How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 127

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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 (127)

“…What….”

“Are you out of your mind~?!”

Elias grabbed my shoulder firmly while laughing.

Seeing the most intense reaction I’d ever seen from him, he must have been truly shocked.

“I’m in my right mind. First, let me explain why I need to go out….”

“You’re not going to reveal Nicolaus now, are you?! You said you’d refine that side more.”

As Elias’s loud voice echoed thunderously, Leo timely cast a sound-blocking spell on the door.

Since my shoulder felt like it was about to be crushed, I patted his back to calm him down and said.

“Right, no. Not Nicolaus, I’m going out as myself.”

Narke was just standing behind with her mouth agape, but now she was grinning, probably having used Insight.

Though she probably didn’t intend it, seeing Narke’s reaction puts me at ease.

It means at least no harm will come to me.

Unlike other times, as Elias showed the most intense reaction, Leo grabbed his shoulder and made him sit down.

“Let’s hear it first.”

“Thanks. I thought about what you guys might be thinking… If I’m going to use magic as myself, you’d want to ask why I’ve been creating Nicolaus all this time, right?”

Leo thought deeply and shook his head.

“No, not really.”

“Hm?”

“The situation then was different from now. Also, Nicolaus is the most powerful weapon you have. At first, I thought he looked like a thief, which was a bit off-putting, but looking back now, that choice was absolutely indispensable.”

“Is that so….”

A thief, he says.

As I just smiled, Leo continued.

“I think I know why you want to use magic. Since Hyung saw you use magic and still let it go, you thought it would be fine, right?”

“Right.”

It’s not ‘you thought it would be’ but there really is no problem.

Even when I poured out my magical power intensely without controlling the output, the change possibility didn’t shift.

‘Since the change possibility remains the same, there’s nothing more to say, but I can’t explain it that way.’

I had already told my friends that I used magic in front of Hyung.

If I spoke as if I had figured it out through reasoning, I couldn’t convince my friends.

“Even when I let my magical power flow so intensely that Hyung had to step back, he wasn’t greatly shaken. Using magic with that level of output means that despite taking medicine twice a week, the medicine has no effect at all, which in turn means I’ve been receiving someone’s help every time after taking the medicine.”

“Right. Otherwise, there’d be no way out.”

Leo nodded and answered.

“Hyung left me alone because of that outside help more than anything else. Since someone who knows the truth has appeared, he probably thought things would get complicated if he interfered carelessly.”

“Right.”

Of course, from Hyung’s perspective, there would be several more questions, but this is the most plausible prediction I can make right now.

I immediately brought up the most important point to consider in this logic.

“Here’s where there’s a problem. I’m being misunderstood as a first-generation Pleroma, right? Hyung said my core continuously tries to absorb others’ magical power.”

At my words, Narke laughed as if amused and said.

“Right, enough to kill people~ The entire nation thinks that way.”

“But the reason I wasn’t captured was because Hyung had killed my core. It was part of a vow to absolutely never disturb the Empire. But here’s the thing.”

I clasped my hands together and leaned forward.

“Until now, it wasn’t a problem because my core grade was the lowest, making me no different from a non-mage, but Hyung, who had begged and pleaded to take direct responsibility for the Empire’s safety to keep me alive….”

Expressions of understanding began to appear on my friends’ faces sitting around the desk.

Before I even finished speaking, Elias’s mouth fell open.

I smiled and continued.

“Now that he’s confirmed with his own eyes that even the medicine doesn’t work, why would he cheer for that? How could he be so carefree knowing I might go out and use magic somewhere?”

“….”

“At this rate, both Hyung, who desperately begged to care for me, and Ascanien would surely suffer damage for breaking the vow with the Imperial Court.”

Leo nodded with a serious expression.

“…You must have a plan. Back then, he said ‘I’ll always help you.’ He really intends to keep that promise, it seems.”

Of course he does.

But since it’s a problem involving Hyung, I need to examine it more carefully to avoid future troubles.

“I thought about this one more time. What if those words were a trap? What if he’s reassuring me now, and the moment I use magic in front of people, he sends an execution order to the Imperial Court? The logic of ‘I did my best, but now the core can’t be suppressed even with medicine, so there’s no choice’ wouldn’t be bad.”

