Chapter 16 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: What a Spectacle
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What a spectacle.
You couldn't pay money to see an expression that entertaining.
I took my time savoring the guy's face before glancing at the clock.
It had been three-thirty in the morning when I'd been summoned here, but now it was nearly five.
'Time to wrap this up.'
I confirmed no one else was around, then drew my wand without hesitation and aimed it at his forehead.
I filled in the formula I'd memorized to the point of nausea by now and voiced the spell.
—Enter through the narrow gate.
It was my first time actually casting it aloud, but thanks to the perfectly established divine power trait, the effect was certain.
The student, who had been staring blankly in front of me, suddenly looked around in confusion before collapsing forward, unconscious.
Thud—!
"…!"
"W-What are you…!"
The students sprawled farther away shouted. Instead of answering, I fired the same spell at them, putting them under.
It was magic that acted on the mana composing the brain, damaging perception and memory from a set time before activation.
Target deleted: magic.
Memories that could be recognized as magic—light, red glow, extending arm, wand—were all erased.
Of course, other memories might have been deleted too. If my magic had been classified as a shocking event, all the 'shocking' memories from earlier would be gone.
'Did I just make these idiots even dumber?'
I clicked my tongue as I looked down at them.
Also, I didn't erase their emotions.
We had to keep living in the same space, so those needed to stay sharp.
'Expelling them would be ideal, but….'
If word got back home about a violent incident involving Lucas 'Ascanien,' the family would have no choice but to step in. It'd become an official issue.
So, anything I could handle on my end, I had to end on my end.
"Ugh…."
Manipulating three minds at once was starting to give me a headache.
'I need to raise my mental strength, or my stamina….'
Either way, raising all my stats as fast as possible was best.
'Might as well check my points while I'm at it.'
I needed to figure out how to make use of these guys.
I called up my status window.
Lucas René Ascanien
Title: Hunter of ???
Stamina: -3.4 (+0.1) [-0.4]
Mental Strength: -7.7 (+0.5)
Mana: ?
Skills: +1.015 [+4.015]
Impression: -10
Luck: -6.485 (+0.5)
Traits: Dawn777, Divine Power
I raised an eyebrow and nodded.
Just from this morning's events, my mental strength had gone up 0.5 points.
'Not bad.'
Who else would pick a fight with me?
I smacked my lips and checked my skill points.
Midterms were in a month.
But right now, with needing to raise my magic skills fast, midterms were basically an obstacle. They included not just magic but tons of liberal arts subjects.
'Can't give up the benefits good grades bring, though.'
There was no easier way for a student to boost their image. High grades alone would make people trust my words more.
And conveniently, hadn't my brother told me it'd be good to bring my grades up to average?
So….
'These guys could be useful.'
I smiled as I looked down at them.
"Nice magic."
A voice came from somewhere then.
I reflexively looked up.
Someone was looking down at me from atop the building.
I hadn't expected someone to pick a fight this immediately.
No one had been there before, but this rat had snuck in somehow. I planned to pretend I couldn't use magic for the next two or three months anyway, so even if one or two found out, it wouldn't be a big deal… but maybe I should handle him.
As I went to draw my wand, someone waved their hand frantically and shouted.
"Wait! I'll come down."
He gripped the rooftop railing, channeled mana into his legs, and jumped to the ground.
"Sorry. Should've introduced myself first. I'm Narke Farnese. From the Papal States, starting as an exchange student here next week."
An exchange student.
The novel hadn't mentioned anything like that.
It might have happened off-screen since it wasn't important to the plot, or the story might already be diverging. One of the two.
Right now, the former was more likely.
But I couldn't rule out the latter entirely.
So, instead of erasing his memory right away, getting info through conversation took priority.
I stared blankly at the exchange student, who showed no sign of leaving, and waited for him to speak.
"You're Lucas, right? Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you back in the Papal States."
"Yeah, nice to meet you."
I scrutinized his face and called up his favorability window.
Narke Farnese
Favorability +7
'Positive favorability?'
