Author Message: All of the support you have during this year's .
Chapter 17: Pay Back
This situation was as good as telling my family that my standing at school hadn't improved.
Since the school uniforms were custom-ordered by the family, any damage was reported back home. If it were the real Luca, he wouldn't have revealed why the clothes were damaged. I, of course, would do the same.
There was no need to get the family involved for something like this.
'...If they had any sense, though, they'd immediately know why my clothes were ruined.'
But even so, I didn't need to worry about the family's honor.
It would be a huge mistake to think they'd get furious, believing that harassing a member of the Ascanien family was an insult to the entire household.
I wasn't, in any practical sense, a member of the family, and everyone knew that.
The truth was simple: thanks to their continued efforts to "treat" a child possessed by a demon even though it had no effect the Ascanien family's public image had actually improved.
They had gone out of their way to feed, clothe, and send me to a prestigious school. That was all that mattered.
In short, everyone in the empire viewed Luca and the Ascanien family as two separate things.
There were countless people who, while eagerly attacking Luca, would instinctively bow their heads if they met a "real" Ascanien.
So, I didn't have to worry about the family getting involved.
All I needed to think about was the news reaching my brother's ears.
And if he found out, my brother would...
'...grinning from ear to ear.'
Should I make him happy for a moment?
I took off my jacket and tossed it to the ground.
"Haha, you threw it down so we could stomp on it, right?"
CRUNCH!
Someone stomped on the jacket. The coarse kick sent a cloud of dirt flying.
"Hahahaha!"
"Yeah, do it for real!"
Other students snickered and cheered.
'...Ugh...'
A sour feeling settled in my stomach. Watching them kick someone's clothes and genuinely revel in it, I felt a sudden moment of clarity about where I was.
More importantly, only Luca, having grown up in that family, could be so certain they wouldn't get involved unless the news spread.
People might treat Luca like an insect because they saw him as separate from the Ascanien family, but causing physical harm was on a completely different level.
The reason Luca hadn't been openly bullied before was because as long as he carried the family name, the family could apply 'nominal' punishment or pressure.
'These guys, then…'
…couldn't see beyond the next step.
That these thoughtless people hadn't physically harmed Luca until now was a surprise in itself.
"But seriously, this bastard isn't even reacting."
Emboldened by the cheers, one of them strode over and grabbed me by the collar.
"I did what you told me to, now you want a reaction too?"
"What…"
A flicker of surprise crossed the student's face. This wasn't the person they knew.
Last year, he would have been pale from the moment he was called out, looking like he was about to collapse.
'...I thought he was just pretending to be tough.'
But could he keep up the act even in this situation?
I expected him to drop the act and show his pathetic true colors once his collar was grabbed. The student's hand tightened on my shirt.
I widened my eyes and leaned my face closer.
"I guess you'll only feel like you've won if I cry right here, right? Don't you think?"
"You little…"
"Then you'll never win against me."
My mockery made the student's eyes narrow in fury. His hand moved to the wand at his waist.
BOOM!
"Agh!"
"Hey, you were supposed to keep it quiet!"
The attack sent me crashing into a distant wall. The students nearby were shocked that he used magic and shouted in a panic.
"It's fine, it's too far away for anyone to hear!"
The guy spat on the ground in frustration and stood in front of me. After the pain in my shoulder, my head began to throb. I held my head and glared at him.
'He doesn't know when to stop.'
The fact that the others were worried about the sound spreading showed that they weren't normal either. Should I just use magic? Since I could make them silent with divine power, it shouldn't be a big problem
'No.'
That was a last resort.
I slowly regained my balance and stood up. The guy seemed to think he had me cornered and had a relaxed, victorious smile on his face again.
"Look at the color of your eyes. Don't you know what happened with your side a few days ago?
You should be more like Leon and that blue…something hunter. No, actually, you should start by being more like me, you loser."
I doubted what I just heard and tilted my head. He didn't repeat himself.
'What the hell... what did I just hear...'
The students around me didn't notice my reaction and burst into laughter.
"This guy just says whatever he wants."
"Haha, if he were to learn from you, his eyes would rot, you jerk."
The guy chuckled at his friends' words and pushed them aside.
"I'm talking to you. Hey, you should also learn from my actions and reform. We all figured it out, you know."
"Figured what out?"
"You want to be like Leon, or someone like that, right?"
'Hmm?'
Outwardly, Leon and I had no connection whatsoever. This was a foolish assumption based on absolutely nothing but his own twisted logic.
'He doesn't want me to surpass him in rank.'
If I, who was already far above them in family status, were to get my act together, even without magic, there would be a good chance of a shift in the hierarchy. This entire mess was to stop me from becoming 'normal.'
"While you were trying to pretend to be normal, Leon was in the outlands with other mages, hunting down demons. If you want to be a normal person, you have to do at least that much, right?"
"You know, thinking about it, the fact that Leo and this guy even go to the same school is a joke. They're on completely different levels."
"Of course. This guy can't even use magic."
Laughter filled the air.
I lowered my head and clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms..
'I didn't even think about this.'
I had no idea how I was supposed to "learn from myself."
In this moment, I missed my long hair that I had cut. Unable to control my face, I sighed and furrowed my brow.
"...So while I was doing things that were beneath me, he was doing a service for society, is that what you're saying?"
At my words, a student's face twisted in pity as he let out a laugh.
