In Luca's memories, the man who had always been by his father and brother's side was the head butler of House Ascanian.
Not being a mage, his face aged naturally, etched with deep, pronounced wrinkles.
"Hello."
"You've changed so much since I last saw you, I almost didn't recognize you. It brings me joy to see you've regained the sharpness you had as a child."
As if saying that to me would mean anything.
I glanced at the box in his hand and replied.
"You remember my childhood."
"Yes, you certainly had such intelligent eyes back then. Watching you struggle so much as you grew, due to your constitution, pained my heart more than you can know."
I didn't bother to answer.
He nodded as if understanding and slowly looked around.
"Truthfully, I should have visited you at your dormitory, but outsiders are not permitted within the school grounds, so I had no choice but to meet you here. May I escort you to a nearby tea shop?"
"Yes, let's go."
The butler gave a slight smile and extended his arm as if to guide the way. I walked beside him, matching his pace.
We circled the outer edge of the school, nearing the back gate, when he turned into a winding alley.
After walking uphill for a while, starting to get short of breath, we finally stopped before a small door.
The door was just large enough to admit a single person, but inside opened up into a wide, triangular space.
Through the wide-open window, the capital's river and the surrounding forest were visible below.
"A place I frequented at your age. It's just as it was."
"You're an alumnus of this school."
"That's right. I attended with your father. Though I only made it to the Imperial Second Academy."
I smiled in response. He ordered tea and inquired after my well-being.
"How is your health? We've been very worried, hearing it deteriorates with each passing day."
"I can't say it's good."
"Still..."
He met my eyes with a concerned gaze.
I raised an eyebrow and answered.
"It's sufficient to allow me to study, at least."
"Ah, yes. I received word from the school last week. You placed within the top ten of your class. Congratulations."
"Thank you."
"The young master was truly delighted. The Duke also seemed surprised."
"Is that so."
Just then, a server placed teacups and spoons before us.
During the lull in conversation, I broached the main subject.
"What is the reason for your visit today?"
"It's nothing much. There is a request for you to take your medicine directly, once every three days."
"..."
Once every three days.
How greedy.
He placed a black wooden box on the table.
"These are my brother's instructions?"
"Naturally, yes."
He opened the box's clasp and handed me the diamond-shaped vial inside.
"Please take it now with your tea. I heard the day for your next dose happens to be the day after tomorrow."
I looked down at the tea placed before me.
A strong-scented Earl Grey milk tea, and before it, a jar of sugar cubes.
As I took the poison vial, he opened the sugar jar, used small tongs to take out two cubes, and placed them in my cup.
It was always like this. The scene was vivid in Luca's memories too.
I stroked the diamond-shaped vial and muttered.
"It's not a request."
He understood my meaning and nodded.
"It's an order."
As if to clarify the violence inherent in the word, he continued immediately.
"Young Master Adrian, working for the Imperial household, receives news from Pleroma quickly. He says the recent climate is unusual."
I silently watched him, waiting for him to continue. He opened his mouth again.
"It hasn't been reported yet, but rumors are circulating in the Empire's north that Pleroma is developing biochemical weapons."
I almost laughed.
I bit the inside of my lip slightly to steady my expression.
The news traveled this fast?
It must have flowed from the Assembly to the Imperial household, but I didn't think there would be any Assembly members taking the seriousness seriously yet.
"While it's true you possess a Pleroman constitution, the people of Ascanian know you bear no ill will. But outsiders are different. When Pleroma's crimes become this severe, your safety could also be at risk."
The gist was to keep me safe from my own Pleroman-like constitution.
Judging by the demand to administer the poison directly, it seems my brother's paranoia and perfectionism have grown astonishingly.
"Young Master Adrian was also worried about that point, which is why he sent me here. It's a significant psychological burden for you to drink two vials a week alone."
So now... he's really saying I must drink two vials per week.
'...Hah.'
He's saying he wants to speed up the process of choking me to death.
My core is stronger than before, so I can endure it better than when I woke up in the basement that first day, but...
'He's still a madman.'
"My brother is truly meticulous."
