How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 136

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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 (136)

Leo, with his shoulder held by Elias, looked at Hans and Lucas with an expressionless face.

As soon as class ended, he had gone to Bavaria, but Elias immediately grabbed him and brought him here, saying he would show him something interesting to watch.

He had never seen Lucas spar with others before. Finding something to observe and advise on didn’t seem like a bad idea.

Of course, that was only a secondary reason.

‘To think he’d try to claim the grading was wrong after seeing the movements I taught him—reality denial should have its limits.’

Leo thought this as he looked at Hans’s face.

Hans was overly excited. But even in his excitement, his movements were quite accurate.

Clang!

Lucas pushed away Hans’s sword and stepped back.

Leo’s eyes scrutinized Lucas’s movements one by one.

His response method and speed, as well as the precision with which he parried attacks, were all perfect.

Just then, Elias cast a sound-blocking spell and giggled.

“Wow~ That’s totally you.”

“No. I deliberately taught him differently so our styles wouldn’t overlap.”

Leo propped his chin and muttered so his lip movements couldn’t be seen.

[Are you just going to keep running away like a rat?!]

[Didn’t you talk about technique before?]

“How could that change so easily? Now you’ll have no choice but to change your style.”

“You can figure it out because you’ve watched me since I was young, but others wouldn’t know.”

[First, calm down. Is sparring in this state meaningful?]

[…This…]

“Oh, oh oh! That guy…!”

“Hey!”

At the surprised shouts from around them, Elias also stopped laughing and fixed his gaze on the two.

Clang!

Even against Hans’s irregular move that revealed his true skill, Lucas stably rotated his sword to block Hans’s attack.

For a moment, deep bewilderment crossed Hans’s face.

Elias opened his eyes wide in admiration.

“…Oh~”

“…”

Leo put strength into the hand propping his chin.

The corners of his mouth naturally curled upward.

Honestly, he had never found watching others’ sparring interesting.

No matter how he looked at it, both sides were just mediocre in most cases.

But this time…

‘Not bad.’

Both Lucas’s skill, which had developed like crazy over the past four months, and this spectacle.

Leo tried to maintain his expressionless face while fixing his gaze on the two.

* * *

How should he handle this?

Obviously…

“…Come at me properly!”

Hans shouted angrily with a voice full of rage.

To those words, Ascanien replied with a smile.

“Alright.”

Crash—!

The tip of Ascanien’s sword turned upward, pushing away Hans’s sword. At the same time, both kicked off the ground and retreated. Hans immediately used the recoil to charge at Ascanien without delay.

Clang!

Ascanien didn’t deflect the sword but received it directly.

Hans’s eyes narrowed. He couldn’t sense any hesitation in blocking the sword coming at him. It was the stability of someone who had already received attacks dozens, no, thousands of times.

“I’m curious about something.”

Screech—

“Retreating is also a technique, so why do you think charging in is the only way to come at someone properly? You should know this.”

So he has the presence of mind to talk.

Strength entered Hans’s arms.

He intended to break Ascanien’s sword, but there was still no trembling in the guy’s blade.

‘If he were a beginner, he would take a posture that strains his wrists, being desperate just to block the sword.’

For a moment, an expression of realization crossed Ascanien’s face.

Hans found this strange and suddenly channeled mana into his arms.

Whoosh—

Only then did Ascanien’s blade change direction and slip away.

With this trajectory, the next attack would come diagonally downward from upper right. Sure enough, Ascanien’s sword swiftly moved upward.

‘I can clearly see the next move, so there’s no reason to follow along.’

Hans channeled mana and rushed to Ascanien’s side. At the same time, Hans’s sword extended long.

Clang!

“…!”

Ascanien, who had created distance, had already turned his body to block Hans’s sword.

Both Ascanien’s sword and his pupils were calm without a single tremor.

Far from being flustered by the variable, he retreated exactly the distance needed for sword combat, as if granting the request to come properly instead of avoiding.

‘…’

Hans examined Ascanien’s posture. His stance should have crumbled from the sharp change in direction, but the guy remained steady.

‘…Hadn’t he not learned? I thought he’d fall out due to lack of skill by now.’

No. He shouldn’t keep being surprised.

Even with a difference in learning time, the fact that this guy could match him meant he was too excited and missing something important.

“You’re definitely skilled.”

The moment Hans took a deep breath to calm himself, Ascanien spoke slowly.

“But there are a few things I’d like to teach you.”

Ascanien lightly tapped his sword hilt two or three times. The white blade disappeared and a black wooden sword the same color as his wand was created.

Hans was momentarily speechless with disbelief.

‘Did he just draw a wooden sword while facing me?’

