How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 103

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magic Family (103)

At my question, the friend sitting next to me spoke up.

“That guy ate a rat over the weekend.”

“What?”

“Philip saw it.”

At those words, I instantly felt offended and my face scrunched up.

It wasn’t an emotion I was feeling now. I couldn’t intervene in this situation in the first place.

“You believe what he says? You should listen to what needs to be heard right now, what are you doing?”

Perhaps my mouth didn’t produce the desired reaction, as another friend glanced around nervously before speaking.

“Right. He’s also taking care of his student record now. Why would he lie when he could face disciplinary action for spreading false rumors?”

“Is that so…?”

I let my friends’ words go in one ear and out the other as I looked toward the back of the training ground.

Lucas just stood there quietly with his head deeply bowed.

His face wasn’t even properly visible due to his long hair that made me wonder when he had last cut it.

Then, Philip approached with his friends and asked the students surrounding Lucas.

“What are you doing?”

“We were asking. Curious about whether he really ate a rat or not.”

“If a corpse came out of his bag, isn’t that saying it all? Would he have kindly put it in his bag to bury it somewhere?”

“…”

Philip leaned his face close to Lucas’s profile and sneered.

“You tell us. Is it true or not?”

“…”

“Hey, he doesn’t want to talk.”

“Damn… If you don’t like this and don’t like that and hate everything, why don’t you just drop out instead of being here?”

“Hahaha, dropping out is just your wishful thinking, isn’t it?”

“Isn’t it yours too? It’s the whole school’s wishful thinking. Because of him, this became a school where any dog or cow can get in if they throw money at it.”

Since the loud guy was pressing him, the noisy training ground became quiet.

Other students began glancing at them.

“Tell us.”

“…”

Philip’s persistent gaze continued.

Lucas didn’t answer.

Instead, he just moved his lips for a while as if thinking of what to say.

Philip sighed and straightened his back.

“Ah, really frustrating bastard…”

Thwack―

“…!”

Philip kicked Lucas’s leg.

Lucas instantly lost his balance and fell. When he reflexively tried to raise his upper body, Philip acted surprised and said.

“Ah, really sorry. You know I didn’t mean to do that on purpose, right?”

“You really don’t look sorry at all. Grow up a little.”

“I’m being sincere, but why are you being like that to Lucas? You apologize too.”

“Why should I apologize when you’re the one who kicked him?”

My heartbeat began to quicken.

Why don’t you use magic, is it okay to just take it like that… That’s what I thought.

I was getting angry because it upset me to see the mage I admired being treated like this.

Of course, it was a pathetic thought.

I know now that I had arbitrarily drawn an ideal person and hoped Lucas would fit into that mold.

The guys giggled among themselves with artificial voices, then looked down at Lucas.

“Are you okay?”

“…”

“Hey, I asked if you’re okay!”

“…I’m fine…”

At the faint voice that came out as if squeezed, Philip smiled with satisfaction and shouted loudly.

“Hey, he says he’s fine! Just let me see anyone who tries to nitpick when it was an accident.”

“Hey.”

It wasn’t Philip who had spoken.

At my words, Lucas raised his head and looked at me.

My face began to contort involuntarily. I was so irritated that I didn’t even want to keep looking at Lucas’s face.

‘…Damn.’

It’s as vivid as what I’m feeling right now.

My heart beat faster and faster. I wanted to somehow shut my mouth, but I couldn’t.

“If you’re going to keep being noisy, go outside and do it.”

At the cold tone, the classroom instantly became quiet as if cold water had been poured over it.

Of course it would.

I had never mediated a situation where someone was being one-sidedly beaten like this.

Where could you find such irresponsible mediation?

Shock began to seep into Lucas’s eyes that had widened in surprise.

“Huh? Ah…”

Philip couldn’t continue his words and mumbled.

Then he scowled and whispered to Lucas.

Lucas looked at Philip’s frightening expression and nodded slightly.

‘Damn…’

Lucas limped down the stairs and stood in front of the training ground’s front door.

