How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 184
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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 (184)
I didn’t answer, but he seemed to interpret my expression and smiled weakly.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know? At school, you walk around when everyone else warps, and when you need to warp, you send us away and only keep Narke with you—how could I not know? Narke probably helps you with your warping. Why would you, who was warping around everywhere without a care just three days ago, suddenly have to do that?”
“…”
“There’s no way you’d develop trauma about warping when nothing happened. You probably became sensitive right after falling into that trap. It wasn’t just detecting strange currents in front of the door, but actually falling into it and… experiencing something, so you wouldn’t want to warp alone anymore.”
I quietly fell into thought before opening my mouth.
“Why you?”
If someone had to know that I possessed something different from others, it should have been Narke, not Leo.
But how did Leo figure out something that even Narke didn’t know when his insight ability wasn’t working?
Leo fell silent at my words, then smiled faintly.
“That hurts.”
“…Sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Why the other friends don’t know and only I do—I don’t know that either. I’m confused right now too. While I’m with you, information from different times keeps flooding into me, and I can barely handle accepting it all. Still, if I were to mention a similar case I know of…”
Leo said, stroking his chin.
“Lucas, I have talent in magical medicine.”
“…? Yeah…”
“…No, I’m not trying to show off… Listen to the end.”
Leo cleared his throat and continued.
“Having talent in magical medicine means my mana has low aggression. Most mana has aggression as its basic characteristic, so just touching other mana causes noticeable changes. But I’m different. I have a constitution that’s completely disadvantageous for combat magic. If I’m not conscious of it, my mana half-seeps into the opponent’s mana instead of fully attacking them.”
I know.
It’s perhaps a power similar to divine power, but it’s an ability that Leo in the novel cursed his entire life.
“But that’s as far as it goes. I said it ‘half’ seeps in. No matter how suitable my constitution is for magical medicine, if I don’t work painfully hard, my healing magic will partially attack the target. Lucas, have you ever seen me use healing magic on other people?”
“Now that I think about it… no.”
“That’s right. I had no intention of using it on people until my skills became perfect. The first time was when I used it to assist you in the Catacombs. But then you didn’t feel any rejection to my imperfect healing magic. Right?”
That’s right. I didn’t answer, but Leo already knew well and continued speaking.
“Moreover, that was before I formally learned magical medicine. Even now that I’m learning it, when I use my ability on the human most similar to me—my mother—the healing magic doesn’t work completely. So how can my mana have an effect similar to divine power on you?”
“…Right. There must be a reason.”
“I don’t know what that reason is, but I think it’s related to this. Between me knowing about your ability that even Narke’s power can’t access, and my healing magic that even attacks my mother working completely on you… There must be some connection.”
Leo pondered before opening his mouth.
“Lucas. How old were you when you first met me?”
“…Hmm. I was 6. To be exact, it was after my birthday, so I was 7. You were 6.”
Strictly speaking, that wasn’t me but…
If I had to separate it, I first met him last year.
“Is that right?”
“Of course. When else did we meet before that? Even if we did, it was brief. You had exchanges with Prussia and Baden from childhood, but you never really had exchanges with Anhalt.”
“…Well, that’s true. Never mind then. I was just asking just in case.”
After that, the topic naturally ended, and no one brought up anything else.
Only the sound of sparks from the fireplace could be heard.
Soon Leo seemed to remember something and made a threat that wasn’t quite a threat, smiling.
“Lucas. From now on, turning back time won’t work.”
“…I know…”
He must be talking about the promise.
Since the topic came up, I asked something I’d been curious about.
“Leo. Do you remember our entire conversation from earlier?”
“Yeah.”
“…”
Then he remembers not just the conversation but everything he saw.
He shouldn’t have seen it directly, but I left a bad memory for someone who isn’t even fully grown yet. Even I get overlapping visions of that scene every time I look at my hands. No matter how much it was something someone else experienced rather than himself, he couldn’t have been unshocked after seeing that blood-soaked room.
I changed the subject before he could think deeper about it.
“Come to think of it, what time is it now?”
“It’s 12 o’clock now.”
“…Wait. This isn’t school. What about your roll call? Why are you here?”
“I got permission and came to do your roll call. Narke got permission too since he can use divine power.”
“…?”
Leo smiled gently as he would to his school friends.
“Lucas.”
“…”
“From now on, you’ll have to commute from this building.”
Here? Commute?
There are plenty of decent dormitories scattered throughout the campus that’s the size of two neighborhoods, so why would I commute?
And now I notice the room is completely Bavarian style. Everywhere I look there are navy blue items with lion decorations. Don’t tell me I’m supposed to take the train back and forth to Bavaria?
“…Where is this, you bastard… A 16-hour round trip daily is ridiculous, so just tell me properly all at once.”
“It’s Berlin. There’s land we bought. It’s a manor the Bavarian Royal Family used whenever they visited the capital… The school is uncomfortable about putting you back in the dormitory in case problems arise again, so they’re looking for somewhere to pass the responsibility.”
