How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 232

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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 (232)

Mathieu Aubigny.

Being a new human as well, he appeared to be somewhere between his twenties and thirties. His features were round and kind-looking. If not for what he said immediately upon arriving in the Empire, his image wouldn’t have been too bad.

He smiled and extended his hand.

“I’m truly delighted to meet someone I’ve only heard about in rumors. I’m Mathieu Aubigny.”

“Pleased to meet you, Your Excellency Aubigny.”

I nodded and shook his hand.

“I’ve heard many stories from France. I heard you ranked first in the 101st Imperial Selection Examination.”

It wasn’t that kind of exam, and the Crown Prince had just arbitrarily inserted me through an irregular selection later, but I wouldn’t bother correcting him. The Imperial Court was already doing image management the way he described anyway.

“The story reached that far.”

“Of course! We’re neighboring countries, aren’t we. It’s refreshing to meet someone so outstanding that they were selected as top of their class.”

“Not at all.”

I raised my eyebrows and smiled in response, trying to wrap up the conversation appropriately. Now I just needed to give some moderate praise about Mathieu Aubigny’s achievements and say I had to go find my team members, and it would be over.

But he smiled brightly and opened his mouth before I could say anything.

“I saw the video of the exam you took.”

“Ah, the video.”

I almost bit my lip but managed my expression.

‘He didn’t just hear about it but saw the video?’

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

Did the video of us running around Berlin like madmen cross the border? Since it’s customary for nobles not to run, it wasn’t exactly a dignified sight.

Of course, that much could be overlooked as acceptable. The foreign nobles who saw the video were people who had undergone countless such training sessions and exams themselves.

But I hadn’t just ended with earnest running. To a third party, I probably looked almost like a lunatic on Line 1. I don’t particularly want to recall why.

If they had considered the dignity of individual members, the school absolutely shouldn’t have done such a thing.

‘Makes me want to go home.’

“To think of sacrificing one sense to counter a mage with psychic-type unique abilities – I was truly impressed. I know that the German Empire’s Royal Mage Association operates each unit like special forces, and while Eschete’s position hasn’t been determined yet, I could deeply feel why Your Excellency was recruited as first priority by the Imperial Court at such a young age.”

“I see. I’m pleased that Your Excellency has taken such interest in me and spoken so kindly. Actually, before coming here, I read several papers you’ve published, and there was much interesting content, so I was hoping to have a brief discussion.”

“Oh.”

Now I should praise him appropriately and send him away.

While I picked up a champagne glass from a passing waiter’s tray, Mathieu’s gaze stuck to me with interest.

“I didn’t have time to read many, but among them, the mana-element binding experiment using thermodynamics left a deep impression.”

“Ah, you mean alchemy! Analysis of mana-element binding systems based on thermodynamic principles. That’s a paper I published this year.”

“That’s right. To establish an academic framework for alchemy, above all else, we must first find concrete methods to suppress and reverse entropy increase, but with nothing clarified except the discovery that clear exceptions to the second law of thermodynamics occur, you mentioned it was uncertain whether this could be achieved. You even considered methods for ultimately converting mana into elements.”

“Exactly. In the end, that would distance us from traditional alchemy, but it wouldn’t be a bad achievement, would it? May I ask what impressed you most?”

“The conclusion that clinical experiments targeting mages with unique abilities optimized for alchemy are inevitable was most impressive.”

Since he would obviously ask about preferences regarding human experimentation next, I took a sip of champagne and immediately continued.

“Though this field still has a long way to go, I confirmed through Your Excellency’s paper that the direction is being clearly organized.”

“Oh, actually, when I publish such seemingly obvious research results, many in the public point fingers.”

“From the perspective of the non-academic public, it might seem that way. It sounds like spending expensive research funds to solemnly declare what was already known through speculation.”

“Hmm.”

Mathieu smiled and nodded.

“But at least academia shouldn’t pander to public popularity. No matter how certain something seems, if it’s in the realm of inference, we can’t pass it by without verification. Running on a cleanly organized road is different from running on a path with stone fragments scattered everywhere, isn’t it?”

“Your Excellency could quickly make a name as a professor. I very much like that analogy.”

He seemed to be someone who spoke in exaggerated expressions, as I’d noticed from earlier.

I smiled to conclude the conversation. The moment I picked up a canapé topped with a cherry, Mathieu, who had been watching me intently, opened his mouth.

“For both heirs of Ascanien to enter the Imperial Court before even reaching adulthood – truly the bloodline of a distinguished family is different. Such stories are circulating frequently in Paris’s mage clubs these days. Even the dean of our Académie Puissance said that if Your Excellency Ascanien had been a subject of the French Empire, he would have recruited you immediately.”

Académie Puissance is what they call the French Empire’s Imperial Academy.

Literally translated, it means Academy of Power, and these people also regard magic as divine authority granted to humans by God.

