How to Steal the Protagonist's Women

"You... you bastard..."

"Louis, wait."

"P-Please wait!"

Louis, who was thoroughly enraged, tried to stand up and come at me, but Sonya and Luna stopped him.

For the first time, the mask of hypocrisy he had been wearing all this time was properly torn off.

'Hehe, what an idiot.'

[It would be best to wrap this up quickly.]

I apologized, though my heart wasn't in it, with a gift that could rival a premium beef set.

"I'm sorry. I obviously don't have any lightning affinity, so I never thought the spell would activate."

"That's... that's ridiculous..."

Louis wanted to say it was nonsense, but he couldn't.

Because he was the one who said it.

That I had no talent.

Clearly, when I drew the lightning magic circle earlier, it was white.

Moreover, a completed magic circle can't hide its attribute just because you want it to.

If you draw a lightning magic circle, it should naturally turn golden according to its attribute.

But mine was clearly white.

"Suho is right. He didn't do it on purpose. He couldn't have."

"...Yeah, Louis, calm down."

Sonya was doing her best to calm Louis down.

But Luna glanced at me with a suspicious look.

'Oh no, did I get caught again?'

[I don't think so. She was clearly looking at Louis.] 

'That's a relief. But this is the real deal. Creating a magic circle with just my thoughts.'

While the three of them were distracted, I erased the white magic circle and immediately drew an identical lightning magic circle.

Since it was a simple form, it wasn't difficult to create.

The idiot seemed to have calmed down a bit, glancing at the others before sitting back down.

"...Be more careful next time."

"Haha, sorry. I didn't think it would go off like that."

"..."

After barely managing to smooth things over, we were able to continue the activity.

Louis, however, couldn't focus due to the burn on his forehead.

***

What we did for the next hour was all simple lightning magic.@@novelbin@@

This was, after all, a place to study how to utilize small things.

From emitting small electric currents to levitating objects with magnetism, it felt like a science experiment from childhood.

When the activity ended, Louis and Luna were the first to get up.

"Luna, you don't have time today either?"

"Sorry, I have somewhere to be."

"Can't I come with you?"

"Sorry."

"Okay... got it."

Luna glanced at me and left the clubroom.

Louis, as if he had no interest in me whatsoever, ignored me and only said goodbye to Sonya.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow, Professor."

"Yes, take care."

After a brief exchange, Louis left too.

'He's really relaxed now, huh? That idiot won't bother me anymore.'

[But his wariness has increased, which is concerning.] 

'It's his own fault for bothering me when I was just minding my own business.'

I just wanted to be like a transparent person, but he's the one who provoked me and got hurt.

Sonya saw the two off and then approached me.

"Did I tire you out today for no reason?"

"It's fine. It was more fun than I expected."

It was enjoyable, like a kids' science class after a long time.

Though it'll probably only last a day or two...

If it gets boring, I'd like to enjoy some biology time with you too...

Sonya smiled at me and said, "Thank you for saying that."

"I'll come again tomorrow."

"Thank you. But..."

"Huh?"

Sonya cautiously brought her face close to my shoulder and sniffed.

"...Are you really not wearing any cologne?"

"No, I've never used anything like that."

"That's amazing..."

While other girls showed no reaction, Sonya seemed to be overly affected.

'Weird. Is it just because her sense of smell is sensitive?'

[Suho, among Sonya Friedrich's traits, there's this...] 

'Huh?'

-[Sexual Frustration]-

I hadn't noticed it at all.

I had only glanced at Sonya's traits once and thought, 'Oh, she's a passionate professor,' and moved on.

Neither I nor Armonia had properly checked her since she wasn't related to our mission.

'Wow... She doesn't look like that at all.'

I knew you couldn't judge people just by their appearance, but someone who looked so pure having sexual frustration...

'Doesn't she get along with her husband?'

[It would be best to look into that later.] 

'Wow, she's still sniffing me since I'm not saying anything.'

Unlike in the classroom earlier, she seemed to be getting more absorbed in the scent the longer she sniffed.

The hungry are more sensitive to smells.

I guess that's what it was.

It seemed like things were going better than I thought.

But not now.

"Uh... Professor?"

"Ah, s-sorry! I was just curious... I was wondering where to buy it... I mean..."

Snapping out of it, Sonya started stammering in embarrassment.

"Professor, it's fine."

