How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 13

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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 Noble Family (13)

I stopped walking at the sound coming from behind the stairs.

As expected, the rumors had spread.

It was natural since cases of sweeping up that much money in a single day weren’t common.

“I heard. It was Leo and Leo’s servant, right? Both are mages, so that’s probably how they managed to sweep up so much.”

“Leo?! Why did he suddenly go there?”

“According to Leo, his servant wanted to stop by. He said he’s a traveler from the Papal States.”

“Really? Did you hear his name? If he’s a mage, he must be a noble too.”

“I don’t know. It was a foreign surname, so I can’t remember. But the caretaker there said it didn’t seem like a noble surname.”

“How could a mage traveling with Leo not be a noble? It must be an alias.”

“That’s probably it. I heard he even wore a mask.”

“Huh?”

I stroked my chin.

Using a noble surname would obviously lead to getting my tail caught, so I had written my original surname.

News would spread to the Papal States in an instant, so there was no need to use an actual noble surname and cause trouble between families.

‘Actually, foreign mages entering the capital and conducting various activities should be verified at least once.’

But such a system wasn’t established yet, and even in the novel, laws were hastily revised only after the protagonist threw a bombshell incident at the Imperial Palace around the middle of the story.

Until then, they just acted leisurely, thinking ‘If such a family gave permission, his identity must be certain.’

‘Of course, Leo’s family would have no idea about this…’

Since they never gave permission…

But Leo would have handled this on his own, so there was no need to worry.

For now, this was within the expected range. That was enough.

I left the area, leaving behind the students’ continuing conversation.

The situation was the same even when noon arrived.

The news quickly spread throughout the entire capital, including the school.

“Did you hear this?! That blue-eyed hunter is going to appear there again tomorrow?!”

“Cough…”

I was moving to find a classroom when I choked on an exclamation I heard from somewhere.

‘…That title just now…’

Were they talking about me? More importantly, who said they’re going tomorrow?

Once I started paying attention, I could tell that similar sounds were being heard from around me.

‘…Status window.’

Lucas Rene Ascanien

Title: ??? Hunter

Stamina: -3.5 (+0.3)

Mental Power: -8.2 (+0.5)

Magic Power: ?

Skill: +1.015 (+0.5)

Impression: -10

Luck: -6.985 (+0.5)

Traits: Dawn777, Divine Power

I just opened it on a whim, but the title had actually changed. Does it change based on how I’m called by the standards here…

‘Looking at how the title is like that, it’ll probably continue like this for a while.’

The chimera werewolf incident hadn’t even been reported yet. If the higher-ups decided to report that incident, the current fervor would last even longer.

I thought while glancing at students carrying newspapers.

* * *

As it turned out, that title wasn’t something the students came up with on their own, but a title used by the newspaper that first reported it. Seeing other newspaper companies using the same name, it seemed to have completely stuck.

Actually, considering the situation, Leo’s situation was more serious than mine.

I just had to endure an incomprehensible name, but Leo had to directly receive countless students’ questions and attention.

As expected, his complexion had darkened every time I encountered him on the road. If someone who always smiled had become grim-faced, that said it all.

The next evening, Leo sat down heavily on the training ground floor and remained there silently for a long time.

I looked down at Leo and threw out a comment.

“Are you okay?”

“No.”

Leo answered with a face that looked ten years older.

We had gathered at the training ground, but seeing that, it didn’t seem like he was in any condition to train today.

‘He must have been constantly bombarded with questions, so it can’t be helped.’

In this sense, hiding one’s identity while moving around was quite beneficial. I interpreted it positively and sat down heavily next to him.

Leo spoke weakly.

“Do you know our article appeared in five different daily newspapers today? Why does everyone go to such lengths… Yesterday alone, I got three interview requests.”

“You’re going through a lot.”

I had expected it would die down to a reasonable level by now, but people’s interest kept growing.

‘It must be because of the mystique.’

If it had just been Leo and Leo’s servant with an exposed face subjugating magical beasts together, it would have ended as just a good story about Leo, but because of a person with nothing but suspicious points, people were more fanatically spreading the story.

And investigation results showed that the werewolf wasn’t a species seen in the Empire, and the Imperial Palace announced that the culprit was likely someone belonging to Pleroma.

With a cult group involved in a crime and two mages conveniently appearing to prevent an accident, it couldn’t help but become a hot topic.

