How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 128

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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 (128)

A perfectly frozen atmosphere continued.

Even during this, Elias kept looking back.

“Now, let’s take a 10-minute break and start again.”

As soon as the Professor’s words fell, Elias whipped his body around.

But the person who jumped up and approached wasn’t Elias, but Melvin.

The other Students looked at Melvin with wide eyes.

‘…Hm?’

I was equally surprised.

Melvin swallowed his saliva and gestured outside as if telling me to get up quickly.

“…Why?”

Even at my question, Melvin silently dragged me out, looked around, pushed me into the Bathroom and warped.

Now we had come to a meeting Room in the Student Union Building Basement.

“I didn’t know you had this kind of initiative, Melvin.”

“Ah…! Sorry for warping without asking. But that’s not it! Are you going to use magic now?!”

Before those words even finished, the Friends from our group came warping in one after another.

‘What’s with everyone’s expressions?’

With people wearing dazed expressions rushing into this narrow space, I could only laugh.

But it was worth reacting like this.

It was time to recall the logic I used when first creating this group.

‘I said I was deliberately disguising myself as having those tendencies to eliminate Pleroma.’

Also, I had said this wasn’t my independent decision but Ascanien’s plan.

I couldn’t very well say I spread the Pleroma rumors by myself.

Just then, Melvin asked me a question.

“You haven’t infiltrated Pleroma’s side yet. Will it be okay?!”

“It’s fine. With people like Ernst who have already been to Pleroma’s side appearing, I don’t think I need to continue the act.”

Shock spread across the Students’ faces.

Having endured all the humiliation so far with the single goal of ‘making contact with Pleroma,’ they seemed to think Nicolaus had stolen the lead, and some pity also showed.

‘There’s no need to pity me particularly.’

Since Nicolaus is me…

Actually, these guys should suspect that I’m Nicolaus, but since I talked about him as Leo’s attendant from when Nicolaus wasn’t famous, they didn’t think in that direction at all.

They didn’t seem to think at all that Nicolaus could be a high school Student like themselves.

‘Of course, even if these Friends knew, it wouldn’t be a big problem.’

It was originally an organization made by gathering only Friends who were tight-lipped and had strong responsibility.

And actually, these people hadn’t spread word about the group anywhere during the entire semester.

“You don’t need to worry so much. I’ve helped Leo’s people and moved with them several times.”

“…Really? Will it really be okay?”

“Lucas, does Hyung know about this story too? Hyung will personally prove that you’re not Pleroma, right?”

I nodded.

“I can’t tell you yet, but the news report will go with a different story, not what I said. And… to be honest, it doesn’t seem like a situation to maintain the plan we’ve been building.”

The Students’ eyes changed at my words.

Several nodded as if agreeing.

“Don’t you all think the same? Now that Pleroma has started polluting even water, we can’t just stand by and watch. It’s time for the Empire to show a definitive response.”

“…Right. I might not know about other situations, but the current situation is… seriously problematic.”

Fortunately, they understood.

They must have thought it was better to step forward rather than just staying hidden like now.

Before break time ended, I calmed the Students well and sent them back to the Classroom.

I also headed to the Classroom with a time difference.

It had been quiet as a mouse until now, but since I had left my seat, stories about me were now flowing from the Classroom.

“Can he use magic?”

“He’ll probably just beat them up with his fists.”

“No… can he do that in his condition?”

“…”

Even though Luca has a constitution that doesn’t gain weight easily, it’s not to the extent of hearing such words.

Unlike last year when he seriously lacked both fat and muscle, I think he’s gradually converging to average levels.

‘Maybe they don’t know because it’s winter and I’m bundled up.’

It was true, but the more I kept thinking about it, I felt like I was somehow engaging in mental victory, so I erased the thought and put my hand on the door handle.

“No, he just applied to keep up appearances, right? If he could use magic, he would have used it already.”

“Exactly, and if he can use magic, that means he drank blood.”

“Ah, no way…”

Not thinking I would really use magic, laughter now flowed out.

Creak―

When I opened the door, the Students’ whispers cut off abruptly.

Perhaps because they got caught talking behind someone’s back, the Classroom remained quiet until 12 PM, regular class time.

“Now, you may leave. Students with clubs go there, Students who will train go to the Training Ground.”

Even though it became free time, no one got up from their seats.

Everyone was frozen as if they had planned it, just looking forward.

