Chapter 27 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble House
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"Tell me which professor told you to keep an eye on me. I already know everything. If you tell me the truth, I'll let you go."
The guy's eyes trembled. He rolled his eyes behind me, dragging out his words.
"Uh… no…"
"Who was it!"
"P-Professor Trout! Professor Trout told me to do it!"
At my shout, he squeezed his eyes shut and yelled.
Good.
Trout… He was one of the scholars who'd risen to a professorship long ago under Ascanien's patronage.
A mage, but not currently in the Magic Department—he taught magic in another faculty.
Now I fully understood why he'd misunderstood my brother's letter.
This guy knew the Ascanien family had formed a pact with the imperial family to protect Luca. Anyone connected to our house would know the story.
So, Trout must have seen my brother's letter as instructions to keep a close watch to ensure the pact wasn't broken—making sure I didn't make contact with Pleroma.
I smiled and released the student's shoulder.
"Yeah, good. Thanks."
"…Huh?"
"You figured that since you'd run into me anyway, it'd be better to talk and get some info out of me, right?"
"W-What are you talking about…?"
"And you know, you might want to switch out the surveillance from now on."
I glanced at the badge on his jacket and continued. Knight Department badge.
"You're not even in our department. Who'd be best to keep an eye on me? Someone in the same department, same class, same special track user—that'd be ideal. You know you're not the right guy for it. So tomorrow, go tell the professor. No matter how you look at it, you're in way over your head."
"What the hell are you…."
Fair question. It wasn't true, just mental manipulation magic.
I winced as a splitting headache hit me. Then I pointed my wand and recited the spell I'd used a month ago.
—Enter through the narrow gate.
His eyes glazed over.
But this time, he couldn't pass out here.
I caught the student as he slumped toward the floor, propped him up facing the direction I'd come from, and channeled divine power into his forehead to snap him awake. Strength flooded back into his body in an instant. The moment he opened his eyes, shock washed over his face.
"Gah!"
He spotted my face and leaped back, yelling.
His last memory now was me suddenly turning around. He hadn't expected it and got startled when our faces met.
He collected himself, voice shaking as he greeted me.
"…H-Hey, Lucas. Right?"
"Hey."
I raised one eyebrow in reply.
He rolled his eyes and forced a grin.
"Uh, what a crazy coincidence running into you here. I-I wasn't following you or anything… just glad to see you."
That's my line.
He'd report everything he'd learned to Professor Trout, so I could use this to feed my brother the misinformation he craved most.
But I'd need to play the part convincingly.
As I stared at him with a hint of annoyance, he chewed his lip and went on.
"Actually, I was thinking of talking to you sometime."
"Talking to me?"
"Everyone's been talking about you lately. They say you've gotten way more… sociable than last semester."
I narrowed my eyebrows and nodded curtly. He hurried to continue.
"Uh, but you seem uncomfortable right now. Guess it is late, running into you at the edge of campus…"
"Of course it feels off. So you were chasing me down to talk?"
He lit up at my response—the one I'd implanted—and seized the chance, raising his voice a bit.
"Yeah. I happened to see you leave the library, then you just bolted toward the third training ground. I got worried something was up, so I followed. Sorry if it creeped you out."
"…Nah, it's fine."
I shook my head at him.
Why would it be anything but fine?
From now on, without knowing it, he'd pass my fabricated lies to the professor, who'd detail them in his report to my brother.
No need to go to the yellow press. I'd found a perfect disruption tactic—time to make good use of it.
* * *
"Professor."
A student knocked on the door of the Magic Swordsmanship Department professor's office.
The nameplate reading Stefan Trout gleamed in the sunlight.
At the "come in," the student entered naturally and sat before the professor.
He spoke to the professor, still absorbed in his work.
"Nothing much happened during the day."
The professor looked up and stared at him silently, so the student continued.
"In the evening, something weird. At 11, he left the library and just ran straight to the third training ground. I followed…"
"You followed him."
The professor furrowed his brow and tilted his head. The student averted his eyes and rubbed his neck.
"It seemed suspicious, heading to a school for little kids. I got spotted… but I smoothed it over. Said he lost his pet and was searching around."
The professor eyed him like, *That's all you came here for?* The student rushed to the point.
"We talked for a while, and he hasn't changed much from his first year. The talk about him being different was exaggerated."
"I see…"
The professor nodded and jotted something down.
"It showed after talking longer. He just seems normal because people only chat briefly. That's my take."
"So he can hold a short conversation normally. Still surprising for that student. Did you find out why?"
"Yeah, he said he needs to raise his grades."
At that, the professor tilted his head.
"Grades?"
"Family wants him to improve them. Something about attitude points… no idea what that means."
"Hm."
The professor nodded and scribbled quickly.
The student narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
"Hard to follow, but… overall, maybe he adapted from participating in class. Magic Department emphasizes presentations and stuff more than ours. Just my guess."