"Indeed."
He smiled softly and nodded, gesturing as if encouraging something.
Of course, in this situation, stubbornly trying to leave or refuse would be the end.
It would be a method worth trying if I wanted the quickest and simplest death.
I pushed the poison vial's cap off with my finger and poured the liquid into the tea.
The black liquid fell onto the pale gray surface and quickly sank heavily. I stirred lightly with the teaspoon once, then brought the rim of the cup to my lips as nonchalantly as possible.
Diluted by the milk tea, my throat didn't immediately feel like it was burning, but that was brief.
Soon, a sharp pain spread from my tongue down my esophagus.
I felt I could pinpoint exactly where my stomach was.
It felt as if all the blood in my body was being sucked downward, as if fleeing the poison. My vision momentarily turned crimson, then black, and though my eyes were open, I couldn't see.
A curse rose to the tip of my tongue.
I smiled and set the cup down.
"You've become much more composed."
I nodded silently.
"When you were little, you cried a lot. Said it tasted bad."
"Did I."
According to Luca's memories, it didn't really have to go back to childhood.
Later, it wasn't because of the taste but because of self-loathing, but he wouldn't know that, nor did he need to.
As I merely smiled, he laughed, wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes.
"You used to be unable to look people in the eye directly. It's fortunate you've improved so much."
"Brother... *cough*. I couldn't bring shame to my brother's name, so I tried. There were often unpleasant stories about brother because of me."
Trying to save face by coughing.
But the other party paid no mind.
In Luca's memories too, coughing until nearly vomiting after taking the medicine was routine.
Recalling those memories and the experience a month ago, I should feel the effects more strongly now with the sudden intake of poison, but the fact that I can endure it to this extent confirms that my stamina has improved significantly.
"I see. The students are quite young, so..."
He shook his head, his eyebrows drooping.
"Brother is the one who has allowed me to live to this age, so even if I can't lead a normal life, I didn't want to create incidents that would tarnish his name."
"So that's why you've worked so hard. A splendid resolve. Surely the Duke and the young master will be pleased."
"To be honest, it's still very difficult. Since you are like family, it reminds me of home and puts my mind at ease, so it seems my efforts are paying off."
"I'm glad you consider me so."
I answered with a smile and checked my watch.
"It's already time for one class to end. I should be going soon."
"Indeed. I'll escort you to the main gate."
I left the shop with him in silence, passed through the winding alley, circled the school's outer edge, and arrived at the main gate.
"I've informed the school about the class you missed, so don't worry."
"Yes."
"I'll see you in three days, young master."
I nodded and passed through the main gate into the school.
In this cold weather, I began to break out in a cold sweat. Perhaps I already had.
I entered the nearest building at a brisk pace and leaned against the wall.
Perhaps because the tension had eased, what I should have experienced earlier now came rushing in.
Personally, it wasn't unbearable, but my focus or gait might seem odd to others.
Should I perform a purification here?
No, unless it's a problem with the outer layer, magic cast on oneself requires separate training.
Moreover, this is beyond what a simple purification can handle, and using magic outside the dormitory carries significant risk.
"..."
As I sat resting on the building's back step, something scurried about in front of me and then climbed onto my neck.
A familiar ball of fur.
"Lucas! Narke told Pie to go to Lucas!"
"Ugh."
I tried to answer with sincerity but failed.
Fortunately, Pie didn't mind my pathetic reply.
Pie held out a root it had been carrying in its mouth, presenting it to me.
"Eat this!"
"...Isn't this the one you were carrying in your mouth...?"
"Narke said to tell you 'Do you think it's time to be picky when you say that?' And it's clean!"
She foresaw this too? I let out a hollow laugh.
When I took the root Pie offered, my fingertips felt as if they had been dipped in holy water consecrated with divine power.
It didn't feel bad, so I put it in my mouth, chewed roughly, and swallowed.
"...!"
Immediately, the pain in my throat vanished.
I still felt weak, but I regained the presence of mind to walk. Pie stood in front, peering at my face from various angles.
"Okay?!"
"Okay."