I wanted to turn my head away.

But I was looking at Lucas with the same contemptuous eyes as before. I surely would have at that time.

‘…He’s probably watching this right now…’

I should have said I would read Lucas’s memories instead. Somehow.

This memory would end without even a chance to apologize.

No, far from apologizing, I only got angry.

That day, I prepared for the disciplinary committee with the professor, but Lucas ended the incident by saying nothing had happened.

After that, I got angry at Lucas asking how long he was going to keep this up.

Since it started from here, he probably intends to show me up to that point.

My stomach churned.

My vision gradually narrowed and darkened. I felt as if the mana flowing with the blood was somehow twisting and changing.

Crash―!

At that moment, my head reflexively turned toward the thunderous sound from behind.

Philip, who had been standing arrogantly, was collapsed on the floor. The students around him stepped back in surprise.

“What, wait, what’s happening right now?!”

“Agh, urgh…!”

Philip struggled and shot magic while being pressed down by the mana crushing his torso.

‘…What is this…’

I noticed that my body, which hadn’t moved according to my will until now, was moving freely.

“The drug took damn long to kick in.”

At the familiar voice, I immediately turned my head.

Lucas, who had been standing by the door, swept back his long hair and suddenly snatched a wand from a student in the front row.

Then he strode up the stairs and pointed the wand at Philip’s friends.

“Huh?! Wait, just a moment…!”

Crash―! Bang―!

Lucas shot mana without even aiming properly.

The students who had been standing with Philip staggered backward, screaming.

“Uh, uh…! Aah!”

“Aaaah! Wait!”

“After only seeing him diligently taking lecture notes for fear of getting beaten up again, this is quite refreshing. But this is… it’s awkward to actively intervene here…”

Lucas spoke with flashing eyes in a clear voice.

“…”

Even without the content of his words, I could tell instinctively.

The person before my eyes now was not the Lucas from first year.

I slowly stood up from my seat, unable to close my mouth.

I had no idea what was happening or if I was going crazy.

Lucas let out a long breath and looked down at Philip at his feet.

Thwack—

“Kugh…!”

Even though he had clearly said it was awkward to intervene, Lucas kicked Philip and walked down.

He looked around and spotted me, raising an eyebrow.

Lucas walked up to me. Before I could say anything, he grabbed me by the collar.

“Aren’t you going back?”

“…!”

Pure white light emanated from Lucas’s hand.

At that moment, the darkness at the edge of my vision lifted.

* * *

I read it well.

One unexpected thing was that I thought I would read the memory from Leo’s perspective, but Luca’s viewpoint unfolded instead.

That meant two possibilities.

First, this place wasn’t a real memory but a space created by spatial magic.

Second, I had succeeded.

“It’s both.”

Considering I couldn’t move at will initially, it was hard to call it pure spatial magic. It was still inside Leo’s memory.

So… the lemon was worth chewing.

Even though I blessed it with divine power, the taste didn’t change, so I had some trouble managing my expression.

‘This was the problem I saw in the first experiment of the 64th Round.’

A drug that interferes with others’ minds.

It’s a drug that ordinary people who can’t use divine power use with government permission. Since there was alcohol, the ingredients were roughly similar.

I could directly touch Leo’s mind with divine power, but that would be too obvious, so it was better to use available materials.

‘Also, that would be the way to make Richthofen’s plan succeed.’

Anyway… I’ve been feeling this since earlier, but it’s quite amazing to see memories implemented as a space that others can share.

‘Their technology really is the best.’

I like it.

What the Empire couldn’t achieve even after pouring billions into it, these people can do.

Right now, such ridiculous memories are being replayed due to Leo’s excessive guilt, but if the target is chosen well, and if we can directly select which memories to show externally, we could cause internal strife more reliably.

‘I want to spread this targeting Hyung nationwide.’

Maybe I should get some of his hair.

Thinking this, I checked Leo’s condition.

Just moments ago, his mana seemed to be turning into vitriol, but now no black mana was coming from him.