I responded with a smile and eye contact, and seeing that he didn’t seem inclined to leave easily, I offered a farewell greeting.

“That’s an honor. It was a good conversation. I hope we’ll have another opportunity to talk.”

“Indeed. I personally truly support you. How delightful to understand in this short time the intentions of Emperor Friedrich His Majesty who chose you and our academy’s dean.”

When I just looked at him without answering, he continued.

“I was secretly feeling ambiguous about the Imperial Court’s choice, but I’ve come to realize that was truly just my prejudice. I apologize. Since our members are still immature and may easily reveal prejudices, I’ll make efforts to discipline them.”

Mathieu shook hands with me once more and smiled. Then, as if something occurred to him, he turned back and looked at me again, raising his eyebrows.

He snapped his fingers and smiled.

“Your eye color is as wonderful as I imagined.”

* * *

Eye color.

I’ve been hearing about my eyes frequently lately.

‘That makes sense. Actually, it’s natural.’

Until now, I’d been living quietly like a dead mouse, so there was no occasion for eye color to become a topic of conversation.

At most, it was gossip like ‘Why are that Ascanien’s eyes like that, are they really pink, if so then Pleroma is certain,’ but few people said such things directly to me.

But now it’s different.

The more I move around, the more people become conscious of my eye color again.

This could be seen as a slightly negative consequence of openly revealing the abilities of the Lucas Ascanien identity.

‘Hmm.’

However, bringing up my eyes wasn’t with such pure intentions.

Simply out of curiosity? That might be half the reason, but the other half isn’t.

Reddish eyes are accepted as a sign of Pleroma. Considering that he’s a noble, by bringing up eye color, Mathieu was talking about my Pleroma nature.

‘Though he wasn’t insulting me.’

I couldn’t sense any personal malice toward me from him.

Judging from what he said just before, he meant I should know that all the delegation members recognize me as Pleroma.

‘Earlier I definitely thought that those bastards mocking the Empire wasn’t my concern.’

Now it is my concern.

Not because they’re Pleroma or related to them. They don’t particularly seem that way, and if such signs had been detected, Narke would have said something immediately.

Then why is it my concern?

Those foreigners regard me as a symbol of the Empire’s inadequacy.

The Empire has appointed Pleroma as Royal Mages – how ridiculous must this sound to those who know nothing?

‘Now I understand why they brought up such talk after entering through the portal.’

No nation on the continent welcomes our Empire. Because this place is the birthplace of the Pleroma cult.

In the troublesome situation where Pleroma cross national borders to invade various countries, the Imperial Court of the problem nation appointed someone with Pleroma suspicions as their top recruit, so they wouldn’t view it favorably.

Is that the end? Not knowing their place – having neither the intention nor ability to solve fundamental problems while wanting to exert supranational influence – they would have found it even more detestable and ridiculous that we held Penthalon. The Grand Hotel incident probably added fuel to that fire.

In short, from foreign perspectives, a situation like ‘Does that country have a brain?’ unfolded.

Since I also think the Emperor and Crown Prince were hasty in various ways, I have no intention of correcting that perception.

I drank champagne while looking around.

In the distance, I could see my friends surrounded by people.

Leo and Julia were busy. Already hidden by the crowd, their figures were barely visible. To accommodate conversation requests from Imperial nobles and French nobles, ten bodies wouldn’t be enough.

Haike and Ulrike were diligently picking at snacks beside the banquet table. Being from Prussian landowner families – that is, Junker families – the two would normally receive much attention at ordinary banquets, but here with ruling family nobles present, they could be relatively free.

Fortunately, being high school students uninterested in advancement, they didn’t seem to find this regrettable.

Ulrike, who had been standing with a more serious face than usual for a banquet hall with one hand thrust in her pocket, opened her mouth.

“Do we have to deploy after this ends?”

“That’s right.”

“After evening security duty ends, Narke and I and Julia planned to play board games together. Want to join?”

‘Were they having such conversations with serious faces?’

The conversation I heard as soon as I approached to join their discussion was this kind of talk. While I was slightly flustered, someone suddenly called me from behind.

“Your Excellency Lucas Ascanien.”

French.

Turning around, I saw a new human with an unremarkable, ordinary appearance. As expected, he was a mage from Académie Puissance’s representative team.

‘Antonie Gramont.’

According to prior research, that was his name, and he’s an 18-year-old senior division top mage. Unlike Mathieu, he spoke purely in French.

“I’ve heard much about you. Congratulations on ranking first in selection.”

“Thank you. You’re Antonie Gramont, right?”

“Ah, you know me.”

“Of course I do.”

“It’s an honor. But… your eye color really stands out, just as I heard.”

“….”

Now whenever I hear this, it sounds like they’re asking for a fight.

Unless they’re completely oblivious, they’d be somewhat right. I answered with a smile.