He shook his head, puzzled.
"But still, changing that much just for grades…?"
"People can do anything when backed into a corner."
"Cornered?"
The student looked incredulous but caught himself before the professor and smoothed his expression.
The professor set down his pen and waved him off.
"That's enough. Anything else?"
"No, not really. He just stays in the dorm or library all day. Even he said he doesn't do much. No friends to hang with on campus, I guess."
"Got it. Good work. He'll keep like that, so only come if he acts strange."
"Yes."
The student turned to leave, then froze in place. The professor, who'd been scribbling, looked up.
"What is it?"
"Oh…"
The student's eyes widened as if remembering something, and he turned back.
"…Professor. As you know, I'm not in his department, so we don't cross paths much."
"And?"
"Maybe someone from the same department would be better for surveillance. A Magic Department special track student would be ideal over me."
"You saying you don't want to do it?"
"No, it's not… Never mind. I'll go."
As the student flung open the door, he locked eyes with someone standing outside.
"Huh."
He stepped aside awkwardly. Naruke gave a light nod to the student and entered the professor's office.
"Hello, Professor."
"What is it?"
"I want to audit your lecture over break. Wondering if any courses from my exchange school count for credit here. Could you check?"
"Sure, have a seat."
Naruke glanced at where the student had left, closed the door, sat down, and peeked at the professor's desk.
"By the way… was that about Lucas just now?"
* * *
"From now on, Naruke's gotta surveil Lucas~!"
"Perfect. You know what to say, right?"
I chuckled dryly at Pie's excitement.
I'd gone up to the rooftop one floor above, listening as Pie relayed Naruke's words. We could read each other's lips from a few meters inside.
Anyway, that's why I'd sent Naruke at that exact time.
Repeated mental manipulation on a surveillance could tip off the professor. Tails get caught if they're too long.
So, I'd swap the surveillance myself.
Leo might've done it if asked, but Naruke was better suited. He could feed false info more casually than Leo.
Naruke had bragged that since arriving on exchange, he'd gotten chummy with Lucas and could dig up stuff other students didn't know.
No one would truly trust a seminary student playing nice with a suspected Pleroma follower, so the professor bought it and handed Naruke the job without hesitation.
*If he knew Naruke brought up the Pleroma rumors being bullshit on his own, he'd flip.*
Time to check if my survival odds shifted.
Dawn777
—716 days, 21 hours, 13 minutes, 01 seconds until Final Ending 'Chapter X. Death'
—Change Probability: 7.9% (+1.0%p)
It was 6.4% when I first met Naruke. Up 0.5%p since, and another 1%p from this. I let out a breath and smirked.
"Naruke's out!"
Pie hopped off my shoulder and headed for the stairs.
This mess was mostly wrapped up. Time to refocus on the big picture.
I followed Pie down, greeted Naruke, and headed to the annex.
* * *
Today's meeting started early since it was the weekend.
I leaned on the desk, facing the students.
"We've focused on gathering data so far. Now we dive into real analysis."
"Wasn't that analysis already?"
Melvin blinked wide-eyed.
"Putting it all together. First, let's talk future ops. Everyone knows the imperial Pleroma task force exists, right?"
"Yeah."
"Tons of divisions, but core ones are strategy and combat. We'll zero in on strategy work, only field trips when needed."
Of course, Leo and I planned to go out plenty.
Seeing Chimera Ili killed any urge… but that very thing meant we had to scout to confirm if the novel's plot was shifting. Essential for countering Pleroma changes.
I spread prepared materials on the desk and explained.
"Pleroma started moving with new rules two years ago, after gathering 100,000 followers. I pulled crime records from then, sorted by month."
I handed out graph sheets to the students and read off the numbers.
"January: 11 cases. Then 8, 7, 4, 5."
"It's dropping."
"Then spikes from June: 13, 8, 10, 5. October onward: 9, 15, 14."
One student frowned.
"Isn't this… just random?"
"Hang on, it dips a bit at season changes. Prep period?"
"Hm, makes sense."
The students started debating inferences on their own. Leo tapped his paper with his pen and looked up.
"October to March: mostly property damage, assaults. June to August: abductions, lures. But knowing exact incidents would clarify patterns."
I pulled out my scrapbook of clipped news articles and opened it.
"Right. From October: grave desecrations, body thefts, draining blood from people or livestock. June: kidnappings, abductions, unauthorized propaganda."
"Crazy shit winter or summer."
At one student's quip, Naruke burst out laughing.
"Haha, more like different flavors. Seasonal activity shifts, yeah?"
"Exactly. Winter: crimes tied to Pleroma revival, immortality, magic. Summer: recruiting followers, sustaining the org."
As threads connected, the students grew serious, scrutinizing info.
I handed out an article.
Winter public cemetery security ramp-up, strict ID checks for entrants.
"This is stuff the imperials already have—just not publicized. We need to add one more layer."
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