How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 36

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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 (36)

“If you turn the media into your enemy, all your achievements will go to the Imperial Palace. Do you think the media will write favorable articles about a blackmailer?”

“Are you worried about me?”

“….”

Leo frowned beside us and waved both hands dismissively.

It seemed like a sign to just listen casually and let it pass.

“…Yes.”

“How touching~ But there’s no other way.”

“You’re okay with the Imperial Palace stealing your achievements?”

“No way, I’d be pissed. Extremely so.”

“What, you really…!”

Elias put his arm around Leo’s shoulder, patting him as he continued.

“But right now, at this very moment, people are getting hurt and dying. Even some damn bugs are appearing. I can collect the price for my achievements later with interest. Right?”

Since he collected it through execution, he did receive it with interest in a way.

Knowing how well he kept his word, I felt chills.

“I’m not saying we should scrap the plan now.”

“Then?”

“Let me ask this first. That plan was made during the barrier compatibility issue, right?”

“Yes. Why? You said you’d still raise the barrier compatibility issue.”

That’s right.

Even if we interfere with Pleroma’s experiments through regular management and supervision, there would still be remaining magical beasts, so we need to strengthen the barrier.

“Luca, the media would never report negative stories about the Imperial Palace. If we want to move quickly without wasted effort, shouldn’t we grab them by the throat first~?”

“Of course.”

I looked straight at Elias’s face.

“But the situation is different now.”

“Now?”

The ‘barrier compatibility’ issue is due to the Imperial Palace’s lack of management.

But what if the reported story is about ‘Pleroma’s’ insect experiments?

The Imperial Palace would be out of focus, and Pleroma would become the target of criticism.

“…Ah~”

Before I could even start the story in earnest, Elias raised his eyebrows and rubbed his fingers together audibly.

I felt this with Leo too, but it’s nice when people catch on quickly.

“You asked about when we made the plan. If we put the mosquitoes front and center, the focus will shift, right?”

“Right. As long as Pleroma takes the blame instead of the Imperial Palace.”

Since the demand for barrier enhancement is included in the mosquito issue demands anyway, there’s no need to deliberately provoke the media by making it the main title.

“What’s with you guys? Do we have to think about all this stuff when we send it?”

“…I suddenly feel like I’m just sitting here doing nothing.”

The students laughed awkwardly.

“You don’t need to feel burdened. We’re just doing one thing.”

I looked around at the students and said.

“We’re going to tip off the media about this issue and file a lawsuit.”

* * *

I stayed in the infirmary all day, then warped to the meeting place when night came.

〈 Chapter 4. Constant Drops Wear Away the Stone (2) 〉

Proposal 2: Achieve [Impression] score of 5 (0/1) (163 hours 53 minutes 51 seconds)

* Route 1 ― 〈 Chapter 4 Special Reward 〉

* Route 2 ― 〈 Chapter 5. Do Not Praise the Day Before Evening Comes 〉

‘…Hmm.’

To give me a proposal on the day I realized once again that I’m still in Hyung’s palm.

The timing is appropriate.

But….

Are they asking me to raise a total of 14.9 points when I have an impression score of -9.9?

‘….’

And within a week?

Forget the rewards and everything else, maybe they just want me to get lost to Chapter 5 with that ominous title.

‘Wait.’

After wallowing in self-pity for a while, I stopped my bitter laughter at a sudden thought.

Let me look at the impression score in my status window again.

Lucas Rene Ascanien

Impression: -9.9 [+2.0]

[+2.0].

Come to think of it, I confirmed this morning that my impression score had become 2.

Could it be that writing [Impression] score in the proposal means….

Definitely, from what I remember, when they told me to raise my stamina score to 0, they didn’t say [Stamina] score.

They just said ‘stamina’ like they always did.

Could they have written [Impression] to tell me which one of the two I need to raise?

‘….’

Really, why are they like this.

I said before that I had a hunch about something.

It was just speculation since it wasn’t specified, but now I’m starting to understand.

No matter how I think about it, those brackets are Nicolaus’s impression score.

There’s no way Luca’s national image could produce +2.0.

The fact that a new impression category appeared only after I decided to actively utilize the ‘Blue-Eyed Hunter’ seems quite plausible.

Anyway, this score will also have smaller increases as it gets bigger.

It’s not like raising stamina from negative to 0 like before, but raising an already positive score by 3 points.

‘…No.’

The timeframe is a bit ambiguous, but there’s a chance of success.

Then, Leo, who had warped here, spotted me and spoke.

“Why didn’t you come to class?”

Today was a day without meetings.

Since we had already finished discussing the lawsuit yesterday, there was no need for the other students to meet.