"S-Sorry."

"And you don't have to keep apologizing."

"Huh?"

"I really enjoy spending time with you. If you keep apologizing, it makes me uncomfortable..."

"Ah! Oh, t-thank you..."

Honestly, it's frustrating...

After calming Sonya down, we wrapped up the club activities for the day.

***

Three days passed.

Today's last class was a unique subject.

A professor I hadn't seen before was standing at the podium.

He was a gentle-looking man in his 50s.

"Starting today, we'll be learning special magic. Please welcome the professor."

Clap! Clap! Clap!

It was a class about unique magics that weren't attribute-based.

"Our first lesson will be about Mana Drain."

The professor began the class in a soft tone.

"The history of Mana Drain dates back to the Continental War. At that time, mages were used as war machines."

Back then, mages supporting from the rear were comparable to tanks or fighter jets in modern terms.

But the problem was mana.

Unlike now, the war required consuming massive amounts of mana continuously, and Mana Drain was a groundbreaking spell that emerged during that time.

"However, there are almost no records of Mana Drain being used effectively. The problem was mana pressure."

According to the explanation, mana pressure was similar to atmospheric or water pressure.

If someone with a lot of mana tried to drain someone with less mana, they would often end up being drained themselves due to the mana pressure.

"Since mana pressure always exists in nature, the first research into Mana Drain ultimately failed. The second research took a different approach. It involved casting a spell simultaneously."

If mana pressure prevents absorption, then why not absorb while casting? That was the second attempt.

But that also...

"Failed. Does anyone know why?"

"Yes."

Louis confidently stood up.

"Oh? Please tell us."

"It's impossible to draw two magic circles at the same time."

"Correct. Most people don't know this, but you seem well-informed. What's your name?"

"Louis Brandtrup."

"I'll give you 5 points."

"Thank you."

As Louis sat down with a smile, the professor called him.

"Student."

"Yes?"

"Why do you have a bean stuck to your forehead?"

"Pfft..."

Laughter erupted from various corners of the room.

Mostly from the male students.

A black scab was stuck to his forehead.

It was from the spark I hit him with earlier, which had scabbed over as the wound healed.

"Uh, that's... from an injury..."

"Ah, sorry. I thought it was something you stuck on during lunch."

"Haha..."

Louis laughed with a stiff smile.

Another wave of laughter spread through the room.

Louis couldn't get angry in front of the professor, so he maintained his stiff smile and sat down.

"As the student with the bean... I mean, Louis said, it's impossible."

Everyone tried to hold back their laughter, fearing they might get penalized for making fun of him.

Louis's back was visibly trembling.

'Hehe, he's really embarrassed. His ears are red all the way over here.'

[Suho, you're laughing too much. Luna Stadtfeld is watching you.] 

'Eh, what's wrong with laughing a little?'

Ignoring Luna, who was staring at me, I focused back on the class.

"Is there anyone here who can draw two magic circles at the same time?"

No one answered.

'Me~ I can probably do six~'

[Aside from Suho, it seems impossible for anyone to draw more than two magic circles simultaneously. However, if someone is ambidextrous and can visualize and draw two magic circles in their mind at the same time, it might be possible.] 

'Still, two is the limit.'

And the magic circles drawn that way have to be precise.

If even one is drawn incorrectly, the whole effort is wasted.

"Drawing two magic circles at the same time is, by common sense, impossible. But there was someone who could."

The war hero of the past, now a grand mage and the headmaster of St. Magus Academy, Ludwig Liebenstein.

He was said to have used two magic circles simultaneously during the war.

"But even that was only effective in a few battlefields and didn't yield significant results. Mana Drain requires the caster to create the magic circle directly on the target's body. The reason is that if the target moves even slightly, the Mana Drain will be cast in mid-air due to the coordinates already set."

In the end, even the headmaster gave up due to its inefficiency.

But everyone started murmuring.

-"Wait, the Continental War was over 300 years ago, right?"-

-"Is he really still alive from back then?"-

-"No way... I thought it was a lie."-

The room was filled with chatter about the headmaster.

His age was unknown.

But during his speeches, he looked to be in his early 30s.

Though the aura he gave off didn't seem like someone in their 30s...

He was like a monster hiding everything about himself.

But why didn't the Zodiac reincarnate him and instead left him alive?

'Why isn't that guy using the reincarnation system?'