“So you took it on?”
“Of course. I’m the class president.”
“…”
That damn class president title has been milked for a very long time.
He’s wearing such an innocent smile that it’s awkward to punch him, and it seems like a decision he made after thinking it through, so it’s hard to say anything.
“You won’t be able to move around on foot. Narke and I agreed to warp you morning and evening, so don’t worry about commuting.”
“I can’t go out on foot? Stop deciding things on your own…”
“If you’re going to walk out, it would be safer to stay in the dormitory. There are seven layers of barriers and only three people in this building including the servant. The space itself will be much safer than school, so it’s a good thing, right?”
Who decided to control even my going out?
But he’s right. Since I’ve completely left the school, walking out would indeed be more dangerous. Unless I want to cause trouble for Bavaria by spreading news of the Anhalt second son’s accident… I need to be careful.
I just smiled and looked at him. Leo spoke calmly as if he expected me to react this way.
“So, you said you’d keep your promise.”
“…”
“Well… to be honest, I prepared for this beforehand. I didn’t think you’d keep promises that well either. No matter what, I didn’t expect you to abandon yourself to that extent though.”
Even after saying that, when I let out a hollow laugh, Leo shrugged and said.
“Oh, by the way, all the school dormitories have changed to a four-person-per-room system now. Single rooms are hard to monitor immediately when problems arise… and they’re easy targets for crime too.”
“…!”
Not two people but four?
Four people sharing one room? Does this make sense?
Then that changes things.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Leo answered with a grin.
I let out a hollow laugh and leaned against the headboard.
“Still, going this far? Anhalt has buildings in Berlin too, so why support from Bavaria? I understand you abused… no, utilized your class president position, but you’re not Nicolaus, so openly helping Lucas is a bit much.”
“…”
Leo smiled meaningfully and turned his gaze away.
I just gave up on the conversation and shook my head.
I don’t know.
Anyway, using an entire building by myself is beneficial for me. If Elias and Narke had pulled this stunt, I wouldn’t know, but if it’s Leo, he must have his reasons.
‘Or not. Maybe not?’
Isn’t this a second handshake incident?
I thought that far and just decided to empty my head.
Still, this much is clean. When I asked what would happen if I couldn’t keep my promise and he asked back ‘what do you think would happen,’ I was slightly puzzled, but fortunately.
“Lucas. I asked what you thought would happen back then.”
“…”
It’s not over?
Leo picked up a small box that had been on top of the document pile and stood up from his seat.
That smile felt somehow eerie for some reason.
“Come out for a moment.”
* * *
“Are you seriously saying His Majesty the King didn’t scold you?”
I entered the garden within the manor grounds and muttered while looking around inside it.
Moonlight passed through the transparent glass ceiling, illuminating the garden’s plants with soft, dim light. The contrast between moonlight and shadows was like viewing a tranquil painting. The sound of water coming from somewhere in the garden made the silence feel even deeper.
It was a place that felt like time had stopped.
‘How does one person use this space alone?’
“It’s under my name.”
“….”
Why do I get stumped like this every time he says something?
Right. Since he’s the King’s only child, he can already own buildings… And it’s the second most powerful nation in the Empire, so what use would it be if the Crown Prince had nothing?
‘Still, Luca doesn’t have anything yet, so I’m envious?’
Right now when what’s under Luca’s name is essentially under mine, it’s a bit disappointing.
Since I’m pouring the money I earned as Nicolaus back into Bavaria’s treasury, I don’t particularly have any buildings I’ve bought. But seeing this makes me think I should buy a manor in Berlin once Pleroma’s madness ends and less budget is needed.
‘Would it be okay to purchase this building?’
Probably not. They’d hardly sell it when the royal family uses it.
Leo walked familiarly toward the inner part of the garden as if he’d been here often, saying:
“Still, I’ll probably get scolded. But if I say I lent it to Nicolaus, Mother won’t say anything either. His Majesty likes Nicolaus more than his own child.”
Is he… being sarcastic about me monopolizing his mother’s love right now?
Of course it’s not to that extent, but it’s true that His Majesty the King gratefully tries to accommodate me. That’s why he handed over the positions of Special Minister and Crisis Response Director to me.
The fact that Nicolaus’s position is becoming increasingly solid not just in Bavaria but throughout the Empire is largely due to that person’s help.
Leo stopped somewhere and shot magic power toward the garden’s ceiling.
There was an artifact hanging above that converted magic power into light. Only now could I see the white wooden table and chairs.
Leo sat in a chair and said:
“Your core feels lighter since coming here, right?”
“Yeah.”
“All the plants here were made with our family’s magic power.”
Magical medicine requires life force, and most of Wittelsbach’s magic power and unique abilities are related to life force.
That’s what’s known publicly. Leo also has the ability to freely draw out and return plant life force.
“Even so, not everyone has unique abilities related to life force. Your share here must be quite large.”
“Right. Anyway… since this is a space with Wittelsbach magic cast on it, if we’re looking for a space to heal, this place is the best compared to the room you were lying in earlier. I also came here because I need this space’s life force.”