“I know.”

Gramont just blinked with a smiling face. Whether he thought I wouldn’t be able to answer properly, or he didn’t have anything to follow up with after throwing that out there.

He narrowed his eyes, then asked with a mischievous smile.

“Is there magic cast on your eyes?”

“I don’t know about that either.”

“But they’re your own eyes? There are no other pink eyes in Ascanien?”

‘Hmm.’

Mathieu Aubigny, perhaps because of his age, had no major issues with communication, but this one is different.

Unlike Leo or Narke who act beyond their years in public, this guy acts exactly his age in public. I’m not originally that old myself, so I don’t intend to criticize based on age, and being young doesn’t mean being completely immature, but unlike other nobles, he clearly doesn’t know how to cleverly mix malice into his words.

‘So this is why Mathieu Aubigny said he’d keep them in check.’

But what can he do when they come straight here without time to control them.

If I were the same age, I would have gotten angry, but it was just funny and made me laugh.

“That’s right. Do you have any good ideas about the cause of my iris color?”

Instead of answering, he gave a meaningful smile and shrugged his shoulders.

“I just wanted to say it’s unique and cool. Does your magic also come out pink?”

“All red-based colors come out. You must not have watched the test footage.”

“Not everyone has to watch that footage, right? Haha, I’m curious, so if you could show me later, it would be a tremendous honor.”

‘Not everyone has to watch that footage’—he’s getting a bit worked up on his own and saying things he doesn’t need to say.

‘I guess it’s not wrong that my story keeps coming up in France too.’

He seems to not understand why I’m receiving public attention. It’s a bit different, but he seems like the same type as Philip.

“I’ll consider it if there’s an opportunity.”

When I answered with a smile, he seemed to immediately realize that I wouldn’t show him my magic.

“I heard you’re first place. I’m also first place in the advanced division, so it’s nice to meet someone in the same situation. Since we’ve met like this, could I ask for a sparring match later?”

“So you’re first place.”

At my words, the muscles around his mouth stiffened slightly.

The way to handle guys like this wasn’t too difficult. I stared at him intently and then smiled coldly.

“I figured as much, seeing that you were selected to come here. Please rest comfortably.”

I said that and turned around to leave.

It’s better not to create unnecessary trouble.

What Captain Mathieu Aubigny said earlier about ‘keeping them in check’ was all because of guys like this. That captain seemed to have grievances against the Empire, but didn’t appear to intend to mess with me, probably because the age difference is significant and he doesn’t see me as someone to compare himself to.

Just negative doubts about why the Imperial Court would employ a Pleroma student when they should be busy dealing with Pleroma.

But if they’re the same age, it’s different. Instead of stopping at reasonable doubts, personal emotions easily get mixed in.

‘Why does he alone consider me a competitor.’

In a situation where Pleroma is running rampant like this, there’s nothing good about acting up like that.

I understand that overseas they hate our country for viewing it as a hotbed of Pleroma—that’s the Emperor’s karma and none of my business—but if they’re going to show their contempt, it would be better to be a bit more cautious in their actions.

After eating and drinking moderately at the reception, we were able to go outside at 3 PM.

Now everyone has free time.

Both the Academy of Puissance representative team and us can freely do what we want, and we just need to personally guide them to their accommodations and provide security at 7 PM in the evening.

As soon as we warped to our team’s lounge at the Military Unit Headquarters with help from friends, Elias, who had been walking fine the whole time, started swaying and clinging to me.

“Luca.”

“What.”

“Walk for me instead. Wow, seriously, how many hours did they make us stand this morning. And we have to do this again tomorrow.”

“Walk properly.”

When I pushed him away and scolded him, Elias said with a laugh.

“Ah~ Luca was super kind when I hurt my leg.”

“You’re not saying you’ll go get hurt again, are you?”

“No way. That won’t do. It’s a leg you protected~ But more than that…”

Elias whispered.

“You saw those guys today.”

I knew what he was talking about.

“I saw them.”

“When did we hire mercenaries~? Why are people with no real combat experience acting like that?”

The opposing representative team probably didn’t openly show their character to Elias, but he must have subtly felt their condescending view of the Empire in their words.

I shrugged and answered.

“Tell me about it. But England will probably be like that too.”

At least it’s fortunate they’re not guys related to Pleroma.

Just as I was thinking that and dropped Elias on the sofa and sat next to him, someone knocked on the door of the lounge we were in.

“Yes, please come in.”

One of the school’s military unit employees opened the door and entered.

After entering, he looked around. He seemed to be looking for someone, and when he saw me, his expression changed.

“Ah, Lucas Ascanien.”

When my name was called, everyone in the lounge turned their attention to me. The conversation sounds grew quieter.

“The French representative team asked if you could give them a city tour starting at 4 o’clock. Would that be alright with you?”

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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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