[Probably because the reincarnation system could cause losses during the empty time, so even if it's expensive, he's extending his lifespan with Enel.] 

'Tch, using Enel for that too.'

Well, if it's the last resort, what can't you do...

The professor finished explaining why Mana Drain fell out of use and drew a magic circle the size of a baseball in front of the podium.

"Now, everyone, pair up with the student next to you and experience Mana Drain firsthand."

When I looked to my side, Luna was already staring at me with her usual stoic expression.

'Oh~ Jackpot!'

As I cheered internally, Luna held out her hand to me.

"...Will you do it?"

"Sure, it's part of the class..."

I pretended to be reluctant as I moved my desk next to hers.

I gently took her hand.

'Wow... so soft. Her hands are pretty too.'

[It's good that this is helping progress the relationship.] 

'I'll have her give me a handjob with these hands later.'

[...]

I used my finger to draw a small magic circle on the back of her hand.

I was careful not to damage her skin.

"...Hng."

"Huh?"

"...It tickled."

It was a simple one, so it was completed quickly.

I activated it immediately.

"..."

"..."

Wow, I really don't feel anything.

The professor at the podium spoke to the students practising Mana Drain.

"Most of you probably expected to feel the mana flowing, but that's not the case. Unless an enormous amount of mana is drained in an instant, you won't feel much."

In reality, such a massive drain doesn't happen, so Mana Drain doesn't cause any discomfort.

"That's it. Then... huh?"

"I should try it too."

I was about to return to my seat when she suddenly grabbed my hand.

"Here, try it."

She held out her hand.

Luna carefully drew a magic circle on the back of my hand and activated it.

Again, nothing happened.

Thinking I was done, I moved my desk back to its original position.

But then I heard Luna's voice.

"...I'll wait for you today too."

"..."

I didn't respond and focused on the class.

***

After the special magic class ended, Luna packed up and left the classroom.

Seong Suho was still sitting at his desk, deep in thought.

Luna had noticed something about Seong Suho after observing him closely—he had a unique habit of staring into space and making various expressions.

'...He's smiling again today.'

To Luna, Seong Suho was an enigma.

He didn't seem to have much mana, nor did he appear to have strong magical power.

But she found it fascinating how he achieved remarkable results in unique areas.

'...Is he really not coming?'

Luna had even considered going to find him if he didn't show up.

She didn't want to let go of the abilities he possessed.

"Luna."

"Ah!"

As Luna left the classroom, Louis called out to her from behind.

Louis looked at her with a worried expression.

"Are you okay today?"

"Huh? With what?"

"You did that weird practice with that guy. I was worried you might feel bad."

"...I'm fine. I didn't feel bad or anything."

Luna had known Louis for a long time.

It wasn't just a casual acquaintance.

When Luna was young, her family had a huge debt to Louis's family.

Her family had been falsely accused of treason, and the entire clan was executed, but she alone managed to survive.

Thanks to Louis's family, she had survived.

Because of that, he was the only friend she could open up to, but she still felt sorry whenever his true nature showed.

'He used to be such a caring kid...'

It wasn't that Louis was evil now.

But the Louis, Luna knew from the past was a bit different, so she felt sorry for him.

"Ah... Louis."

"Yeah?"

"Can we try Mana Drain for a bit?"

"Sure."

Louis smiled brightly and held out his hand.

'He's so kind at times like this.'

Luna didn't realize that Louis's smile was reserved only for her.

She drew a magic circle on Louis's hand and activated it.

"Now try it on me."

"Okay."

Louis drew a Mana Drain circle on Luna's hand and activated it.

Again, nothing happened.

"...Let's go to the clubroom."

"Huh? Why did you suddenly want to try that?"

"...No reason. I just wanted to review it."

"You're so diligent, Luna."

Louis smiled at her.

But Luna wasn't looking at his smile, lost in her own thoughts.

'Why did my heart race when I did the drain with that guy earlier...'

Earlier, when Luna practised Mana Drain with Seong Suho, her heart had suddenly started racing.

At first, she thought it might be a side effect of Mana Drain, but the symptom had started the moment they held hands.

And now, after practising Mana Drain with Louis, the same symptom didn't occur.

It wasn't a side effect of Mana Drain.

And...

'What cologne does he use... I'll have to ask him later.'

Thinking of things she wanted to ask later, she headed to the clubroom.

***

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