He tried to remove my hand with a flustered expression.

“What, Lucas…”

“I wondered if there was another shitty memory. With this now…”

I smiled lightly and continued.

“Where exactly is the unpleasant point in this?”

“…”

“Right, you always have high standards. Since you’re uncomfortable, your guilt got amplified. That’s all. Satisfied?”

“…Aren’t you upset…”

“I’ll say it again, I don’t know where I should be upset…”

It wasn’t just my impression.

If Luca had been hurt, I wouldn’t have said this.

Luca also just thought the class president wouldn’t help me.

Right now Leo seems fixated on the words ‘if you’re going to be noisy, go outside and do it,’ but who would interpret that as ‘go outside and fight’?

Naturally, you’d interpret it as telling them to stop.

He said it with that meaning himself, but by pointlessly mulling it over hundreds of times, combined with Luca’s expression, the misunderstanding seems to have grown.

‘Anyway, perfectionists are troublesome.’

To others, it’s not even a problem, but he’s suffering alone for not responding perfectly.

“No, the day before this, and after this too, I was to you…”

“What else. Just shut up.”

“…”

Leo hung his head for a long time.

The mana waves I felt from him gradually became more stable.

“I’m sorry.”

I could immediately tell it wasn’t an apology for the earlier memory.

His eyes now held their usual sharpness.

Leo was apologizing for not quickly regaining his composure. It wasn’t really something to be sorry about.

“For what.”

“Lucas.”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s get out. Unless you have another plan.”

I nodded.

Philip clutched his stomach and stood up, shouting.

“You, you, just now, magic, no, divine power…!”

“Was Philip the type to talk like that in your head?”

“In this actual situation, he probably would.”

It was similar.

Thinking this, I struck the floor with all my might using my staff.

Kwaaaaang—

When the pure white divine power touched, everything including our bodies swayed greatly.

But no cracks appeared.

‘…Usually this is how you escape, right?’

Since it’s ‘spatial’ magic.

To escape from here and return to where we originally were, cracks had to appear.

Was there something my mana couldn’t handle?

Then Leo stood up and drew his wand.

In terms of mana quantity, it would be better if I did it, but does he want to do it himself?

“What are you trying to do?”

“Get out.”

“How.”

Leo smirked as if he’d been waiting for this and answered simply.

“Who knows.”

“…”

It felt like I was getting back exactly what I usually brushed off vaguely.

As I watched to see what he would do, Leo brought his wand to his heart area.

The moment I opened my mouth in shock, the entire world turned black.

* * *

“…Huk…!”

It was the same room from before.

As I bolted upright, I saw Leo who had already gotten up first.

‘This… this bastard…’

He had just shot mana at my core.

When I glared at him with curses in my eyes, Leo shrugged his shoulders.

“If the field source is my memory, then I just need to wake up from sleep.”

“…”

It’s a valid point, but it’s absurd how he just went ahead and did it.

Now I understand why Leo always opposed things first.

It’s natural since I delivered most requests in a direct manner.

‘Mirror therapy really is the best.’

Of course, there’s nothing that needs treating.

Whatever the case, as long as we succeed, that’s all that matters.

I got up from my seat.

“Now let’s go find Elias.”

“Do you have a method?”

“We just do what we’ve been doing.”

“What, wait. If such an ordinary method would work…”

I extended my wand into a staff and grasped the flow of my core.

Then I struck the floor just like I had done before.

At that moment, white light spread from the floor to the walls, and four people in black robes appeared.

No, to say they ‘appeared’ – they were all in a state of confusion.

“Huh?!”

“What?!”

‘Of course they would be.’

These were people who had been guarding their original positions. They never would have thought that the spatial magic overlaying them would be dispelled.

Since it was a surprise attack, we had the advantage. Without hesitation, I changed my wand into a dagger and stabbed the shoulder of the person standing right next to me.

Thunk―

“Kyaaah!”

