How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 169

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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 (169)

“So you’re saying that I staged this whole thing myself.”

Alfred Vinter.

I opened his status window as I spoke.

At that moment, our class professor waved his hand and stood up from his seat.

“Professor Vinter, he’s still a victim student. It’s not too late to investigate the scene first and then look into it.”

“‘Not too late’… Professor Ron, you also think there’s a possibility this student is the culprit.”

“…”

Our class professor, momentarily speechless, shook his head.

“I was just trying to keep all possibilities open. How can someone who became a professor make such a leap? And didn’t Lucas clearly say he was in his friend’s room?”

“Is that an alibi? Can you be certain it’s credible testimony?”

Professor Vinter narrowed his eyes.

There wouldn’t be any credibility.

My conversation with Narke was merely to prevent the problem from spreading too far, not a tool to extinguish the spark.

Did he think the case could be simply resolved with one friend’s testimony? Anyone would know that it’s a contingency plan, not a solution.

And this author thinks I don’t know that, no, that I haven’t even thought of it.

Right.

I have no physical evidence left as an alibi. Only Narke’s testimony exists.

Our class professor shouted with bulging veins.

“Let’s bring that friend here then. If Lucas’s testimony isn’t wrong, Narke will say the same thing!”

“Isn’t there a possibility the two students might cover for each other? They must have become quite close after being on the same team in the 3rd selection.”

“…”

Our class professor, who had been silent for a while as if speechless, pointed at him and glared with wide eyes.

“Professor Vinter should know that you’re being extremely rude to our class students.”

“Well. I’m just worried about the safety of Imperial 2nd Education Institute.”

Our class professor glared at him with a terrifying expression, then warped away.

In less than 5 minutes, Narke, dragged by the professor, appeared wearing his uniform unlike before. He looked slightly bewildered, but quickly smiled as usual.

Our class professor grabbed his shoulder.

“Student Narke. You must only speak the truth here. Can you swear to it?”

Narke rolled his eyes, looked at me and Leo, then smiled again as he looked at the professor.

“Yes, I swear in the name of Christ. I will never speak falsehoods.”

“…”

The professors sitting there glanced at each other. They probably didn’t expect it to go this far. Neither did I.

‘…It feels different when someone from a clergy family that even produced a Pope says it.’

Even if they don’t know that guy is a cardinal, everyone knows what the Farnese family is famous for.

“Yes, good. Student Narke, you were with Lucas continuously from 8 o’clock after training until midnight, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

He’s boldly lying in the name of Christ.

Of course, if he had answered conscientiously at this point, I would have collapsed from anger.

Professor Vinter interrupted.

“Student. You seem to have become quite close with Lucas?”

“That’s how it became recently.”

“Was there any time when someone went to the bathroom or left their seat? Either Lucas or you, Narke?”

“…”

The eyes of several professors sitting next to him narrowed.

He’s pushing too hard. His attitude suggests he’ll confirm me as the culprit if there’s even a moment’s gap.

But while feeling uncomfortable, they’re not stopping him.

It was natural.

A person who could contact Pleroma within the school.

Who comes to mind first?

The only person getting angry here was my homeroom professor.

“I did go out once… but well. I didn’t hear any sound of Lucas leaving the room and coming back.”

“I see. It might be difficult since it was just a brief moment. Then let’s say there were no incidents from 8 to 12 o’clock.”

As if to ease other professors’ concerns, he stepped back.

“Then what about the time between 6 and 8 o’clock, when Narke couldn’t watch Lucas? What do all the professors here think?”

“…”

Narke glanced at me.

I broke the silence and spoke.

“Professor, don’t you know when that magic was installed?”

Instead of answering, he just shrugged his shoulders.

“Then do you know where that warp magic leads to?”

“After tracking the air movement, it moves to Primrose Pass warp coordinates.”

“…”

I nodded.

This was enough.

It was time for me to step back as well.

Before that, let me ask just one question.

“Do you think Pleroma is connected to Primrose Pass?”

No one would know that though…

I stared intently into his eyes.

“Coordinates can be set anywhere. Especially if it’s a criminal den like Primrose Pass that recently became a big topic, wouldn’t the benefits be great when pretending to be a victim? I’m not saying the student did this, it’s just a hypothesis.”

“…”

I couldn’t sense any trace of acting on his face.

In other words, he doesn’t know what Primrose Pass is connected to.

He’s just extremely rude.

“I understand well. You must think I’m the only person in our school who could collude with Pleroma. I have strange eye color and have lived with an unstable core until now, so I understand why you think that way.”

“Don’t you know what murder case occurred in Anhalt?”

At those words, our class professor shouted angrily.

