How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 24

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magic Family (24)

“What?”

Melvin froze with his mouth hanging open.

The faces of Narke and Leo, who already knew my story, became even more serious.

Let me check something here.

This guy was actually a student I checked favorability with when I first came to school. Back then, unsurprisingly, I was able to confirm a rating of -10.

Since what I’m saying now isn’t easy to convince someone of, I need to see if the persuasiveness trait is being applied.

Melvin Klockner

Favorability –8*

Title: Synonym of Diligence

Stamina: +4

Mental Power: -1.5

Magic Power: +4.5

Skill: +4.5

Impression: +5

Luck: +1

Trait: Trust (Lv.3)

‘It worked.’

Even though nothing happened that would cause favorability to change, it went up exactly 2 points from -10 to -8. Similarly, seeing the * that wasn’t there before, it seems the trait has been applied.

There’s a high possibility that persuasiveness is also working properly.

I leaned toward Melvin and asked in a forceful voice.

“Melvin, what was I like that you’ve known until now? Wasn’t I someone who covered his face with disheveled hair, couldn’t answer anything when asked and just mumbled? Someone who walked around powerlessly, shut up in the dormitory day and night.”

“What? You know yourself pretty well.”

I ignored Leo’s comment and waited for Melvin’s answer.

“That, that was true… You couldn’t use magic at all either.”

“Right, what about now?”

“…You seem like a different person. In many ways.”

“What do you think is the reason for that change?”

I smiled faintly and stared intently into Melvin’s eyes.

Melvin, at a loss for words, just blinked his eyes, then moved his mouth with a troubled expression.

“Then, are you saying you’ve been acting for the past year? Right?”

“Well, it’s complicated. But…”

I immediately continued.

“There’s one reason I revealed my change after becoming a second-year. It’s about time to put my plan into action.”

“…”

Other students attended the 3rd Education Institute, equivalent to elementary and middle school, but this place is Luca’s first.

There’s no data to judge me by except for the past year.

It would have been troublesome if they knew I’d been living like last year since I was very young, but since that’s not the case, it’s worth trying.

Melvin nodded with a still confused expression.

“…Right, I don’t know the details, but you’re saying you deliberately lived that way. You said earlier that the Pleroma rumor was a false rumor you created. It’s related to how you acted last year, right?”

I silently waited for Melvin’s words to continue. Even without answering, Melvin kept opening and closing his mouth, thinking of what to say.

“It’s true that you changed like a different person. Honestly, I had no idea you could answer the Professor so properly. I didn’t know you could raise your grades enough to get into the special class, and I didn’t know you wouldn’t be intimidated by Philip and his gang even after getting beaten up. Mentally, I mean.”

Philip… that’s the guy who hit me last month.

I nodded and listened to Melvin’s words.

“Everyone probably thinks the same as me. When your story comes up among friends sometimes, we always talk about how you changed to become like a different person. If what you’re saying is really true… everything fits together.”

I listened to Melvin’s words without reaction.

Melvin, who had been frowning and shifting his gaze here and there, hesitantly looked at me.

“But there’s still something hard to understand. Why did you spread the rumor about being Pleroma? There’s no benefit at all. I don’t understand it at all…”

At those words, I smiled.

Now for the main point.

“Melvin, I’m going to eliminate Pleroma from this world.”

“Uh, uhm… Right. That’s a good idea… so?”

“As you’d know, for the past 12 years, even the Imperial Court hasn’t been able to properly deal with Pleroma. Their unpredictable movement patterns and irregular timing of actions play a part. The same goes for the special magic they use. To understand all of this, we need to directly grasp the essence that no one else can catch.”

I paused for a beat to give time for speculation and continued.

“I’m going to maintain this act and make contact with Pleroma, Melvin.”

Melvin’s eyes widened.

His expression showed he doubted what he had heard.

Leo, who had been standing behind Melvin the whole time, spoke quietly.

“As I said earlier, this is why Lucas is here.”

Melvin’s face showed another shock at Leo’s words. It was even more so because it was Leo, of all people, saying it.

Melvin frowned and looked back and forth between me and the surroundings, then opened his mouth and cast his eyes down. He seemed to need time to think alone. If until now he had been unable to collect himself from a series of incomprehensible stories, now that all the stories were out, it was time to organize his thoughts.

After a long silence, I spoke.

“I should also explain why I haven’t been captured by the Imperial Court. The Imperial Court officially declared long ago that I’m not Pleroma. Remember?”

“I know, I heard about it when I was young.”

“But why do you think I’m Pleroma? Why don’t you accept the Imperial Court’s announcement? It’s not just you, but the entire nation. Why is that?”

Melvin seemed at a loss for words and just tilted his head.

I gave Melvin plenty of time to think before speaking.

“Shall I change the question? Pleroma consists largely of two groups. 1st generation and 2nd generation. Which one am I considered to be?”

1st generation refers to the naturally occurring original Pleroma, and 2nd generation refers to the corpses they revived and believers with deep loyalty to Pleroma’s doctrine.

Melvin answered this question without delay.

“1st generation.”

“Right. The Imperial Court verified that I’m alive and don’t subscribe to Pleroma’s doctrine. I don’t meet the qualification requirements as 2nd generation. Yet people still avoid me because I was born with 1st generation qualities. More precisely, because such rumors have spread. Right?”

“That’s right.”