Even though it was a sword made of mana, it was relatively duller, and the very attitude of responding with a practice sword was problematic.

Ascanien said nonchalantly.

“It would be dangerous if your mana channels got cut.”

“Hah…”

He might have learned swordsmanship for quite a while. The reactions the guy had shown so far weren’t those of a beginner.

But regardless, it was a fact that he hadn’t done anything last year.

When even a week’s break causes skills to rust, someone who rested for a year says this to me?

“Why don’t you say you won’t fight because you might get hit? Fight properly!”

“I was fighting properly and will continue to do so, Hans.”

Ascanien casually gestured with his hand as he had before.

“Come first.”

If this was a strategy to provoke me, it was a complete success.

Hans glared at Ascanien and shook his head. Then Ascanien charged without hesitation.

‘First, I’ll clash swords.’

With a wooden sword, the guy would repeat coming in and retreating rather than confronting directly.

I can clearly see his moves, so what does he mean by ‘fighting properly’? That attitude needs some correction.

Whoosh—

Ascanien’s sword cut through his field of vision. The sword path was different from before.

“…!”

Crack—!

A sharp pain struck my left shoulder, and my mouth opened involuntarily.

‘W-wait a minute…!’

“Ah, as expected.”

Ascanien’s brief exclamation could be heard.

‘…He’s going to hit my body instead of my sword?!’

Hans straightened his collapsing posture and thrust his sword forward.

Ascanien stepped back one or two paces and mimicked the simple thrusting motion. The moment Hans tried to slash with his sword, Ascanien’s sword changed direction and fell, striking his thigh downward.

Crash!

“Gaaaah…!”

“Shall we continue the sparring match next time?”

A faint smile was mixed in with the question.

Hans suppressed the urge to grab his thigh and gritted his teeth.

‘My, my muscles…’

It felt like they would tear. Only now did I begin to understand what he meant by ‘you can’t let your mana channels get cut.’

As I looked up at the guy while pressing my trembling thigh with the tip of my sword, Ascanien said gently.

“I’ve been seeing openings continuously since earlier. I had quite a hard time holding back.”

Holding back what? Holding back from beating me up? The words telling him to just keep holding back rose to my throat.

But to think I was giving him openings enough for him to get this close. If this had been real combat instead of sparring…

“I know very well that your skills are excellent. However…”

I would already be dead.

Ascanien’s sword came down from above. Hans barely managed to lower his body and block the attack by supporting his sword with both hands.

The half-cut wooden sword quickly restored itself, drawing a semicircle in the air as it rose up again.

“…!”

Ascanien fiercely pursued Hans, who kicked off the ground and retreated. Even though Ascanien’s sword started from the lower left and made a large motion, Hans’s sword remained suspended in mid-air.

The instinct to flee collided with the thought that he had to block the sword. It was already too late. Ascanien’s pitch-black wooden sword struck his right thigh from bottom to top.

Crack!

“Ugh…!”

“Haha, you’re too excited right now. You have many openings.”

What’s so funny that you’re laughing?

As if he were teaching, Ascanien patiently waited for Hans to get into position.

Hans pressed down on his madly trembling leg with his left hand and gasped for breath.

Since there was no sound of air being torn, Hans could now clearly hear the murmuring sounds from around him.

For some reason, it seemed like the number of people had doubled compared to earlier.

‘…This isn’t the picture I wanted.’

I had hoped for the complete opposite situation. Actually, considering just the period we’ve been learning, shouldn’t that be right?

Hans, who had been hanging his head low, slowly opened his mouth.

“…Sword…”

“Hmm?”

“Won’t you change swords?! Are you my teacher?!”

“I would change if you want, but…”

Ascanien fixed his gaze on Hans’s trembling legs and said.

“I think you might be pushing yourself too hard in your current state.”

Hans’s face twisted for a moment.

Whooom—

Hans forcefully pushed mana into his legs. Green mana rose in both legs. The sound of kicking off the ground and thrusting his sword followed.

As if he had been waiting, Ascanien’s sword turned pure white.

Clang—! Screech—

‘…Damn.’

Hans realized the moment he crossed swords with Ascanien.

He had made a mistake.

Probably not just now, but continuously from earlier.

Because he had distributed most of his mana to his legs, he had no strength left for his arms. But if he withdrew mana to his upper body now, he would collapse.

Even though he could feel that Ascanien wasn’t particularly exerting force, Hans’s sword couldn’t maintain its weight and wavered.

Screech, creak— creak—

Ascanien, who had been staring at the swords grinding against each other for a while, glanced at Hans’s face and stepped back.

Swoosh— Crash!

Ascanien stomped his foot hard.