“….”

“If done well, he could even bundle up my collaborators and send them too, wouldn’t that be a good idea?”

The logic seems plausible, but this isn’t Hyung’s plan.

If that had been his intention, the change possibility should have dropped.

Leo tilted his head and spoke.

“The timing is off though. I don’t know if you’re aware, but the live broadcast of the Potion Competition has greatly changed people’s perception of you. Your Hyung is also benefiting from that.”

Elias, who had been silently listening, finally spoke.

“…Right. When people are praising him for making a cripple function like a human being, would he give up on you in that way right now?”

“I think rather than immediately framing you as Pleroma and requesting execution from the Imperial Court, he’s probably planning to arrange the situation to be much more beneficial to himself. Just like how you could kill Hyung right now but don’t.”

Leo said.

‘Accurate.’

Hyung is prepared for me to use magic. I had thought before that he’s planning to send me off more carefully, with more effort and precision.

Even without directly experimenting and turning back time like me, he’s saying the closest thing to the correct answer.

“Right. Hyung will probably set aside framing me as Pleroma ‘for now.’ Like he did at home, from now on he’ll cheer for me using magic.”

Judging by his carefree attitude, he’s probably already thought through even the case where the Imperial vow is threatened. He must have created logic that makes it okay to reveal to everyone that my core has become healthy.

‘And then he’ll gradually set the stage.’

Seeing my expression, the anxiety gradually faded from Elias’s face.

Elias put his arm on Narke’s shoulder and asked.

“Narke. A prophecy, please.”

“Haha, I think it’ll be fine?”

“Tell me precisely.”

“Hmm, there’d be no point in me saying it. Lucas. You’re trying to shed Pleroma’s image as Lucas now, right? Until now, you were planning to live like this and then integrate Nicolaus.”

“Right.”

She knows well.

Hyung is a secondary problem.

Why am I trying to build Lucas Ascanien’s image as a mage now, when I hadn’t tried to cultivate it before?

That’s the real issue.

“Actually, if you step forward, the team’s safety will increase significantly, so it’s beneficial for the students. But personally, it’s a situation where you don’t need to step forward, so tell me why you’re trying to build an image as Lucas.”

“What more is there to say? There’s no method more effective for changing one’s image than having Pleroma beat up Pleroma.”

“Haha, that’s true. But there’s more, isn’t there. Tell me in your own words.”

This is something I thought about even when I went to Baden-Baden before.

Now there are three people who wish for Nicolaus’s downfall.

The Emperor, the Crown Prince. And after revealing his identity, even Hyung.

No, is it only three? All pro-Emperor politicians are Nicolaus’s enemies.

“There are many people who want Nicolaus to fall. When I reveal his identity, at this rate, my Pleroma accusation will drag Nicolaus down.”

Leo, who had been silent, asked.

“So you’re going to clear the Pleroma accusation in advance?”

“Right. I need to change the situation even a little. Especially the current situation is perfect for reversing one’s image.”

“Ah, I’m curious how the kids will react when Luca shows his magical power~?! I’m only waiting for tomorrow.”

Elias was now laughing carefree as if he’d never been anxious.

Then, Leo called my name expressionlessly.

“Lucas.”

“….”

Does he still think it’s reckless?

‘It’s not like I can show him the change possibility window.’

Perhaps due to past experiences, my shoulders reflexively tensed up, but I looked straight at him without showing it.

However, the words I heard were unexpected.

“I have no intention of stopping you. I’ve been sensing since the Catacombs that His Majesty the Emperor has been contemplating when to send you.”

“…I’ve been thinking this since earlier, but how unusual that we’re actually understanding each other.”

“What?”

“Hey, you should have listened to me more often like this~”

This time, being more surprised himself, Elias playfully hit Leo’s back.

Leo let out a breath and cleared his throat.

“…Right. If you think we understand each other, tell us how we can help going forward.”

* * *

‘How kind.’

Really, every word and action was so very Leo-like.

I thought this as I gathered my things in the club room.

I shouldered my bag and approached the entrance, then turned around to see Adelbert sitting alone in the corner with his head buried.

