How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 122

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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 (122)

“Congratulations, Luca.”

When I turned back time, that moment I had experienced earlier unfolded before my eyes.

The eyes that had been observing my magical power now held joy once again.

Whether then or now, I couldn’t find a trace of killing intent at any moment.

No matter how I looked at it, Hyung should have been acting.

“I’m moved that you think of me this way, Hyung.”

If he was going to disguise his killing intent as familial love for his sick younger brother, then I should respond in kind.

I spoke words that weren’t in my heart.

“What you’ve told me is still fortune that’s hard for me to imagine. I’d be satisfied if I could just avoid tarnishing your name, Hyung.”

“What do you mean by that? I’ve never thought you were tarnishing my name.”

Adrian slightly furrowed his brow, then after a while, tilted his eyebrows with a worried expression.

“The weight you’ve felt all this time must not have been light. You don’t need to feel that way anymore. Even if we can’t solve the problem with your constitution, if your attitude changes, people won’t be able to easily ignore you.”

‘Even if we can’t solve the problem with your constitution’…

Even if he’ll accept the magical power issue, he won’t give up on the Pleroma accusation.

I’ll take that to mean he has a plan for that part.

When I just stared at him, Adrian spoke gently with a smile.

“Even if that’s difficult, I’ll always help you, so you don’t need to worry, Luca.”

“Hearing you say that makes me feel incredibly reassured.”

It’s ridiculous to hear this from someone planning to bury me much more thoroughly than before.

I answered with a smile, just as he had been doing all along.

* * *

I talked with him for a long time and was only able to return to my room when night fell.

“Lucas!”

Fai, who had been inside the blankets, suddenly popped out and jumped to my shoulder.

I lay down on the bed before my strength gave out again.

Finding it strange that I closed my eyes immediately without even changing clothes, Fai pressed my eyelids with its front paws.

“Why~? What’s wrong?”

“Just because.”

I could finally rest a bit now.

Thinking about Hyung’s strategy had quickly drained my stamina.

I was about to close my eyes when I remembered the letter Fai would have brought and got up.

Recently, Fai had been warping between School and This Location to deliver news, which had given me some breathing room.

When I swept the desk once with my hand, a letter that had been under an invisibility spell appeared.

‘…Tooth marks again today…’

I could see traces of something pressed into the top of the envelope. Of course, since Fai had carried it in its mouth.

I sat comfortably leaning against the bed and opened the envelope.

[To Lucas]

[You’ll do well.]

‘Starting off so abruptly?’

He must have anticipated that I’d face Hyung today.

Since Narke used his ability on me constantly, it seemed he could now sense things to some degree even without seeing my face.

‘He’s not reading my thoughts remotely, is he.’

…That can’t be.

I dismissed my suspicion and turned the page.

On the back page were letters written by Leo and Elias.

‘The content has become much calmer than the first day.’

When I had just arrived in Anhalt, it was all heavy topics, but now Elias’s letters mostly talked about drinking together when I returned.

It seemed their tension had eased a bit after Narke conveyed news about me.

I read my Friends’ letters, then unfolded the paper where Narke had written about the investigation status.

‘I need to move as soon as I return to nurture Nicolaus.’

That’s why I specifically asked him to send it.

I just want to return quickly and properly establish a foundation.

Honestly, I’ve also developed a bit of a competitive spirit.

Hyung maintained his composure outwardly even regarding my divine power.

‘Well, he can just kill me before it’s revealed to the world.’

He maintains composure in situations where he can win.

I’m curious how he’d react if he knew that ability was already being revealed to the world.

With those thoughts, I continued reading Narke’s letter.

[…

The water collected until the second day showed drug reactions, but the water collected sequentially from the day you went home showed no reaction at all.]

Since two priests using divine power had barged into the area, they had to be cautious.

If they kept sprinkling drugs in the water source, they’d get caught.

But…

‘Drug reactions? Until now, there weren’t any testing tools to check for drugs mixed in water?’

[And you’ll probably ask how we knew about the drug reactions.]

“…”

[I got that drug you guys took in the Catacombs from Senior Richthoven.