‘Good thing I wasn’t caught.’

Why did they have to mention Pleroma of all things.

Even though it wasn’t Pleroma, I was already being painted with that image, so if I had been caught here, it really would have been the end.

Thinking of that worst-case scenario, the current situation was quite good.

“Ah.”

Leo noticed a package that had been beside him and handed it to me.

“I almost forgot to give you this. It arrived today.”

“It arrived earlier than expected.”

“I asked them to make it as quickly as possible. And originally, it doesn’t take long to make.”

Even so, to think it would fly here in just one day.

I accepted the box Leo handed me.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it, you need to live and use magic diligently.”

“What…”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.”

Not ‘you need to get healthy’ but ‘use magic diligently’? What kind of talk is that.

As always, he’s truly crazy about magic.

I ignored Leo’s words and unwrapped the package.

“Wow…”

Leo started exclaiming from seeing the inner packaging, then began exclaiming in a slightly different sense after seeing the item.

“Wow, it’s really ordinary.”

Inside were a wristwatch that looked ordinary enough not to be properly remembered and a necklace chain made of silver.

Since penetrating the skin would produce the best effect, you either insert something like a small chip under the skin or use earrings.

I didn’t try the former due to psychological resistance, and while the latter was relatively better… a mage piercing their ears obviously meant they were using an artifact. It could become dangerous when meeting my hyung.

Still, a wristwatch and necklace were types that adhered to the body, so the effect wasn’t bad. I had also consecrated the artifacts with blood and magic power to enhance their effectiveness.

Among these, the watch was for hiding magic power circulating through the body, and the necklace chain was a tool for stabilizing the core. Since only the pendant of my current necklace was an artifact, there was no problem changing the chain.

I had spent a fortune to thoroughly block magic power leakage and add functionality to make them look like ordinary accessories, yet I still had about 10 million won left.

‘I should never go out again.’

For a mage, a thousand would be money that disappears quickly, but… let’s see if I go hunt magical beasts again. I smiled contentedly.

“Try it on quickly. I’m curious.”

“Alright.”

At Leo’s urging, I casually put the watch around my wrist.

“…!”

Perhaps because it contained my blood and magical power, an inexplicable sensation wrapped around my wrist even though nothing had penetrated my skin.

“…It does feel like something’s being drawn in, but I don’t feel anything else?”

“No, try casting a spell.”

Leo pointed toward the far end of the training ground with an excited expression, waving his arm. I drew my wand and shot magic toward where Leo was pointing.

Boom—!

“Oh.”

Unlike usual, it felt like some kind of path had been created. If I had been driving on an unpaved road until now, now I was driving on a road that was somewhat shabby but paved nonetheless.

“You felt it too, right? And the magical power swirling around you before and after casting the spell decreased significantly. It became much cleaner.”

“Really? The amount I output was the same as usual though.”

“It would be. This only eliminates the magical power that scatters after output.”

“Nice.”

I called up the status window again.

Lucas Rene Ascanien

Title: Hunter of ???

Stamina: -3.5

Mental Power: -8.2

Magical Power: ?

Skill: +1.015 [+4.015]

Impression: -10

Luck: -6.985

Traits: Dawn777, Divine Power

‘Hm?’

My skill increased by 3 points?

Leo’s words about something becoming cleaner had to be true. I was amazed to see the number jump up refreshingly after creeping up in decimal increments.

I shoved my wand back into my waistband and touched the necklace cord.

I don’t feel any particular effect from this yet either… but it might be different when I actually use it.

I changed the necklace cord and tucked the pendant inside my shirt to organize it.

Leo lightly waved his wand to sense the surrounding magical power, then tilted his head.

“Maybe it’s because of the watch’s effect, but I can’t immediately sense this one.”

“…Really?”

But not for me.

I couldn’t close my mouth as I pressed firmly against my chest area.

Unlike before, my core had become so light that I couldn’t even recognize its existence.

Lucas Rene Ascanien

Title: Hunter of ???

Stamina: -3.5 [-0.5]

Mental Power: -8.2

Magical Power: ?

Skill: +1.015 [+4.015]

Impression: -10

Luck: -6.985

Traits: Dawn777, Divine Power

‘My stamina also increased by 3 points.’

I tried creating flames in my hand.