I understand why, but there’s no need for me to play along.

‘I should check my core and go summon the advisory council.’

Since I tested under Nicolaus’s name before, now I need to test under Lucas’s name.

I went to the School’s Examination Room and, seeing the examiner who became stunned upon seeing me, I pressed him to quickly finish the examination.

Then I moved again to the dedicated warp coordinates the Imperial Palace had prepared for me.

About an hour after issuing the summons order, the meeting was quickly concluded.

The Chief Editor of the Interior Ministry belonging to the advisory council summarized the discussion from the meeting.

“…Then, for minor Mages, considering safety issues, we’ll assign them to 4th grade and below rampagers, and only in emergency situations where there’s no personnel to handle 1st-3rd grade rampagers, we’ll deploy twice the usual number of people.”

“Good. Convey that to the Imperial Palace as is, and let’s conclude this agenda here.”

I simply wrapped up the meeting and stood up.

While I was in the Advisory Council Office looking through files placed on desks, one Mage I had spoken with several times here approached me.

“Vice Chairman.”

“Please speak.”

“Have you heard the news? That Pleroma Student participated in the conscription qualification exam.”

“…”

To think I’d hear my own story here too…

I had to suppress the urge to laugh.

When I didn’t answer, the other person continued on their own.

“It’s already spread throughout the Imperial Palace and government, but you didn’t know. Maybe he thought it was proper to at least throw in his name even without the ability to pass the exam…”

The Professor recommending withdrawal to me was a good choice.

If someone misunderstood as Pleroma, especially someone without ability, stepped forward, it would obviously be dismissed as a transparent scheme.

Another Mage in the same space smiled and added a comment.

“He seems to be getting some delusion from receiving decent grades recently.”

Just knowing how he got those grades shows they’re quite interested.

How would they normally know what grades some guy received?

I smiled and stood up.

“He’ll probably handle it appropriately.”

“Haha, that’s probably right.”

They nodded with smiles.

I left the Advisory Council Office and walked while lost in thought.

Everyone seems to think I can’t even use magic.

They think it’s just an action taken to avoid criticism as a Nobleman.

‘This makes me look forward to evening.’

The Student Military Corps exam consists of one document review and three practical tests.

If I pass the documents, I’ll naturally use magic in the practical tests, so the Imperial Court won’t leave me alone now that the entire nation is in chaos over Pleroma.

‘A moderate situation won’t unfold.’

So now it’s time to think of countermeasures.

Though it’s been largely forgotten, the fact that Luca was born with the strongest magical power in Ascanien history has already spread throughout the nation.

Then why has he now become no different from a non-mage?

‘Everyone thinks I collapsed because I couldn’t drink blood.’

Not being able to use magic is because I didn’t drink blood, and being able to use magic is because I drank blood.

The cause?

It’s due to my core’s constitution.

They think Hyung is directly taking care of that constitution.

‘And, fortunately…’

The public doesn’t know about that ‘care’ method.

In the first place, Hyung didn’t reveal detailed explanations about my constitution to the public in order to avoid advertising that he was giving me medicine.

In other words, even if I fill that empty space with my own logic, the public has no ability to judge the truth.

My response is simple.

I just need to wait for Hyung to respond to the acting according to the script I write for him.

* * *

When evening came, I submitted my core examination paper and returned to my room to open the exam guide Leo had left behind.

‘Selecting four times the number of final successful candidates in the document stage…’

Since they’re ultimately selecting 18 people – six each for three teams – only 28 people will be eliminated in the document stage.

‘Well, there’s no need to even look at this.’

Not long after, Elias, who naturally warped into my room, asked with a grin.

“It’s announcement time, aren’t you going down to the first floor, Luca~?”

“It seems like it’ll be crowded.”

I said that and looked at the clock.

Exactly 9 o’clock, the time to announce the successful candidates.

“Let’s go out in about 30 minutes.”

“Okay~”

Elias didn’t seem particularly curious about the results either.

And for good reason – if Elias failed, there wouldn’t be anyone among us who would pass.

So, we went out 30 minutes later, but the lobby was still bustling with people.

Elias, who was looking up at the building from below the main building stairs, clicked his tongue.

“Wow~ I thought everyone would have checked by now?”

“Right.”

I climbed the stairs first.

“…!”

The students who spotted me backed away as if they’d seen a ghost.

