
Looks like the foundation is laid.
This proposal seemed quite important. Anything different?
I called up my status window.
—-----------
T/N:
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