However, Narke and Leo had promised to gather here.

“I took medicine.”

“Medicine? Don’t tell me…!”

Leo put down the bag he was carrying and sat down.

“Don’t tell me you were called out because of that?”

“Yeah. Hyung is trying to make me take medicine twice a week through the chamberlain.”

“…Twice? Can you endure it?”

“I enhanced my core performance, so it’s not too much of a strain.”

It was good that I raised my stamina score significantly—though it was semi-forced.

Leo bit his lips thoughtfully, then said.

“Tell me if you can’t endure it. I’ll at least cast healing magic on you.”

“Alright, thanks.”

“But… your hyung has started coming on really strong.”

I nodded.

“He’s trying to kill me as soon as possible.”

But I don’t plan to move in earnest yet.

If he had that intention, he would come find me directly.

Leo looked shocked, opening his mouth slightly, then let out a sigh.

“…Should I at least assign you a bodyguard?”

“Is there any chance we’ll get caught?”

I shook my head with a smile.

Leo also let out a light laugh as if all his strength had drained away and answered.

“Right, considering your skills alone, there shouldn’t be any physical problems… So, are you feeling better now?”

“I’m fine. Narke helped me out.”

“You noticed right away? Your abilities are definitely good.”

Good abilities indeed.

If trait selection comes up again next time, I’d want to have that ability too.

‘Is there really no way to get it.’

“Everyone’s here~”

Speak of the devil, Narke appeared with a smile and loudly patted my back.

“Feeling better?”

“…!”

From where he patted my back to the tips of my entire body, a refreshing energy spread and completely cleared away the faint traces of poison that remained.

“…What was that?”

“The magic you used during the charity event.”

So he purified it.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. We’re leaving right now, right?”

“Yeah.”

We’re going to Bavaria from now on.

There are five contaminated areas within Bavaria alone.

I plan to purify all of them with divine power and return.

It’s also to lay the groundwork for the next plan, killing two birds with one stone.

‘…Anyway, I am a mage affiliated there too.’

Even though it happened without my knowledge.

Anyway, since the proposal to raise Nicolaus’s impression score has been added this time, the more I show my face and achieve results, the better.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’ve been holding back ever since coming to this place, so even trivial matters excite me!”

Narke, who can use divine power, decided to come along too.

Narke seemed very disappointed that he couldn’t come along before, so as soon as it became a weekday, he contacted the school and got permission.

Unlike last time, the insect issue will break tomorrow, so the logic that Leo recruited Narke, a divine power user, to purify the restricted areas should be adequate.

Leo expressed doubt at Narke’s words.

“All this time? Were you hunting magical beasts or something in the Papal States?”

“I did something similar.”

“Really? That’s unexpected.”

Narke grinned at those words.

“If you see it directly, it won’t be that unexpected.”

* * *

Kwaaaaang―!

Narke pulled the tip of his staff out of the dirt ground.

The evening sky turned white as day due to divine power.

“…”

I didn’t even have time to be amazed as I blocked the wind rushing at us with a roar.

No, I was just speechless.

He just purified an area of 3,000 pyeong with a single spell. At this level, he could probably win against a professor in a fight.

“…Ten thousand square meter divine power? Exchange students are definitely different.”

Leo muttered.

Not all exchange students would be like this, but this guy seemed to be in shock and spouting random words.

“Well, Lucas could probably do it too?”

“I haven’t learned how to cast wide-area magic like this.”

“Ah, so it wasn’t about power.”

Narke answered nonchalantly and then looked around with his eyes searching for magical beasts to kill.

Soon he curled up the corner of his mouth, aimed his wand at one spot, and lightly flicked his wrist.

Bang―! Chiiiiik…

The area under the giant tree roots flashed brightly.

The contaminated rats that had been wandering around weakened by the purification had turned black as if electrocuted.

Narke muttered quietly with a face full of pleasure.

“I could do this alone.”

“…”

“Guys, go check other places first. I’ll purify this area.”

“Oh, okay.”

His voice was as benevolent as usual, but his expression wasn’t particularly benevolent.

‘…Is he really from the theological school.’

Anyway, it’s fortunate he’s on our side.

And he probably knows that for now, there’s no other method besides killing them.

By dawn, we had purified all five restricted areas in Bavaria and returned to school.

Narke purified two places, while Leo and I handled three places.

Since Leo can’t use divine power, the purification itself was up to Narke and me.

Narke checked Leo’s bank account with an amazed expression.

“Oh, the Imperial Bank reward alone came to 1.25 million fel.”

That’s 125 million won in Korean currency.

Seeing this, I realized how extraordinarily rare the previous incident was.