I knew what that meant. Bright red mana surged around, wrapping around Hans’s arms and shoulders.

Normally I could have dodged, but with all my mana concentrated in my legs, I couldn’t do that now.

Hans, with one arm caught, was yanked backward.

Thud!

When I snapped open my tightly closed eyes, something glinting came into view below my chin.

“Good work.”

* * *

Affection level 150 achieved (150/300)

Since I had already hit 80 before starting, achieving 100 affection points wasn’t difficult.

And I achieved 150 points about 10 minutes ago.

The white text that kept appearing during the sparring match was distracting, but it was a good sign anyway.

“Good work.”

Good work raising my affection level.

I said while pointing my sword at the guy’s chin. At that moment, Hans’s brow, which had been filled with fear, furrowed.

Ding—!

Affection +1

‘…’

His affection went up?

Goosebumps instinctively rose all over me.

Well, if such a reaction came from someone I had just been enthusiastically beating up, I’d have no choice but to step back first.

‘Is it because of pride that his actions and inner thoughts move in opposite directions?’

It means his evaluation of me has changed to be somewhat more positive, but indeed the world is wide and people are truly diverse.

Whatever the case, every point is precious to me, so I’m grateful.

I smiled and extended my hand.

“Are you okay?”

“…”

The guy just stared at my hand, then staggered to his feet on his own.

The guy’s friends hurriedly came down from the stairs and supported him.

“Luca!”

Elias, who had come down at some point, patted my back.

“Hey, now no one will complain about your grades~ Let’s hurry up and spar too!”

“Sure.”

I answered nonchalantly, but I was worried this guy might have the same style as Leo, so I couldn’t rashly set a date…

I turned away from Elias and rotated my wrist.

‘I’ve definitely improved.’

Hans’s skills were objectively not bad. In other words, it would have been difficult for me, who had only learned for 4 months, to win.

Fortunately, there was a part that wasn’t yet complete in the guy.

‘Emotions.’

Emotional stability is also a skill.

Hans himself probably didn’t know since there was nothing to get angry about during exams, but the guy was easily swayed by emotions.

Of course, even if I had found his weakness, I couldn’t have won without skill, but thanks to getting beaten up like crazy by Leo for 4 months and building my foundation, there was no problem seizing the opportunity.

After realizing that Leo’s methods were far from ordinary, I could only let out a hollow laugh, but it’s also true that I achieved this much improvement thanks to that.

“Let’s get going.”

I pulled Elias away and turned around.

Just then, I spotted lemon-colored hair in the distance that reminded me of the Emperor.

‘Hm?’

I thought it might be Adelbert and tried to get a better look at his face, but he quickly turned and left his spot.

At that moment, I lost the luxury of paying attention to that direction.

Because an unexpected person’s face caught the edge of my vision.

In front of the Class 2 students clustered together like a lump, our class professor stood silently looking at me.

“….”

“Student.”

The homeroom professor spoke while looking directly at me.

This level of sparring wasn’t a big problem, but the professor’s expression was so serious that I felt I should match the atmosphere.

“…Good day, sir.”

“Indeed. But how did this come about?”

“I sparred with Hans.”

The professor shook his head as if that wasn’t what he was asking about.

“I believe you’ve never taken the Magic Swordsmanship course?”

“I’ve been studying it personally, bit by bit.”

“Personally?”

“Yes.”

The professor didn’t ask further and stared at me.

Ding―!

Favorability +3

“….”

So… from the professor’s perspective, he judged me to be a student worth nurturing.

I briefly considered whether I should escape.

“Student.”

“Yes.”

“Follow me.”

* * *

The professor enthusiastically introduced the National Competition and clubs.

Since I was already swamped with state affairs, I declined everything for now, but even so, the professor didn’t give up his passion and said he would ask the Magic Swordsmanship professor for 1:1 guidance if I wanted.

I said I would think about that for now.

After all, wasn’t Traut the Magic Swordsmanship professor?

‘It’s about time I sent him away too.’

As I closed the door to the Professor’s Office and came out, a favorability window appeared.

Ding―!

Favorability 200 achieved (200/300)

200 points.

That made sense.

When Elias last counted, he said there were already over 100 students gathered at that spot.

‘Thanks to Hans, I filled it up quickly.’

Satisfying.

I thought that while checking my watch.

Now that club time was approaching, I needed to stop by the dormitory and then go to the Drama Club.

‘Before that, I need to completely finish organizing the situation.’

I organized all kinds of handouts I received from the professor into my bag and memorized the familiar coordinates.

Then I went up to the floor with the room number I had looked up in advance and knocked on the hospital room door.

Knock knock―

“Hans.”

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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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