Do animals smile? For some reason, I thought I saw a smiling face on Pie.
Looking at Pie, who seemed on the verge of chattering, I burst out laughing too.
"Narke did this often for people in the Papal States too! I helped a lot."
"Is that so."
"Let's go now!"
"Alright."
I brushed myself off, stood up, and arrived at the classroom.
A few faces looked like they wanted to know why I was suddenly called out. All were friends from the group.
Unfortunately, there was nothing I could tell them.
I gave Narke a grateful look, gathered only my notebook, and headed straight for the infirmary.
'Missing class is always for the best.'
I didn't know I'd be skipping like this, but I won't miss this chance to lie down and sort out my thoughts.
The more my medication records pile up, the happier my brother will be, so it's killing two birds with one stone.
To summarize, my brother wants me dead quickly.
In a situation where he doesn't know I can use magic, making me take more poison is just telling me to die sooner.
Seeing how he acted immediately upon seizing the perfect excuse of 'Pleroma's new experiments,' it's clear my brother is still haunted by the midterm exam.
He probably never expected I would actually improve my grades, so it must have been a tremendous shock.
Telling me to improve my grades was just words thrown to make me confirm my hopeless situation and feel despair, knowing it was impossible.
But with a single statement, I jumped from dead last in the school to tenth place, so I must seem like a complete eyesore.
"He's flailing."
Even as fear and terror not my own made my skin turn pale and my fingertips tremble finely, a sneer escaped.
Whether my brother chokes me to death or not, my plans won't change.
*Ding—!*
〈 Chapter 4. Constant Dripping Wears Away the Stone (2) 〉
Proposal 2: [Impression] Score 5 Achieved (0/1) (167 hours 59 minutes 55 seconds)
* Route 1 — 〈 Chapter 4 Special Reward 〉
* Route 2 — 〈 Chapter 5. Do Not Praise the Day Before Evening Falls 〉
* * *
On the day of the strategy meeting, one student asked anxiously, picking at their nails.
"What are we going to do now, Lucas? The Assembly is acting like that, do you have a method?"
"There's a method."
"..."
That wasn't my answer.
Elias said with a cheeky face.
"Give it to the press."
"Huh, the press?"
"Oh."
"Hey, why didn't we think of that before."
In the original work too, the Assembly sent replies that were almost like auto-responses, and Elias went to the press.
But the barriers directly set by the Public Safety Headquarters, not just one or two but close to ten, aren't functioning?
Anyone can see it's the Imperial household's fault.
'And the press is pro-Imperial.'
Without the magical support of the Imperial household—the government—the press in this country couldn't even function.
So Elias's tip would clearly be ignored.
"Wait, I don't think the press would be any different from the Public Safety Headquarters or the Assembly?"
"But I think so too."
"Yeah. I think so too."
"?"
The students looked at Elias incredulously at his answer.
"Higher-ups never listen if you speak politely. But what if their career is on the line?"
"Career?"
"If a bureau chief stakes their journalistic life on it, they can't *not* report. Don't worry, guys. It's definitely going to get published."
When it seemed the press wouldn't run the story, Elias found leverage against the bureau chief and threatened them.
The result was success.
With a bold front-page article in the Imperial News, numerous other media outlets scrambled to cover the inside story.
It incited public anger, forcing the Assembly to hastily pass the agenda, so the intended objective was perfectly achieved.
Thanks to the strengthened barriers, Pleroma could have run rampant, but since government mages were mobilized, it ultimately dealt a blow to Pleroma.
But from a reputation standpoint?
"That seems a bit risky, Eli."
"...Oh? What do you think?"
Elias smiled with a 'let's hear it' expression, leaning back deeply in his chair.
In the novel, thanks to Elias's efforts, countless people in the Empire were kept safe and a brake was put on Pleroma's rampage, but he never received the treatment and recognition he deserved.
Because, through a collaboration between the press and the Imperial household, Elias's achievements were completely buried.
If I maintain the existing method, I'll make enemies of the Imperial household and the press alongside him.
And, of course, I can't just let that happen.
—-----------
T/N:
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