“But if the Imperial Court had discovered such qualities in me, they would have captured me immediately regardless of my faith, wouldn’t they? So why am I here instead of being captured?”

In reality, this was also glossed over through the family’s own investigation and a pact with the Imperial Court.

But people know it differently.

“That’s because your core grade is… the lowest. Wait, hold on! You can’t use magic but you’re going to infiltrate Pleroma?!”

“When did I say I can’t use it?”

“Huh?”

Melvin looked at me with a dazed expression.

Boom―!

When I took out my wand and lightly tapped the desk, a gust of wind arose. Pure white light that spread with the magic activation stung both eyes.

“Ugh!”

Melvin covered his face with both arms against the fierce wind.

Then, with his mouth open, he slowly raised his head.

“…What? What was that just now?”

Then he saw the white light circling around his body and looked into my eyes.

“The activation range is… No. Wait. Why… why is it white?”

“Why do you think?”

“This, this is divine power, isn’t it?! Don’t tell me Narke, you…”

“Um, not me.”

Narke spread both hands and waved them. Leo casually threw out a comment.

“Lucas can use divine power too, Melvin. Hard to believe, but.”

Melvin once again just opened and closed his mouth with a soulless expression.

“How about it, don’t you think there’s a chance of success? I think there is, which is why I’m here.”

Narke propped her chin and smiled as she poked the white light around her. Then she looked at me and nodded toward Melvin while winking.

It was a signal that we were done.

* * *

Ding―!

〈 Chapter 3. Constant Dripping Wears Away the Stone (1) 〉

Proposal 3: Life is about being bold! Recruit 10 group members. (10/10) (1 hour 07 minutes 18 seconds)

* Route 1 ― 〈 Chapter 4. Constant drops wear away the stone (2) 〉

* Route 2 ― 〈 Chapter 4. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today 〉

One hour.

I succeeded with one hour remaining.

I let out a sigh of relief and pressed my forehead. Leo asked me as I hung my head.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing….”

Even with my eyes closed, a white light flashed in my vision.

Congratulations!

Proposal 3: ‘Life is about being bold! Recruit 10 group members.’ Success!

‘Chapter 3. Constant drops wear away the stone (1)’ Complete!

‘Route 1 ― 〈 Chapter 4. Constant drops wear away the stone (2) 〉’ confirmed.

I dismissed the window and shook my head.

Anyway, I succeeded without any problems, so that’s what matters.

It seems like each chapter gives one special reward, so I’m satisfied that I’ve finally moved on to the next chapter.

‘I wish I knew how to level up traits soon.’

While persuading these seven people, I noticed that some parts went smoothly thanks to the 20% persuasion increase effect. If I could level up, future conversations would go even faster.

Thanks to the trait’s effect, all seven people’s favorability reached positive numbers.

Melvin’s favorability, which I checked last, was +1.

Of course, even without the trait it would be -1, and considering the initial -10, rising to -1 was already a dramatic change.

Not just Melvin, but the other six students had similar numbers. Like with Leo, it seemed that once I clearly resolved misunderstandings about me, their favorability would rise dramatically to numbers close to 0.

“Lucas, hello…!”

Melvin entered the room with an awkward smile.

I smiled and waved my hand lightly.

“Hello.”

“We’re starting today, right?”

“Yeah.”

At my answer, Melvin sat down and pulled out materials with sparkling eyes.

When the promised time came, the students I had persuaded entered and took their seats.

“Hello, Lucas. Ah, I still can’t believe it. Who would have thought you had such ideas.”

“I know, right.”

I responded to the students’ conversation with laughter while lost in thought.

This group will have an even better effect than I planned. It shouldn’t end as just a school club.

I know how Pleroma will move over the next 10 years.

Not the details, but I know what major events will occur and how the Protagonist will resolve them. It helped that I had filled an entire notebook early on, writing down everything that came to mind.

‘Of course, I need to consider that the plot might change.’

So I analyzed Pleroma’s existing movements.

When the plot changes, I can derive new results by understanding which parts of the existing pattern were modified and which parts remain.

What I said about attaching another end to myself if I’m at the end wasn’t just boasting. Nothing leaves a deeper impression on people’s minds than someone mistaken for Pleroma eliminating Pleroma.

It’s not enough for me alone to use divine power, claim I’m not Pleroma, and act like an ordinary person. Gradual and leisurely changes should happen underwater, not for the public. If I give Hyung time to create another scenario matching my changes, it’s over.

This method of shocking the public in an instant is the surest way to prevent Hyung from being able to touch me anymore.

So I too must approach this matter with sincerity. I can’t find a better weapon than this.

I spread a map on the desk and brought up the topic.

“Thank you all for making time. Let’s get started.”

* * *

The next morning, I got up early to bring my things to the special class before morning assembly.

I hadn’t been able to attend the special class while working to achieve the proposal. If I didn’t attend any more than this, I could receive a warning, so I had to be there at least during morning hours.

Click―

“Oh.”

Opening the door, I stopped in my tracks.

A student was standing in front of my room. Surprised that the door opened before they could even knock, they stepped back once, then cleared their throat.

“I came to deliver a letter.”

The student briefly showed me a basket containing letters, then picked up the letter placed on top. A letter with the Papacy’s seal was handed to me.

I immediately flipped the letter over. At the top left, shining dark green letters were written in neat handwriting as if just written.

Adrian Ascanien.

It was a letter from Hyung.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————