It wasn’t exactly vitriol, but a drug that synthesizes vitriol in the body.

I analyzed and compared it.]

I see.

It’s good that progress was made so smoothly while I was away.

I turned the page with a comfortable feeling.

[…

Lastly, I have a suggestion.

Pleroma is probably moving to avoid us.

Of course, that doesn’t seem to be the only reason they withdrew, but it’s clear that our Priest identity stands out. Want to disguise ourselves again~?

P.S. Leave me anything you need to know about contamination. I need your opinion.]

Narke was thinking exactly the same as me.

By the way…

‘He really loves pretending to be a civilian…’

He would have been so frustrated if I hadn’t taken him to Heiligenstadt.

It’s not always a bad choice. We need to block information going to the opponent to maintain an advantage.

‘Anyway, I have no intention of disguising myself here.’

He asked for my opinion.

That’s all good, but there’s one more point to consider here.

I tore out a page from my notebook and picked up my fountain pen.

[You said you compared them. Were no other drugs detected?]

―”Fai.”

“Hmm?”

―”Can you deliver this for me?”

“Of course!”

Fai took the torn strip of paper in its mouth and instantly disappeared from sight.

A response came in less than a minute.

I unfolded the beige paper Narke had sent.

[Yeah, there weren’t any.

By the way, are you worrying a lot? You look tired.]

I had just written text, but it’s apparently true that the better someone knows you, the easier it is to use abilities.

‘More importantly, there weren’t any…’

This part is the problem.

Richthofen said that vitriol must be taken together with memory medicine.

To agitate magical power, that is.

‘But this… there’s too much to write.’

Narke seems to be continuously using insight on me right now, so it would be better to summarize it in one sentence he could understand.

I picked up the pen again and scribbled down the words.

[Then we need to find out why problems only occurred for some people in the same situation.]

The moment I put the period, Fai, who had been watching me write with sparkling eyes from beside me, suddenly spoke up.

“Should I take it?!”

―”Yeah. Thanks.”

I guess the back and forth is fun for it.

‘Anyway, they said nothing came out of the hot spring water except vitriol capsule components.’

They said vitriol must be taken together with memory medicine for contamination to occur, so how did some people get harmed by eating just vitriol medicine alone?

‘Of course, medicine that revives bad memories is used to agitate magical power. It also means that even without taking that medicine, vitriol can invade the core if magical power is just agitated.’

At this point, I need to consider that most of the victims in that region were non-mages.

Since they don’t have cores, they might be affected by vitriol medicine alone… but here a crucial problem is discovered.

Public water fountains are used by countless people every day, so why were only five possessed?

‘Then it means even non-mages eating just vitriol medicine isn’t the problem. There must be one more condition that causes the problem.’

It’s probably related to emotions with high probability.

I need to verify it, but I suspect there were incidents where emotions were severely stimulated after drinking contaminated hot spring water.

Then, Fai warped above me carrying a reply.

I received the paper and unfolded it.

[Oh my, I didn’t even think that far. Thank you.]

‘He grasped it well already.’

Then, I felt another long piece of paper behind it.

[By the way, this problem will take some time, so let’s meet in person tomorrow and talk. I’ll wait.]

Tomorrow?

He doesn’t mean he’s coming all the way to Anhalt tomorrow.

He wouldn’t casually suggest a mutual suicide pact like that.

I wrote and sent that, but the reply I received was just a smiley face drawing.

[^_^]

“…”

* * *

‘So this was it.’

The next morning, I could immediately understand what Narke meant.

On the first floor of the castle, servants were putting a coat on Adrian and organizing his bag, standing by his side.

The head servant said with a reluctant expression.

“You haven’t fully recovered yet, so if you go like this…”

“No. His Majesty is calling for me, so I cannot turn away.”

“That’s true, but Young Master. This isn’t an ordinary injury. How about meeting him on the last day of your recovery at least.”

“It’s already a confirmed appointment. I was planning to have an audience with His Majesty as soon as I recovered anyway. It’s just moved up by two days, so don’t worry too much.”

Adrian smiled gently at the head servant and then looked at me standing beside him.

“Luca.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll always be rooting for you.”