Three lower-grade and two intermediate-grade areas, totaling five places for 100 million, but previously we earned 100 million from just one place.

Anyway… we don’t plan to use this money.

Narke handed the bankbook back to Leo, picked up his black leather bag, and stood up.

“I’ll go to the special class first. You guys come slowly.”

“Alright. You worked hard today.”

“What, this was the most fun I’ve had all semester.”

“…”

I warped to the dormitory, changed clothes, and came out casually.

I deliberately took a roundabout way to the lecture building to buy a newspaper.

[‘Blue-Eyed Hunter’ Count Nicolaus’s tip… ‘Pleroma conducting resurrection experiments with insects’]

[Meppen region’s unknown skin disease cause revealed… Pleroma’s doing]

[Josef Friedrich, Honorary Professor at Imperial 1st Education Institute: “Could become unprecedented biochemical weapon”]

[2,000 Osnabrück citizens gather in plaza just 1 hour after report… ‘Demand swift action’]

[Clemens Graf, Director of Pleroma Research Institute: “Worst case could reach national disaster level”]

[Impact of Pleroma’s insect experiments on local communities]

‘Success.’

Unlike the original, media coverage was achieved without using self-destructive hardline tactics.

However, there was no mention anywhere of the story that the relevant case sent to the Security Bureau and Council under Elias’s name was rejected.

[Security Bureau: ‘Will use 1st-grade purification magic to exterminate contaminated insects in Meppen region’]

Look at them bringing it up only now.

There was no mention of doing it continuously either.

It’s just a one-time event, and this way Pleroma will just lay low for a while and emerge again.

Naturally, the Council had nothing much to say either.

Since the Security Bureau came up with a superficial solution, they probably thought there was no need for them to move.

That evening, Melvin carefully opened the door to the small room attached to the meeting place and entered.

“Lucas…! A reply just came from the Federal Committee.”

“What do they say?”

“They say it’s difficult to handle within a month. They can’t make laws that quickly…”

I urged the Council to take action once again, but the response was, as expected, a rejection.

By the way, they responded through legislative channels.

Well, since the government isn’t requesting additional budget, these guys can’t do anything first either.

Of course, they probably have no intention of passing the budget according to our demands.

“What about the Security Bureau?”

“There… there’s been no reply to the telegram we sent today.”

“I see, thank you.”

Through Hyung’s crazy stunt yesterday, I confirmed that word had flowed into the government.

So I sent the demands and data collection again.

Back then, they shamelessly accepted it and responded saying they would ‘inform us of countermeasures through the Security Bureau’s official channels later.’

In the end, those so-called countermeasures were just one-time measures.

I sent a telegram urging proper response, but as expected, there’s no word.

Melvin, who had been standing there the whole time, squinted his eyes and asked cautiously.

“Now we’re gradually… going to move to the next stage, right?”

“We have to. The Security Bureau doesn’t seem to have any intention of resolving this any further.”

“Is it really okay to do that? No matter what, it’s still the government…”

“I already went ahead with it.”

I held up a newspaper that was published in the evening.

[Elias Hohenzollern Files Administrative Lawsuit Against Imperial Security Bureau]

* * *

At the same time, at the Imperial Prime Minister’s Office.

“Does this make any sense?! What is that troublemaker doing now?!”

“Please choose your words carefully. He is also a member of the Imperial family.”

“…Ahem, yes. Duke Elias filing a lawsuit against the Imperial Court? You’re not going to respond to this seriously, are you, Chairman?”

“Outside of the Council, it would be appropriate to call me Prime Minister.”

“Yes, Prime Minister. What will you do? Just give the word and I’ll speak to the tribunal.”

The one called Prime Minister didn’t answer and just stared into empty space.

“Prime Minister. We worked hard to prevent word from leaking out that the Security Bureau and Council failed to show appropriate response. We blocked it well, but now he’s filed a lawsuit. Who wouldn’t grab this scoop? On top of that, he even demanded live broadcast of the trial!”

“You don’t think we need to respond seriously?”

“Yes.”

The Prime Minister smiled at that solemn tone.

“Because Duke Elias filed it?”

“That’s right.”

“My impression is similar to yours. What could he know to file a lawsuit? He must have accepted this matter with his usual hot-tempered disposition.”

“As expected, you think the same way, Prime Minister.”

The Prime Minister nodded silently, then looked at his counterpart.

“Do you remember what Duke Elias demanded from the court and the judge?”

“Since the matter is urgent, to hold a trial within 7 days without administrative review and mediation process, and to broadcast the trial from start to finish through the Imperial Newspaper. Those were the two things.”

“That’s right.”

The Prime Minister paused for a beat and continued.

“I intend to grant all of those demands.”

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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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