“I’m going to turn off the lights. Aren’t you leaving?”

“…I’ll leave now.”

“Well, alright.”

Since starting club activities, we’ve encountered each other three times, but this is the first time we’ve actually spoken.

I’d need to get closer to obtain information, but….

He looks like he’s in a bad mood, so there’s no need to force conversation. Besides, he already has friends constantly clinging to him, probably because of his status, so there’s no need for me to add to that burden.

I placed my hand on the magical light switch, then remembered something I had forgotten.

‘Ah.’

Earlier, there was another reason I had wanted to participate in the exam.

〈 Chapter 5. Good Things Require Time (1) 〉

Proposal 3: Make the optimal choice. (0/1) (1 hour 48 minutes 59 seconds)

* Route 1 — 〈 Chapter 6. Act Righteously and Fear No One 〉

* Route 2 — 〈 Chapter 6. Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow What You Can Do Today 〉

This was the window that appeared before my eyes when class ended this afternoon.

As always, the development would split based on my choice.

Given that the annoying proverb “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today” appeared in Route 2, it’s obvious what the optimal choice would be.

Now that Hyung already knows everything, there’s no particular benefit to delaying further.

I put my hand in my bag and pulled out a piece of paper.

Since Leo didn’t have a spare consent form earlier, I had brought one from those placed in the main building lobby.

The moment I wrote my name on the consent form, bright white text appeared before my eyes.

Congratulations!

‘Proposal 3: Make the optimal choice.’ Complete!

‘Route 1 — 〈 Chapter 6. Act Righteously and Fear No One 〉’ confirmed.

‘This proposal was rather easy.’

Of course, it was easy because I was already viewing this situation as an opportunity, but if I hadn’t even considered it, this would have been an impossibly difficult proposal.

As I was smiling with satisfaction, I heard Adelbert’s voice from behind.

“Senior.”

“What?”

Why is someone with -5 favorability calling me?

I thought this as I turned around, but Adelbert sat silently for a while before shaking his head.

“Never mind.”

“….”

Why is he acting like this?

I have no idea what’s going on.

If there were problems at home, that might be worth hearing about, but that’s not the kind of story someone would share just because you pry.

I simply gave a brief greeting and left the club room.

The next morning, after taking attendance, the professor spread out his newspaper and notes.

Like other magic schools, with the water contaminated, classes were now secondary.

Most professors had gone out to subdue rampagers, so there was no one available to teach classes anyway.

“…Fortunately, the number of rampage incidents decreased compared to yesterday. However, cases of those who have rampaged once doing so again have increased, so please be careful if you must go out due to unavoidable circumstances.”

He scanned the roster and then looked at all of us as he spoke.

“Next, I need to discuss the Student Military Corps exam I mentioned yesterday. All 50 out of 50 students in Magic Department Class 2 have submitted their consent forms. I’m moved by the courage you’ve all shown.”

Suddenly, bewilderment filled the classroom atmosphere.

Someone whispered quietly.

“50 people…?”

“…Shouldn’t it be 49?”

The professor showed no intention of stopping that reaction, silently looking down at the roster before raising his head.

“Student Lucas Ascanien.”

The classroom fell silent as if cold water had been poured over it.

The eyes of the remaining forty students, excluding my group friends, turned toward me filled with shock.

“Your core was Magic General Grade 9, wasn’t it? Even if you participate in the exam, you’ll be eliminated in the document screening announced this evening. I understand your feelings, but in your case, everyone would understand if you chose not to participate.”

So there’s no need to participate just to fulfill noble duty, is that it?

He probably thought I’d get even more criticism if I stepped forward wanting to participate.

The professor spoke to me as if comforting.

“It’s okay to withdraw now, student.”

“No. I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine. I understand that document screening only reviews core compatibility, so would it be acceptable to resubmit the test results today?”

The students looked at each other as if confused, then glanced at me.

The professor also asked me with a puzzled expression.

“That won’t change even if you retest. You want to submit new results?”

“Yes.”

“…Alright, then submit them by today.”

The professor nodded with a face that still didn’t understand.

The students’ expressions were the same.

In this classroom, only Narke and Elias were smiling.

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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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