I doubted my eyes and called it up again. The number hadn't changed.
A first for me.
He'd heard a lot about me from the Papal States, and this was the result?
'What did this guy hear….'
As I just stared at his face without speaking, he awkwardly rolled his eyes and spoke up.
"I was pretty pissed, but you handled everything so well it feels refreshing. Thanks. That animal they had? It's my pet."
"I see."
I handed over the animal I'd been cradling.
"Yeah. It was my only comfort, so I freaked when it vanished."
He checked around its heart area, then let out a sigh of relief. Soon after, he drew his wand.
"Honestly, still kinda mad… but can't report it to the school."
"Why not?"
"Can't let them know you used magic to defend yourself. So, thought I'd give them a little payback another way."
He smiled, lightly flicked his wand, and cast spells on the fallen students again.
'Hmm….'
Well, well.
'Can't let them know you used magic to defend yourself'?
A faint smile tugged at my lips as I stared at him.
Yeah, I'd suspected as much from the positive favorability alone.
Plenty of reason to be wary.
Time to figure out what this guy's deal was.
'Status window.'
Ding—!
But what appeared wasn't the status window.
I squinted and read the text.
[Chapter 3. Constant Droplets Pierce the Stone (1)]
Proposal 1: Make the optimal choice. (0/1)
* Route 1 — [Proposal 2]
* Route 2 — [Chapter 4. Slow but Steady]
'Optimal choice.'
It was back.
The optimal choice right now….
Probably deciding my attitude toward this guy.
Make him an ally, or minimize contact and stay on guard.
Unlike before, neither option showed a death route. Whichever I picked, no big problem.
I met his eyes and called the status window again.
'Status window.'
Narke Farnese
Favorability +7
Title: ?
Stamina: +8
Mental Strength: +9
Mana: +10
Skills: +7
Impression: ?
Luck: +4
Traits: Divine Power, Foresight(Lv.1)*, Insight(Lv.2)*
'…Holy shit.'
It gave me the same feeling as when I'd seen Leo's status.
Stats like this at his age?
I skimmed the stats and checked the traits.
'Trait: Insight.'
Insight Lv.2
—3.0 points to next level
*Divine Blessing applied
So he'd figured out I shouldn't use magic with this.
Useful ability.
No, more than useful.
I'd want it if conditions allowed.
And with foresight on top….
Foresight Lv.1
—2.0 points to next level
*Divine Blessing applied
I twisted my lips.
Make the optimal choice….
Obviously, make him an ally.
Who says allies can't be watched closely?
You keep the ones you need to watch closest.
Ding—!
Congratulations!
'Proposal 1: Make the optimal choice.' completed!
Confirming 'Route 1 — [Proposal 2].'
I immediately called up the Dawn window.
Dawn777
—To final ending 'Chapter X. Death': 757 days, 5 hours, 1 minute, 35 seconds
—Change possibility: 6.4% (+1.0%p)
Survival chance up 1%p from this decision.
It had been 5.3 last check… must've gone up 0.1 already before.
Anyway, not a bad decision for me.
Keep him close and watch how he moves.
"This should do it."
He finished up, stood, and tucked his wand back at his waist.
"What'd you do?"
"Just something like the divine power you used. Won't leave a trace."
He grinned brightly.
So he'd manipulated their minds too.
Yeah, no trace. I smiled back at him casually. Then he looked at the students and asked.
"For me, this is fine, but… looks like you got hit a bit. You planning to let it slide?"
"Nope."
I murmured as I gazed at their peacefully sleeping faces.
"No way."
A chance like this doesn't come often. Gotta make good use of it.
* * *
"Ah…."
Pleasant birdsong mingled harmoniously with distant student chatter. Warm sunlight bathed his skin, and a cool breeze gently caressed his whole body.
The student closed his eyes again briefly, reluctant to wake in such perfect sleep weather.
'Hmm… huh?'
Breeze? Caressing his whole body?
The student snapped his eyes open.
"…!"
He was lying in the clearing where they'd summoned Lucas.
He bolted up and kicked his friends.