The subtle cracks and impacts I felt every time I used magic were now gone. No, I hadn’t even known that those were cracks and that impacts were being delivered.

But now…

‘So this is how it’s supposed to be.’

This must be how a normal core operates.

To be precise, this is what a -0.5 core feels like.

I’m a 21st-century human without a core, and Luca’s core had been damaged for so long that I couldn’t tell what state was healthy.

But through this incident, I learned for certain.

Unlike before, breathing and magical power operation became much freer.

I pulled the pendant out of my shirt and lifted it away from my skin.

As the artifact moved away from my core, my chest became heavy again as if blocked.

I hadn’t known before using this, but now that I knew what a healthy core felt like, I absolutely couldn’t leave it as it was.

“If I completely heal my core, it’ll get even better than this.”

“Something must be different? I’m glad we chose well.”

If I make an enhancement potion, I’ll be able to feel this sensation even without an artifact.

If I make a healing potion, I’ll be able to live with a healthy core permanently, even after the enhancement potion’s effects wear off.

Just waiting for the medicine to be made was reckless.

I almost learned magic with a severely damaged core while leaving a normal core unused.

I sent Leo, whose condition had deteriorated, back to the dormitory and practiced magic alone.

When I started to get out of breath, I checked my watch. It had been midnight when I entered the training ground, but it was already approaching 3 AM.

Even though magic uses a lot of stamina, three hours felt a bit disappointing. It seemed this was the limit even with -0.5 stamina.

‘Still, I should rest for tomorrow.’

I moved to the dormitory, threw my bag on the desk, and slumped into the chair.

“Hm?”

Something out of place was wedged where my gaze fell.

Thud—

When I opened the door, a note fell to the floor.

When I unfolded the roughly folded yellow paper, similarly scrawled writing appeared.

[I know everything.]

The back of my neck felt cold.

I looked at the note with cold eyes.

[Come outside the dormitory right now.]

I glared at the note, then relaxed and burst into laughter.

I don’t know what they claim to know, but…

If they have my weakness, it’s welcome that they’re thinking of meeting me face-to-face instead of going to some media organization and exposing my identity without my knowledge.

‘The monster hunting is the most likely candidate for now.’

Let’s think about the case where they called me out knowing about that.

There’s a high possibility they only have suspicions without any solid evidence.

In this case, they’ll interrogate me asking what weakness I thought they had, and that coming out to such a warning itself proves I’m that hunter.

If they come at me like that… I just need to play dumb on my side.

Others might not be able to, but Luca can.

Because he’s the type who would follow along first when told to come out without even knowing what’s going on, thinking something scary might happen.

‘Of course, that’s the story from the past year, but…’

They probably don’t have evidence anyway, so if I just mumble that I came out because they told me to without knowing what it was about, given that personality, the other party won’t find it easy to be certain either.

‘The problems that arise from going out are solvable.’

Then naturally I should go out. In this case, it’s not a problem that can be solved by telling a teacher.

I didn’t expect this kind of thing to come so quickly, but anyway, if someone who knows something suspicious is going to appear before me on their own, I welcome it.

Without hesitation, I wedged the note back into the door crack and headed for the stairs.

When I opened the dormitory’s main entrance and came out, a student approached hesitantly.

“Um… by any chance…”

From the way he’s speaking, he doesn’t seem to be the one who sent the note.

When I stared at him silently, the student looked at me with terrified eyes, reading my mood.

“What is it.”

“You, you saw the note, right? The seniors from the Department of Magic told me to bring you.”

“Who exactly?”

“I don’t really know either…”

They probably just grabbed someone passing by on the street.

Normally, if a stranger asked you to bring someone, you’d refuse, but seeing as you’re here… did they threaten you or something.

When I silently gestured forward with my hand, the student quickly started walking.

Even after a long while, there was no sign we’d arrive anytime soon. I casually threw out a comment to the student’s back.

“We’re going pretty far, aren’t we?”

“Huh?! Oh, yes… I didn’t really know either, but I guess so. But we should arrive soon now.”

The school’s main buildings had already shrunk into the distance.

Around us, unused buildings and the school outskirts began to appear.

“Did those seniors say anything specific about me?”

“Oh, no. They just said you’d be coming out soon, so I should bring you.”

“I see.”

Then, I saw about four people moving in the distance.