Even though countless people were here, the only sounds that could be heard now were mine and Elias’s footsteps.

In this situation, Elias whistled cheerfully for some reason.

As people slowly moved aside, the letters floating with magical power in the middle of the spacious lobby came clearly into view.

[2nd Year Student Military Corps 1st Class – Document Successful Candidates List (72)]

I carefully scanned from the title to the list below it.

[Department of Magic Class 2/Philip Goering (Special Grade 6)]

[Department of Magic Class 2/Julia Zehringen (Special Grade 5)]

[Department of Magic Class 1/Melanie Kohler (Special Grade 5)]

…

‘Special’ means the top 1% in the Empire, and as expected from this school, there wasn’t a single student without the ‘Special’ designation.

‘I stood out because I was Standard Grade 9 among all these until now.’

Looking back now, it’s kind of funny.

Below the numerous names, a more familiar name caught my eye.

[Department of Magic Class 2/Lucas Ascanien (Special Grade 2)]

‘Hmm.’

The corners of my mouth naturally turned up.

Previously, when measured in Bavaria, my core grade was Special Grade 4.

Now it’s risen to Special Grade 2.

Considering that grade, it would be stranger if my name wasn’t here, but no matter how much I expected it, seeing the results directly is always a good experience.

While I was smiling, Elias’s arm went over my shoulder.

I confirmed he had cast a sound-blocking spell and muttered.

“…Do it more discreetly.”

“How does it feel for the Kingdom’s Special Commissioner to be taking a high school mage team exam~?”

“It’s fun.”

“Hahahaha!”

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m taking it lightly.

I have no intention of using divine power.

For some reason, I can use divine power much more powerfully than magical power. If I can’t use divine power, I can’t even demonstrate 50% of my original abilities.

Also, if this follows the system I established…

‘It’ll be difficult to make it to Team 1 selection with just raw magical power.’

If I had known I’d be experiencing the system myself, I would have made it a bit easier.

‘I’m taking an exam with a system I created myself…’

Anyway, there are three teams total, cutting six people each by skill level.

I’m not worried about failing, but rather whether I can make it into Team 1 or not.

Of course, now that my technical score has exceeded 4.5, it’s definitely worth trying.

“You have to make Team 1 now, Luca~? You have to work with me and the others!”

“Yeah.”

“And I bet 10,000 fel on you being selected for Team 1.”

“…What?! Where.”

At that moment, the quiet surroundings suddenly became noisy. I heard someone walking from behind.

“Hm?”

The moment Elias and I turned our heads simultaneously, my body was caught by someone’s magical power.

Elias, who checked behind us, turned pale and spat out a curse.

“…”

In the distance, several mages wearing Imperial Security Bureau uniforms were approaching me, pointing their wands.

‘It’s about time they came.’

Rather, it would be negligence of duty if they didn’t come.

It’s a bit ridiculous that the Imperial Court is capturing me after officially acknowledging that I’m not Pleroma, but that was only when the covenant was thoroughly maintained, so I can understand.

The Security Bureau mage holding me opened his mouth.

“Mr. Lucas Ascanien. You need to cooperate with our investigation.”

“…”

The students’ bewildered gazes clung to me.

I obediently nodded and went down the stairs.

When we went outside the main gate, journalists were already spread out in front of it.

‘When I thought it was just for show, when do they work so hard.’

Thinking that they hurriedly warped here at this hour as soon as they heard the news, I really think they’re amazing.

I wonder where human rights went, but it seems it’s not yet time to demand modern sensibilities in that direction.

Of course, I’m grateful they came out like this.

Now, I will legally lay the foundation for using magic throughout the nation.

The journalists shouted at me, even using amplification magic.

“We understand you don’t meet the conscription requirements, so how will you participate in the practical exam?”

“Did you drink blood?! Or were you planning to drink it in the future?”

“I didn’t drink it.”

“How do you plan to prove that…?”

“Should I vomit it up? If you see it directly, your doubts will be cleared.”

Instantly, all questions came to an abrupt halt.

The Royal Mages who were escorting me also stopped walking for a moment.

It was a rather disgusting thing to say, but they seemed more flustered than anything.

They probably hadn’t expected that to be the type of person who would say such things.

‘I guess I need to go this far to get them to shut up.’

I looked around at the stunned surroundings and opened my mouth calmly with a smile.

“It’s thanks to hyung.”

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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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