"Hey! Wake up!"
"Ouch!"
"Ugh…."
"What happened earlier?!"
They'd called Lucas to mess with him, yet here they were napping away. Even racking his brains, his mind was blank.
Luckily, a few fragmented scenes surfaced amid the haze.
'…Like I ate dirt or something.'
Nah.
He dry-heaved with a dying expression.
He'd thought it was just crazy nonsense, but a salty taste lingered inside his lips, turning his stomach.
'…No way. For real?'
And… he remembered Lucas grabbing his collar.
His friends collapsed on the ground too.
Trying to recall more made his head feel like circuits snapping.
But either way, the conclusion was clear.
Piecing together the fuzzy memories….
'Did we get owned instead…?'
Thinking of Lucas brought vague aversion and fear surging up.
He just knew he shouldn't get involved with him anymore. No, didn't want to. Reason unknown, but he wanted to turn back time to before summoning him.
He even felt a desperate resolve to shut Lucas's mouth somehow.
At this point… yeah, they'd clearly been subdued by Lucas without landing a single hit.
Another friend, staring blankly into space, murmured in a soulless voice, having reached the same conclusion.
"…We lost to a guy who can't even use magic?"
"...."
The mood sank heavily.
"N-No… no way. How could one normie beat three mages? What happened? Hey, you're the smart one. Try remembering."
"Smart my ass?! Don't you know I ranked 36th in class last year?"
"Better than us. I remember nothing!"
As they bickered, another student waved them quiet.
"Shut up. This isn't about grades. Anyway, we called Lucas out. You shoved him against the wall, uh, tried to feed him that rat. After that…."
"...."
"We opened our eyes, all on the ground. Looks like Lucas stepped on this guy's uniform back from the footprint…."
Their faces darkened further.
"No memory of him using magic, right?"
"If he did, we'd remember. Especially against Lucas."
"Yeah? And after… probably passed out. No memory."
Silence stretched.
One student, slumped weakly on the ground, spoke up.
"Was our magic that pathetic? Punchable by a normie?"
No one could say no. Everyone here had barely scraped into school; they couldn't argue skills.
Then one shook his head firmly.
"Snap out of it. We didn't hit him. Remember? We just wanted to scare him, not beat him."
They exchanged glances. Another pressed him.
"Spell it out."
"What did we do? Note was vague, didn't actually feed him anything, no one knows we called him out except that one freshman. He even turned and left before we did anything."
He looked at his friends listening intently and continued.
"Bottom line: even if Lucas reports us, no evidence to punish us. No need to freak early."
"…Yeah, good point. What if we report Lucas first? Could turn it around."
"Nah, too risky. No evidence besides the footprint on the back. We stepped on his jacket too, so we're not spotless. Best to shut up."
And even if reported, no sweat.
Thinking how he'd knocked them out and left alone, he couldn't be fully confident either.
Too risky for them to play first, but good counter if he moved.
Losing to a guy who can't use magic properly would trash their rep, but who cared about rep now?
Just avoid expulsion.
Just that.
The student forced a smile desperately.
* * *
'F-Fuck… we're fucked.'
Expulsion impossible now.
The student inwardly freaked at the sight before him, eyes darting.
"What the?"
Leo, seated across the classroom, muttered in disbelief. He hadn't voiced it, but other students' reactions were similar.
"Hey, you said you didn't hit him…!"
His friend next to him whispered urgently.
"We left him, but he got up and came fine."
Lucas walked past with hands in pockets, sneering.
The student averted his gaze, feeling his vision go white.
Lucas had a bruise on his face. Covered with medical tape, but obvious a fistfight happened.
The guy who'd been fine yesterday—why the beaten look?
Who did it was obvious.
Cold sweat prickled. Clear school violence evidence scrambled his mind.
'D-Did we beat him that obviously? Us? Are we insane….'
"Hey."
Lucas tossed his bag on his seat, came back, and grabbed his shoulder.
His vision shook wildly. The student slowly turned.
Lucas, looking down, met his eyes and smiled inscrutably.
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