How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 31

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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 (31)

At 8 PM, Leo headed to the school hospital to find Elias, who hadn’t come to the classroom all day.

He already knew the room number from a note Elias had sent tied to a bird’s leg.

Leo got permission from the desk to enter and opened the door to the room at the end of the corridor.

Creak―

“It’s been a while, Leo.”

As soon as he opened the door, a leisurely greeting reached his ears.

Elias, who was leaning against the bed, slightly raised the wine glass he had been holding to his lips in greeting.

Leo looked down at him and let out a small sigh.

“Why did you do it?”

“Which thing, breaking my leg? Or the first-year?”

“I want to ask about both, but the latter first.”

“Would you have just stayed still after hearing something like that?”

“…I would have listened and reported it to the professor.”

“Ah, that’s so like you. It feels like I’m back home. Unfortunately, I can’t be such a saint.”

Elias grinned and drank his wine.

“But scolding me as soon as we meet? We haven’t seen each other for months, you should be happy to see me!”

“I’m glad to see you. You sent letters every other day, so I thought you were right next to me the whole time.”

Even at Leo’s sarcastic response, Elias just chuckled. Leo kicked the empty wine box on the floor with the tip of his shoe.

“And what’s with this alcohol?”

“Call it 7% alcohol water. I really can’t call this stuff alcohol.”

“Sigh…”

“Want a drink? It’s the same proof as the aperitif served at the cafeteria, so no problem.”

“I’m busy. You drink plenty.”

Elias snapped his fingers as if to say well said and gulped down more wine.

Leo shook his head and sat in the chair beside the bed.

“What about disciplinary action?”

“None. You can tell by me being here, right? I threw a bit of a tantrum saying I was too shocked and needed to be hospitalized. They let me go easily.”

“That’s not true.”

At Leo’s simple words, Elias closed his mouth.

“You’re quick to catch on. But it’s true I didn’t receive disciplinary action. What I heard should have been at a normal level. I came here to get some magical medical treatment.”

“At least you’re fortunate not to receive disciplinary action. How long will it take to heal?”

“It’s at a level where I might never be able to use it again, so even with magical medicine it’ll take over two months. Though it might be different if the caster were someone like Wittelsbach.”

“…When did you get injured…”

Elias gulped down wine and pointed at Leo with his chin.

“The day you didn’t go to Meppen with me and went with your Royal Army mage instead. If I say it like this, will you feel some guilt and want to hang around with me?”

Leo squinted his eyes and pressed his lips shut.

As Elias giggled and poured more wine, Leo asked.

“Don’t lie. Answer seriously.”

“It’s true. I went to the restricted area yesterday. An advanced level one.”

“…”

Leo made an expression as if looking at someone beyond help.

Elias, who had been half-lying down, sat up while pointing his wine glass like a stick.

“Hey, don’t you trust my skills~? Even if my evaluation scores are worse than yours, my magical power is much better!”

“Then why did you come back injured?! Make your story consistent!”

“There was some contaminated pig there. It was incredibly fast too. I fell while trying to dodge it.”

“It was probably a wild boar.”

“I know.”

Leo grabbed his forehead with an expression of trying to practice patience and stood up, turning around.

Then he let out a deep sigh and sat back down.

“Why didn’t you use magic on the wild boar?”

“I was poisoned by the contaminated air. I was getting quite drowsy.”

“But you used it well enough when you fell.”

“I had to survive somehow. Still, getting a life in exchange for breaking one leg is pretty cheap.”

Leo looked at Elias’s left leg and the crutches placed beside the bed with a complicated expression and closed his mouth. Then he lowered his head and spoke in a voice mixed with sighs.

“Yeah, I’m still glad you came back alive.”

“How unusual for you to speak your true feelings.”

Elias grinned.

“You know this makes me want to take it back, right? Anyway, why didn’t you use magical medicine earlier and only came now?”

“I don’t have money.”

“What do you mean an imperial family member doesn’t have money? Are you kidding?!”

Leo pressed his increasingly throbbing forehead and continued.

“I’ll contact Mother. She was asking when you’d come anyway.”

“That’s good. She must be busy, so schedule it for a month later.”

“With your injury, she could make time anytime?”

Elias shook his head.

“No, there are kids who need to see me in this state. So, how helpful was the mage you hired that you left me behind?”

“Helpful… well, I haven’t really thought about it that way. That mage was the one who suggested going.”

“What?”

“I said they were the one who suggested going.”

“…Are you someone who goes just because others suggest it?”

Elias asked with bewilderment.

Leo looked bewildered in return and shrugged his shoulders.

“What do you think of me? Anyway, since we’re talking about it, I should go now.”

“You’re leaving already? Stay and hang out more.”

At those words, Leo shook his head.

“No, you need to come too. Can you warp in that condition?”

* * *

“Nice. Strategy meeting room?”

“That’s right.”

“Oh.”

Elias, who had warped to the meeting location, whistled as he looked over the numerous maps and notes attached to the walls. He held a glass filled with wine in his hand.

“Good analysis. It looks better than imperial data.”

Then he turned around to look at me and tilted his head.

“And… you’re Lucas, right. Hello.”

“Hello. We met this morning.”

“Right. Thanks to you, I avoided being late today. Thank you.”

Elias, who sat down with Leo’s support, counted the large table and its accompanying chairs as he spoke.

“Seems like there are many people? Underground, with magically locked bolts, and looking at all that analysis data, it seems like a secret meeting. Are you letting me join too~?”

This way of speaking was just Elias’s style; it didn’t mean he would readily join just because he was invited.