I see. I leaned against the backrest and took a breath.
My pulse, which had been fast since turning back time, began to slowly slow down.
How comfortable.
It’s been a while since I had this kind of rest. Starting tomorrow I have to get the Professor out of prosecution custody, and the third exam is coming up soon, so I don’t know when I’ll be able to rest again. I should savor this moment.
Right now, if there’s one thing bothering me, it’s not knowing what Antagonist will demand as compensation for breaking his promise after the commuting issue.
‘If it’s something absurd… no matter what, it would be a bit much to agree to. Separate from feeling sorry for not keeping the promise.’
Of course, it would be hard to find another topic as shocking as suddenly losing the dormitory and having to commute overnight. Even though escaping the four-person room ultimately turned out to be beneficial, the absurdity was still absurd, so I’ve already built up immunity.
I finished preparing myself mentally and opened my mouth.
“Why did you come here? Needing this space’s life force probably doesn’t just mean resting for you.”
“Mm, you’re accurate as always, Lucas.”
Leo smiled faintly and adjusted his posture more comfortably.
“Before in the Catacombs, you cast magic on Senior Richthofen’s and the Speaker’s cores.”
“…I did.”
I could tell right away.
He’s talking about subjugation magic.
Of course, since it was magic I modified and created, it wasn’t known by that name.
But the name isn’t what’s important. That magic overlays my magic power on the opponent’s core, making it possible to attack their core at any time.
Antagonist must have figured out what effect appeared on them by watching Richthofen and the Speaker’s reactions.
In short, this bastard is trying to bind my core with magic power. He doesn’t think I’ll stay within this manor.
I smiled and lowered my voice.
“Is it because you’re a model student that you’re trying to get permission for this directly? In case you don’t know, let me tell you – that kind of threatening magic should be used as a surprise attack, Leo.”
“Haha…”
“And that magic can only be cast with divine power, so how are you planning to do it? Just trust me. It’s not like I go looking for danger.”
Leo tilted his head at those words.
“I’ve trusted you all along since last year, Lucas.”
“….”
“Right. It can only be cast with divine power. Magic power would disperse too easily. Besides, it would be meaningless for someone of lower rank than you to cast it.”
He knows well.
But there must be a reason why Antagonist is being so carefree.
As I was thinking that and observing him with my arms crossed, he opened the box he’d brought and thrust it in front of me.
“You asked how I’d do it when I can’t even use divine power.”
“….”
“It’s possible with just your consent.”
I froze upon seeing the box Antagonist held out to me.
Silence flowed.
Like before, Leo smiled with that characteristic smile he only showed to school friends and said:
“Lucas, shall we pierce your ears?”
“….”
I pressed my forehead.
As if understanding the meaning of my action, Leo maintained his gentle tone while pointing to my wrist and neck.
“You’re probably the only one in the entire school using those kinds of artifacts. It should be fine to gradually move to the position you originally wanted.”
Right.
It was something I’d thought about when I first came here too.
Early mages cut their skin to insert chip-shaped artifacts and then sutured the flesh back together to become stronger. It seems somewhat—in my opinion, very—insane, but I understand since artifacts here work better the closer they are to blood.
However, since mages are also human, they wanted to find methods with less resistance while still being able to utilize 100% of an artifact’s effects.
‘Their greed is disgustingly extensive.’
What mages chose was ears.
There was precedent worldwide of using them for accessories for thousands of years, so there was at least less resistance than artifact suturing surgery.
Even Leo has pierced ears with artifacts in them, so there’s no need to say more about how widespread this culture is. He’s really right that I’m the only one among all students still wearing artifacts like watches.
So when I first came here, I considered piercing my ears but chose necklaces and watches instead since it would be an easily noticed spot for Hyung to catch.
‘So this is why he came all the way here to properly see the artifact’s effects.’
When my thoughts reached that point, I felt that this garden he’d created was completely washing away all my fatigue. There was no escape route to blame tiredness and slip away.
I changed my thinking and raised my head.
“Mm, this accesses my core, I suppose?”
“Right.”
I picked up the box with one hand to examine the artifact. And brought my other hand to the wand at my waist.
What an artifact harvest. Just yesterday by date, Julia also gave me an artifact. The artifact he gave was destroyed when I received baptism in the previous timeline, but thanks to turning back time, it’s now properly above my heart.
By the way, my opinion that ‘threatening magic should be cast as a surprise attack’ hasn’t changed. I’m a bit sorry, but if I were in Leo’s position, I would have just pierced it while he was sleeping.
I closed the lid and pushed it toward Leo.
“Nice technique.”
And immediately drew my wand with my right hand and shouted:
—I can do all things through him who gives me strength!
“…?!”
Leo was flustered for a moment, then grabbed his core with an alarmed face in panic.
I looked down at him, who had opened his mouth and hunched his shoulders from the sudden attack, and let out a light laugh.
“…This is how you do it. Understand? You don’t ask for permission.”
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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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