“Professor Vinter!”

This isn’t a one or two day occurrence.

I said calmly.

“I can tell you for certain. I neither colluded with Pleroma nor committed any crime within the school.”

“I understand, but you should know that you can’t be removed from the list of suspects. Even if you saved Adelbert…”

BANG―!

Several professors jumped in surprise, their shoulders flinching.

I opened my mouth and turned around.

This is a secret meeting that only a few magic department professors know about. Who on earth would enter like this at this time?

“…Now.”

A person who looked flustered as if he had just woken up frantically looked around like crazy.

The professor who had put surveillance on me after receiving Hyung’s letter since the midterm exams of the first semester was standing at the door.

Professor Traut.

“What is happening right now?”

“Professor Traut, we’re in a magic department meeting right now. Please leave.”

The department head professor stood up with a considerably flustered expression and said.

Traut, as if not caring about such things at all, looked at the professors with wide eyes and asked.

“Is Lucas Ascanien being treated as a suspect? Is that right?”

“Professor Traut.”

“I won’t tell anyone what I see here, so please let me stay. If you let me stay here, I’ll tell you how the news leaked from within the school and reached me. Is that acceptable?!”

What is he saying? He looks frantic.

“That’s not allowed by regulations! This is a meeting to be reported to Emperor, so how can you, who hasn’t received permission…”

“Wait.”

Professor Vinter raised his hand.

“I was about to wrap up as well. Even though you belong to the Knight Department, you’re a full professor of ‘Magic’ Swordsmanship, aren’t you? There must be a reason why you came all the way here personally, so let’s first hear why you came.”

“Yes. I came to say this. On what grounds are you framing Lucas Ascanien as the culprit?!”

“…?”

For a moment, my eyes met with Leo’s.

Narke also looked at me with bewildered eyes.

Professor Vinter lost his words in a different sense and stared at him.

“….”

“I heard everything. His Highness the Prince, and Duke Elias nearly went berserk. And today….”

Since official titles were being used in this place that advocates education without status, the professors’ expressions slightly crumpled.

Since they were lower in rank than us, it wasn’t exactly proper behavior in many ways.

“I don’t know what happened today, but are you trying to pin all these incidents on Ascanien? Lucas Ascanien. Have you ever approached Pleroma?”

Before I could answer, Traut gripped my shoulder tightly.

“No matter how wrong your temperament is, whether you consume others’ blood or not, there’s no way to obtain that drug without approaching Pleroma! Isn’t that right?!”

“…Yes, Professor.”

“Have you had contact with Pleroma or not.”

“….”

At his voice, much lower than before, I silently looked into his eyes.

His eyes were bloodshot.

“Of course not. I have never done anything that would threaten the safety of the Imperial 2nd Education Institute and all its citizens.”

Traut let out a big sigh and removed his hand from my shoulder.

Professor Vinter, who had been watching with displeasure, interjected.

“Student Narke. When Student Adelbert went berserk, you weren’t the first discoverer. The first discoverer was Student Lucas. Right?”

“Yes. But when I arrived, Lucas hadn’t even opened the door….”

“Student Lucas Ascanien and Student Narke were coincidentally involved twice.”

“….”

“If you’re innocent, may we ask for proof?”

Narke’s face hardened.

Even a passing dog could tell it wasn’t a request, and it was obvious what method they wanted for proof.

Narke glanced back at me.

Even Leo opened his mouth with an expression wondering what he had just heard.

“Professor.”

“That’s enough! We also had reasons for not using that method, didn’t we.”

Before Leo could express all his concerns, another professor shouted at him.

Narke said calmly.

“Professor. The reason you didn’t interrogate all the faculty this way…. Isn’t it because there are many problems with the school officially using an underage student’s abilities? Of course, that’s the surface reason.”

Narke continued.

“You’re concerned about me extracting information from the professors’ minds, but using abilities on a student is acceptable?”

“That’s why it’s only a request.”

“You didn’t ask for Lucas’s opinion. Isn’t this beyond your area to request, Professor?”

“No, do it.”

Narke turned to look at me with surprised eyes.

‘It’s okay.’

Having to prove I’m not a criminal when I’m the victim is pretty annoying, but it doesn’t matter.

Actually, this is what I wanted.

Traut, who was still standing there dazedly as if missing a screw somewhere, looked at me and coaxed.

“Student Lucas. It must be the truth.”

“He says it’s fine. If you’re innocent, it would be better for the student to quickly get proven and end this.”

“…”

Narke’s face had an unreadable smile.

‘He’s angry.’

It’s not easy for someone from a noble family to listen to orders like this and that.

Thinking that, Narke slowly approached me and muttered.