Since it was an abandoned building they couldn’t enter, they were waiting in the open space in the middle of the building.

Upon spotting them, the student hurriedly turned around and left before even reaching where the people were standing.

I approached them closely.

“What the… he’s actually coming.”

“Hey, hand over those five hundred pel.”

“This crazy bastard, anyway you wrote the note like I said.”

The students giggled among themselves.

When I just silently stared at them, one student stepped forward.

“Hey.”

The student who had been staring intently into my eyes for a while stuck his chin out.

“Why did you come here? Got something to hide?”

“You told me to come out.”

At my indifferent answer, a few people standing behind burst into laughter.

“What’s this bastard saying…”

“I was right. Even if we just wrote nothing and told him to come out, he’d still come? Nothing’s changed at all.”

“True.”

“So hand over the five hundred.”

“Fuck, I’m not giving it. Just shut up for a bit. You’re ruining the mood.”

The guys snickered at each other, then suddenly looked at me silently.

‘They were classmates, right?’

These were faces I often encountered coming and going.

They were far from the top students like Leo.

They knew how to use magic so they got into this place, but they had nothing particularly outstanding in terms of grades or character, and they understood all human relationships through hierarchy.

They’d do anything to look good to students like Leo who had both good family backgrounds and grades, but they tried their best to keep targets like Luca, whom everyone avoided, under their feet.

‘About Pleroma…’

They don’t seem particularly afraid.

While outsiders who had no contact with me might not know, there were a few within the school who knew my tendencies and looked down on me.

‘Though I thought there were few of them, unluckily I’m in the same class as these bastards.’

As expected, they remained as terrible images even in Luca’s brief memories.

In his first year, Luca had suffered from rumors that he ate mice alive, and these students were the ones who created those rumors.

Right before they started looking down on Luca in earnest, it was probably an attempt to confirm how much teasing Luca would quietly endure.

Then the guy at the front lowered his voice and approached closer.

“It’s nothing big. You just seem to have gotten a bit strange.”

“…”

“Lately you’re… did something happen?”

A student who had been sitting in the back giggling stood up and put his arm on my shoulder as he asked.

“What happened that made you open your eyes properly and stare like this? You weren’t like this before.”

“Hahahaha! Those eyes are so lively. Fuck, I’m too scared to look.”

At those words, I let out a short laugh.

Right, it would be disappointing if there weren’t any. I knew I’d meet guys like this at least once.

The reason I’d been tensing my shoulders until now disappeared in an instant. These guys knew absolutely nothing about what I was worried about.

They just called me out to bully me.

The words ‘we know everything’ were really just intended to scare me into coming outside.

‘If they used words like threatening to kill me if I didn’t come, they’d lose their escape route when they got in trouble.’

Just enough that they could shamelessly insist they hadn’t intended to threaten.

They used exactly that level of words and sentences.

I didn’t know I’d have to respond to kids’ hierarchy games too…

‘Still, this worked out well.’

Since it’s not a headache-inducing matter.

I sighed while looking at the students’ faces growing increasingly menacing.

“Just tell me why you called me.”

“This bastard’s sighing now, hey.”

“Hey, enough. I should tell you, right. I fucking hate seeing guys like you pretending to be normal and walking around with your heads up. Got it?”

“What do you mean, guys like me.”

“Don’t know? You’re asking because you don’t know? While you’re changing your image, trying to get your brain removed too?”

The guy burst into laughter and ran his hand through his hair.

“Ugh, fuck. So talkative. The way you acted last year was perfect, so what wind blew to make you pretend to be normal?”

“No, don’t talk. This bastard can’t understand.”

“Probably. Hey, did you understand? If you didn’t understand, we were going to teach you directly.”

The guys started giggling like before.

The student sitting on the ground gestured with his hand.

“Hand it over.”

“Hand over what, bastard.”

“…Hahahaha… Oh, he’s even cursing. This is really confusing. I’m so shocked I can’t speak.”

The guy stood up from his spot and pointed at my outer clothing.

“Hand over the jacket, man.”

“…”

I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t close my mouth, then burst into laughter.

‘These bastards…’

Obviously. The moment I hand this over, they’ll make the clothes unwearable.

I looked at the guys with cold eyes and fell into thought. Suddenly a good idea occurred to me.

‘…This might actually be a better situation than I thought.’

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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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