Since it was a sword made of mana anyway, there wasn’t much damage to the physical body. I had simply blocked the mana from flowing to his arm.

Even while screaming, he frantically shot out mana with his other hand.

There was no time to waste on defense here. I wrapped myself in a body barrier and took the mana attack directly while stabbing his heart.

At that moment, Leo’s mana pulled me to the side. As I regained my balance and turned around, I saw a person in black robes falling to Leo’s attack.

“You should watch your back.”

I nodded roughly and surveyed the surroundings. Thanks to Leo quickly handling three of them alone, this place was already finished.

‘Looking at it again, his skills really are the best.’

It would have been a shame if I hadn’t brought him along.

No matter how much it’s just for appearances, it’s actually funny that I’m here as that bastard’s escort.

Thinking that, I placed my hand on the wall.

I couldn’t sense mana from outside, but the Vigilante Corps would probably send support soon.

But I couldn’t let that happen.

‘Now that I’m certain where Mueller is, I can’t let Richthofen slip away like this.’

And I had another good idea.

To superficially bring benefits to the Emperor while actually siding with the Catacombs, he needed to become my chess piece.

Leo calmly looked around and said.

“Something’s strange. There’s no reason for the Catacombs to create such sloppy spatial magic.”

“So you think this is a trap?”

“We can’t ignore that possibility. Since we don’t have information about what kind of person Richthofen is, we shouldn’t move rashly.”

Of course, this sloppy spatial magic was intentional.

It’s probably Richthofen’s work.

“No. It’s fine. He’s on our side.”

“What?”

Before Leo could scold me, I led him along while quickly speaking.

“Let’s talk while we prepare. You saw the black blood from those Vigilante Corps bastards earlier. What does it look like?”

“No matter how I look at it, it seems like incomplete vitriol.”

“Good. Earlier I asked Richthofen ‘what are the exact orders.’ Their goal was to bring Nicolaus. For that, he said it was fine to kill you guys.”

“Right. Based on those orders… if Robert Mueller really is in the Catacombs, he’d be in the Vigilante Corps. As the leader, no less.”

He knows well.

I nodded and said.

“Robert Mueller definitely had anti-Pleroma tendencies. But why is the entire Vigilante Corps organization he leads tainted with vitriol?”

“…”

Leo stroked his chin and answered.

“Did he come under attack from Pleroma? Maybe they said they’d cure the vitriol in his body if he brought you.”

“That’s unlikely. Even for the Pleroma bastards, vitriol is a high-grade material that only the higher-ups can possess. With just that, one can become strong enough to transcend humanity.”

Leo’s expression hardened at the words ‘become strong.’

He seemed to have figured out what hypothesis I had formed.

“…The Catacombs made a contract with those bastards.”

Right.

With continuous persecution coming in, he probably thought he needed to become stronger faster than before.

Of course, the insane idea of bringing vitriol would be the Vigilante Corps’ plan alone, not the opinion of the entire Catacombs.

“Good. Let’s move on to the next point. Earlier, Richthofen was buying time.”

“Right.”

“And he knew mine and your names. He said ‘Lucas Ascanien and Narke Farnese.’ But why are the drugs you received Leonard Wittelsbach’s memories?”

“…”

“I don’t know how he found out, but once he knew you were a Wittelsbach, he also figured out who Nicolaus was. Naturally, since I’m the only one left.”

Leo’s face hardened. He seemed to realize what judgment I had made.

“Here’s one more thing. If he knew our names, why weren’t our names on that alert we saw earlier?”

Leo answered calmly.

“…He had to hide which one of Lucas Ascanien and Narke Farnese was Nicolaus.”

“Right, to prevent Robert Mueller from using Nicolaus as a propaganda tool again.”

Leo nodded.

“Right. So now you’re going to join hands with Richthofen?”

“No.”

Leo looked at me with questioning eyes.

After putting me through all this trouble, how could I think of joining hands right away?

I raised the corners of my mouth and said to Leo.

“Let’s beat him up a bit first before we start.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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