“…It’s not that.”

“What is it.”

“Since it’s the first time, I’ll start small and gradually increase.”

Narke didn’t answer my question and said what he wanted to say. He hesitated then placed his hand on my forehead and spoke.

―Enter through the narrow gate.

Suddenly my vision became rapidly blurred.

I felt like drowsiness was pouring over me. No, more precisely, it felt similar to the drug I was hit with at Primrose Pass. I had to make a crazy effort to control my reaction.

Suddenly surprise flashed in Narke’s eyes.

He cleared his throat and chanted the spell again.

―Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate that leads to destruction is wide and broad is the path, and many are those who enter through it….

―….

Suddenly I couldn’t hear any sound. All my senses shut off simultaneously, leaving no time to feel strange about it.

After that, I opened my eyes again when Narke’s divine power touched my core.

Narke was holding my head in the same position he had been standing before.

[Professor. Is this enough now?]

[….]

The professor nodded with a displeased face.

[Let’s send him to the hospital. For now, understood. If he’s innocent even after using divine power, we can’t say anything more.]

The faces of the professors sitting around were pale, unlike before.

One professor frowned and said.

[Professor, after pushing him excessively, now you say ‘for now understood’…! Shouldn’t an apology come first!]

[Didn’t all of you suspect that student before? When that student wasn’t here, you speculated and tore him apart, and now…!]

While they were arguing, I slowly closed and opened my eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, it wasn’t the meeting room.

‘…Hm? What.’

What’s with this bewildering scene transition?

In the dark room’s ceiling, dawn light was coming in from outside. Narke suddenly stuck his face close.

“Are you awake?”

Only then did I realize where this was.

It was the school infirmary.

“What, why did we come to the hospital.”

“Lucas.”

“How did you answer?”

I wasn’t concerned about fear or curiosity about experiencing mental manipulation magic for the first time.

Just in case, what if I said something nonsensical or ambiguous?

“No, your answers were fine. But suddenly your breathing became really fast~ I was surprised.”

They were fine?

Then that’s good.

I shifted my gaze to the person next to him.

Leo was sitting with his arms crossed, silently watching me.

Narke whispered in my ear.

“Lucas, did something really happen earlier?”

“….”

When I didn’t answer, Narke smiled refreshingly and whispered.

“If it’s a burden, never mind! Still, you got better after getting a sedative and sleeping, right?”

“Yeah. But why is he here?”

“I’m the class president. Is there a problem?”

Leo answered bluntly and then went back to silently watching me without saying anything.

I gave up on communicating and reviewed what had happened earlier. When there was no conversation, Narke spoke up.

“Everyone’s hostility is tremendous. Since it’s the first time Hohenzollern has been attacked, everyone must be very sensitive. Though that doesn’t mean it’s okay to corner someone like this….”

“It’s fine, I expected it. This is normal.”

The criminal must have deliberately chosen me to hide the real culprit.

The fact that they thought to create a fake criminal shows they’re an opponent worth facing.

At those words, Leo spoke with a cold expression.

“It’s not normal, it’s the correct answer by calculation, Lucas.”

“Right.”

How sharp. He figured it out right away without me even saying everything.

More than that, after what happened earlier, I don’t want to have a long conversation with Leo.

Narke spoke up with good timing, smiling.

“Still, our class professor said he’s going to refer that professor to the faculty disciplinary committee. Right after he regained consciousness, his breathing became rapid, so the professor thought it was due to the stress of being interrogated when you weren’t even the culprit. He seems to be planning to submit that as evidence.”

I was going to ask how it would work when they’re all the same type of people, but it turned out this way. Anyway, it worked out well.

“More importantly, what about Traut?”

“….”

“When did he assign surveillance, when did he give orders to lock the laboratory door, so why did he suddenly take my side?”

It seemed Narke and Leo also found this strange.

Their expressions were also complicated.

However, Leo quickly organized his thoughts and spoke.

“Go find out today.”

Before I could ask what he meant, Leo took out two letters from his chest and handed them to me.

“His Majesty the Emperor is calling for you.”

* * *

The news that double warp magic had been cast on the Imperial 2nd Education Institute dormitory quickly reached the Emperor’s ears as soon as it was 6 AM.

And his choice matched my prediction.

‘To think I’d live to see myself in this form….’

Who would have thought I’d openly set foot here in Nicolaus’s appearance.

From outside the carriage, the imperial coachman shouted loudly.

[We have arrived!]

I raised the carriage window. The familiar building came into view.

It was the Imperial 2nd Education Institute.

Following the Police Bureau, I was about to conduct a full investigation of our school’s politicians for the second time.

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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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