Instead of answering, I just smiled lightly and ended the conversation.

After that, I went to the entrance with the head servant to see off hyung, then returned to the castle.

“Well, I should also prepare to leave now.”

“Ah, are you returning as well, Young Master?”

“Wasn’t it hyung who called for me? Since hyung isn’t here, there’s no problem with returning.”

“Shouldn’t you meet with His Grace the Duke today before leaving?”

“Will he meet with me?”

“…”

The head servant couldn’t answer.

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled.

“It would be troublesome for him. Let’s start preparing to go to school.”

* * *

What conversation would we have by meeting anyway.

He wouldn’t even open the door for me in the first place.

That’s why Luca always came and went home without greetings.

Rather, back then the head servant worried I might invite trouble by going to greet him and recommended going without greetings, but now he thinks I’ve changed and tries to make me greet him.

But in the end, it would only delay the time of arriving at school.

‘The greeting I heard at the court banquet was a miracle.’

I thought even then that it barely maintained formality, but seeing how he lives within the family, I understand that was actually showing proper courtesy.

Like that, the head servant and I took the train again and arrived at school.

“Well then, please go in.”

The head servant handed me the bag.

“Yes, thank you.”

“The day to take your medicine is the day after tomorrow, so I’ll see you again then, Young Master.”

I lightly showed my respect and turned around to enter the school.

Since classes were still in full swing, there was no one outside at the school.

‘There are still five hours left until classes end.’

But… it’s strangely cold.

Even in January here it’s less cold than Korean winter, yet it feels particularly cold.

I walked quickly and arrived at the dormitory.

And, just like yesterday, I put down my bag and sat on the bed.

‘This is it.’

I finally returned.

‘…It was just the day before yesterday that I thought I might not be able to return.’

Having considered forced expulsion and then coming to school, the feeling is different.

I felt like all the tense muscles in my body relaxed just from coming to the dormitory.

“Wow~”

Fai also jumped out of the bag and marveled in front of the pile of stones it had built before coming here.

Since we always clean it up after a while whenever it builds one, seeing it maintained for several days seemed fascinating.

‘I feel sorry for cleaning it up all this time.’

But if it’s piled up in the middle of the desk… how can I not clean that up.

I’ll clean it up in the future too.

I thought that and closed my eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, it was already after nightfall.

Something was resting on my forehead. Despite that weight, it strangely felt refreshing like divine power.

‘What is this.’

When I flicked the lump stuck to my forehead, Fai let out a sharp scream and bolted upright.

“Uwak!”

“…Why are you so surprised. Sorry. But why are you sleeping here?”

“I was cooling down because it was hot!”

“Hm?”

Wondering what that meant, I touched and felt there was indeed some heat.

I didn’t notice it there, but meeting hyung unexpectedly seemed to have been stressful.

Honestly, it was a series of tensions.

Even if I have no intention of dying, thinking about dozens of possible courses of action while facing someone who might kill me was somewhat tiring.

‘…Even so, if it were my original body, I wouldn’t have caught a cold.’

Luca’s body had already caught a cold twice just this winter.

Now that my stamina score is a pure 3 points, it’s objectively good stamina when compared to all citizens of the Empire.

But immunity seems to be a different matter altogether.

I channeled my divine power into Fai.

“Thanks. It feels like the fever has gone down a lot.”

I wasn’t planning to just sit still because I caught a little cold.

I opened the drawer, found some medicine, and dumped it all into my mouth at once.

Since it was a magical medicine, the effects spread through my body before long.

“Mm.”

Refreshing.

I had arranged to talk with Narke about those two questions from yesterday, so I should head over and start right away.

“Narke, you’re at school right now, right?”

“I’m in Baden-Baden right now!”

“Why? You said you’d wait for me.”

“Hmm~ Someone called me during the day. Want to come now?”

She must have gone there urgently.

‘Did another person possessed by a demon appear?’

I thought that as I turned my head.

That’s when I finally noticed the newspaper placed on one side of the desk.

[Mysterious Demon Procession… Empire-wide ‘Black Smoke’ Warning]

‘…Hmm.’

Well, look at that.

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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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