Even if he spoke like that, he wouldn’t come over until he calculated the gains and losses, until his heart was moved.

I smiled gently.

“I’m asking you to. How much did you hear from Leo?”

“Up to the part where you and he became surprisingly and rapidly intimate.”

Before I could respond, Leo squinted his eyes as if he couldn’t understand at all.

“When exactly did I say that? I said we train together after classes and run a meeting to research Pleroma at dawn. Convey it accurately.”

“There aren’t many people you seriously take on as training partners.”

Leo waved his hand dismissively with a resigned expression.

“Lucas, just ignore it. Once you get used to it, you’ll understand what he’s saying.”

“No, it’s fine. I like this way of speaking.”

I liked it so much that I read it all the way to the end.

It was quite a long story, covering ten years of content without major omissions.

Anyway, now isn’t the time to reminisce about that.

“I won’t need to speak at length. I’ll get straight to the point. As you heard, this is a secret group to eliminate Pleroma. And I want you to join us here.”

“Hmm~?”

Elias uncrossed his legs and tilted his head to the side.

“That’s quite surprising. Pleroma dealing with Pleroma.”

“I’m the one who’s surprised. Do you seriously think I’m Pleroma?”

Elias smiled faintly and answered.

“No.”

He gestured toward Leo and continued.

“Actually, it doesn’t make sense logically, but you’re Leo’s friend. Leo doesn’t keep just anyone by his side.”

“Simple and clear.”

“That’s how trustworthy Leo is as a friend. You’ve spent time with him, so you’d know. I’d like to recommend some sanguinaccio dolce to you… but let’s hold back on curiosity for now.”

Leo clicked his tongue with an incredulous expression.

Understandably so. The food Elias was talking about was pudding made with blood.

Leo probably thought it was rude, but I laughed first at his characteristic response that I’d seen throughout the novel.

Elias gazed into the distance, lost in thought as if trying to make sense of the situation alone.

“If it’s certain you’re not Pleroma, how did such rumors start? Ah, this is interesting. Shall we examine it? The beginning is obviously because of those famous incidents you caused as a child.”

He rested his chin on his hand and tapped his temple.

“Let’s set aside the truth. None of them were ever properly investigated. Ah, I should change the question. More precisely, what strengthened the claim that you’re Pleroma? You have the shining name of Ascanien and the power to suppress scandals and manipulate public opinion, so how did it escalate to this situation?”

Sharp. Just like the Protagonist.

Seeing this side of him in person, which I’d only read about in the novel, felt refreshing.

He immediately held up two fingers.

“I have two hypotheses.”

“I said you were similar to me.”

Leo casually threw out the words without even looking at me.

Before coming here, I briefly stopped by the Training Ground to ask Leo to bring Elias, and I clearly heard then that Elias was the one who sent that letter.

Elias clapped his hands at those words.

“What, I’m similar too? Leo, I’m getting a sense of your taste in friends.”

“As if. Just tell me what you’re thinking.”

“You’re in a hurry. Either the childhood incidents combined with ‘aspects that make it hard to get close’ caused the rumors to escalate uncontrollably, or Adrian Ascanien and his supporters actively pushed those rumors.”

Leo opened his mouth with an expression ready to let out a hollow laugh. I felt the same way.

He doesn’t even have insight abilities, yet he hits the answer so simply?

Leo quietly asked.

“Why did you think that?”

“There’s a guy in class who allegedly committed murder unknowingly as a child, but instead of actively doing image management and clarifying the incidents, he goes around with a dark complexion looking like death? Ah, that’s the end of it.”

Leo asked about the latter reason, but Elias, who couldn’t know the truth, explained the former reason.

Anyway, he expressed it quite mildly.

Given Elias’s personality, it wouldn’t be strange if he said, ‘Living around with that kind of appearance, do you think strange rumors wouldn’t arise?’

Of course, that’s his personality when attacked by villains… but that personality from the novel is so deeply etched in my mind that his current ordinary words and actions feel rather unfamiliar.

“Of course, you’ve changed beyond recognition now. Without the rumors, you probably could have lived like your Hyung. You look alike too… though surprisingly, you’re more high-handed and sharp in attitude, but that much would all be resolved with just the Ascanien name.”

“What’s your reason for the second claim?”

At my words, Elias smiled and slowly sat up, clasping his hands together.

“That must be the correct answer.”

“…”

There was no need to ask why he thought so.

He’s someone who catches even the smallest clues from opponents to lead to victory, so this time too he must have figured it out from my tone or the type of question.

Actually, since we haven’t known each other long, he couldn’t know my personality in detail. Rather than asking about the reason for much earlier statements, it would be normal to resolve immediate questions about personality.

“That’s my situation. Well, you see what you want to see, everyone can only view the world based on their own life. Primarily, that is. So… I could guess correctly because I’m the same kind of guy as you.”

Elias downed his wine and grinned wickedly.

“Is that why everyone always tells you to watch your words? In the end, trying to match your situation exposed my situation too. You’re Leo’s friend anyway, so it doesn’t matter. Lucas, do you know much about the Emperor?”

“Well.”

“He’s my Uncle.”

I nodded silently.

“You probably wanted to ask how I guessed your situation, right? Wrong question. ‘How did you come up with such a shameless and unfilial idea?’ would be appropriate. To answer, that’s all I learned from my Uncle. Uncle’s love for his nephew is terrible.”

Though he concealed it with a relaxed sneer, sharp emotions leaked through at the end of his words. Elias continued speaking as if nothing was wrong, still wearing a smile.

“Literally terrible enough to kill me.”

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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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