"You finally get it. Know your place. I feel bad for you. Of course, you want to be like Leon, but you can never catch up. You should just spend your time..."
I waved my hand in annoyance.
"Yeah, you're telling me to go back to how I was. Let's just say you're right. Maybe I don't have Leon's ability."
"Not 'maybe,' you just don't."
"Well, you're right. But..."
I smiled and nodded.
"That doesn't mean I'll go back to how I was. Especially not after hearing all this from you."
"...Is that so?"
With that, the student's face turned menacing, and he took a step closer.
"Looks like you don't get it."
"Hey, hold on. It's empty here, so the sound will echo. Don't make any noise."
"It's fine. I'm going to end this now."
He ordered another student to bring his bag from a distance.
"Since you want to change so badly, I guess we have no choice. Live your life to the fullest. But first... let us help you with something."
"I don't think that will be helpful."
The student behind me sighed, looking up at the sky.
"This guy is being a pain in the ass right to the end."
"It's fine. Lucas, as you know, the source of your magic is blood, right?"
"You still believe that?"
"You used some magic in the first week. After that, you just stood around like an idiot again... Do you know how much that hurt us? Now you're not drinking blood again, so you can't use magic like the other Phleroma."
"You're so nosy."
"It's not nosy; I'm worried as your classmate."
"I don't need it. No matter what you guys do, I can't use magic."
I shook my head, trying to end the conversation.
At that moment, three students standing around the guy grabbed my arms. I lost my balance.
"...!"
"You don't need it? That's funny. You never know. How can you tell without even trying?"
Caught off guard, I bit my lip.
'Should I use magic to get them off me?'
I had a plan, so it wasn't a huge problem to use magic. Should I just unleash it and shut them up?
No. It was better to get through this without magic if possible.
But...
'That depends on what they're going to do.'
If they were just going to beat me up, I'd wait and see. Anything more, and it would be a different story.
Just then, the guy pulled something out of his bag, smiling.
"What do you mean, you can't use magic no matter what? We'll make you use it, I told you. We're just trying to help you in your own way. If only pathetic magic comes out, then that's your fate."
The guy babbled nonsense and giggled. In his hand was a squishy lump.
I furrowed my brows and looked at the lump.
"What is… this?
The moment I recognized what it was, I was speechless. A rat or a rabbit, it was hard to tell, hung limp in his hand.
"Looks like you recognize it."
I looked at the animal in confusion. Why this? He couldn't have just brought this animal for me to look at.
At that moment, an absurd theory flashed through my mind. I took my eyes off the rat and slowly moved my gaze to him. The student lowered himself to meet my eyes, a wicked grin on his face, and held the limp animal in front of me. I could hear the students holding my arms snickering, but their sounds quickly faded.
"Eat it."
"..."
"I kindly caught it for you. There was a rat scurrying around the dorm hallway."
He was insane. I wondered how anyone could even come up with such an idea. The rat-like animal wasn't even contaminated. It seemed he had just caught a normal animal. It looked clean, but it didn't move at all.
"I didn't kill it."
The guy shrugged as if he were being helpful and curled up the corners of his mouth.
"You have to kill it. Just like you did last year."
"...Last year? That's funny. You're forgetting that was a rumor you guys started, aren't you?"
"It's true anyway. Talk to me after you change the color of your eyes."
The claim that someone's magic turned red when they absorbed another's was just a Phleroma rumor. I glared at them with cold eyes.
The student held the rat even closer, right in front of my face.
"I just feel so bad for you. People need to know their place. That way, they don't have pointless hopes. The wisest person is the one who gives up and accepts reality first, so why don't you get that?
"Stop it, now."
"Why?"
The guy quickly grabbed my jaw. The students holding my arms also put their full weight on me.
"What, are you scared of confirming that you really can't use magic? Don't worry too much. Maybe it'll be different if you eat it alive. Who knows? Maybe you'll suddenly be able to use magic well."
"That would be hilarious if it worked."
"Mmmph!"
'Are they crazy?'
These bastards were actually going to make me eat this. My heart started pounding like crazy. I tried to kick, and a student crushed my leg.
Through it all, the animal's body heat pressed against my cheek.
"I'm telling you, we're going to help you use magic! Let's just see if that rumor is true."
A wicked smile hung on the student's face.
At that moment, a red flash, as if a spotlight had been turned on, burst forth.
CRASH!
"Agh!"
"What was that?!"
The student grabbed his face, covered in flying dirt, and screamed. The sudden flash left an afterimage, blurring my vision.
The students who had been holding my arms groaned from the magic that had hit their hands and writhed on the floor.
I got out of my spot and tried to steady my shaking vision, breathing heavily.
"...I don't know who the real Phleroma are. Who's calling who...
"What did you just do?!"
"Is this how you were going to help me use magic? It's certainly effective, I'll give you that..."
I let out a bitter laugh and grabbed a handful of dirt and rocks from the ground.
Then, I grabbed the collar of the student who had been holding the rat..
"Lift your head. You'd better open your mouth before I make you."
"W-what..."
The student stammered, his eyes darting between my face and the dirt in my hand. He couldn't understand why I was holding dirt.
He looked frantically at his friends. I followed his gaze and then pressed down on his jaw as if I was going to crush it.
"Don't hold back. You're going to be a human by the time you leave here today."