Chapter 35 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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He was the head butler of the Ascanien household, who had constantly stayed by my father and brother's side in Luca's memories.
As a non-mage, his face bore deep wrinkles that came with aging just like anyone else.
"Good day."
"It's been a while. You've changed so much I hardly recognize you. You seem to have regained that spirited look from your childhood—I'm delighted."
As if saying that to someone else would make a difference.
I glanced at the box in his hand and replied.
"You remember my childhood."
"Yes, you had such sharp, intelligent eyes back then. It broke my heart seeing how much you suffered as you grew up due to your constitution."
I didn't bother responding.
He nodded as if he understood, then slowly looked around.
"Truth be told, I should have come to your dormitory myself, but outsiders aren't allowed on campus, so I've had no choice but to meet you like this. Would you allow me to guide you to a nearby teahouse?"
"Yes, let's go."
The butler flashed a grin and extended his arm ahead like a guide. I walked beside him, matching his stride.
As we circled around the school outskirts toward the back gate, he turned into a winding alley.
After climbing for a good while until I started getting out of breath, we finally stopped in front of a small door.
The door was barely wide enough for one person, but stepping inside revealed a spacious triangular area.
A wide-open window overlooked the capital's river and the surrounding forest.
"I used to come here often when I was your age. It's unchanged."
"You graduated from here."
"Indeed. I attended with your father. Though I only went up to the Imperial Second Academy myself."
He smiled in response, ordered tea, and asked after my well-being.
"How's your health? I've been so worried as it's only gotten worse with time."
"I can't say it's good."
"Still..."
He met my eyes with a look of concern.
I raised an eyebrow and replied.
"But it's good enough for me to keep up with my studies."
"Ah, right. I heard from the school last week. You ranked in the top ten of your department. Congratulations."
"Thank you."
"Your older brother was overjoyed. Even the Duke seemed surprised."
"I see."
Just then, the server set down teacups and spoons in front of us.
Seizing the lull in conversation, I got to the point.
"Why have you come today?"
"It's nothing major, but he asked me to ensure you take your medicine every three days myself."
"..."
Every three days.
That's too greedy.
He placed the black wooden box on the table.
"My brother's orders?"
"Naturally."
He unclipped the box and handed me the diamond-shaped vial inside.
"Take it now with your tea. I hear tomorrow makes it time for your next dose anyway."
I looked down at the tea in front of me.
A rich Earl Grey milk tea, with a sugar bowl right beside it.
I took the poison vial, and he opened the sugar bowl, using tongs to drop a couple of cubes into my cup.
It had always been like this. A vivid scene in Luca's memories too.
I toyed with the diamond-shaped vial and muttered.
"It's not a request."
He understood my meaning and nodded.
"It's an order."
As if to explain away the violence in the word, he continued right away.
"Since Master Adrian works with the imperial court, he gets news of Pleroma quickly. He says the atmosphere lately is far from normal."
I stared at him silently, waiting for him to go on, and he opened his mouth again.
"It's not in the papers yet, but rumors are circulating that Pleroma is developing biochemical weapons in the imperial north."
I nearly laughed.
I bit the inside of my lip lightly to steady my expression.
Delivered this quickly?
It must have leaked from the council to the court, but I hadn't expected any councilor to take it seriously enough yet.
"You do have Pleroma's constitution, but we Ascanien folk know there's no malice toward you. Outsiders are different, though. When Pleroma's crimes escalate like this, your safety could be at risk too."
In short, they want to protect me from my Pleroma-like constitution.
Having me take the medicine right in front of him showed how much my brother's paranoia and perfectionism had grown.
"Master Adrian worried about that too, so he sent me here. It's a heavy psychological burden for you to handle two vials a week alone."
So now... I really have to drink two vials a week.
'...Hoo.'
He's ramping up the murder-by-poison pace.
My core was stronger than before, so I could endure more than when I first woke in the basement...
'Still a madman.'
"Your brother is so thoughtful."
"Isn't he?"
He smiled softly and nodded, gesturing encouragingly.
Of course, refusing outright or storming out in this situation would be the end.
If I wanted the quickest, easiest death, it'd be worth trying.
I pushed off the vial's cap with my finger and poured the liquid into my tea.
The black liquid hit the pale gray surface and sank heavily. I stirred lightly with the teaspoon and brought the cup to my lips as casually as possible.
Diluted in the milk tea, it didn't immediately burn my throat—but that didn't last.
Soon, a stinging pain spread from my tongue to my esophagus.
I could almost pinpoint where my stomach was.
Blood rushed downward as if fleeing the poison. My vision flashed red then black; even with eyes open, I couldn't see.
A curse rose to the back of my throat.
Smiling, I set the cup down.
"You've gotten so composed."
I nodded silently.
"As a child, you cried a lot. Said it didn't taste good."
"Did I?"
According to Luca's memories, that wasn't even necessary from childhood.
Later it was self-loathing, not the taste—but he wouldn't know or need to.
As I just smiled, he crinkled the corners of his eyes laughing.
"You used to avoid eye contact before. I'm glad you've improved so much."
"My bro—cough. My brother—I couldn't tarnish his name, so I worked at it. There were times bad rumors about him cropped up because of me."
Coughing like a total lightweight.
But he didn't mind at all.
In Luca's memories, coughing right up to the verge of vomiting after the medicine was routine.
Recalling those and my experience a month ago, the poison hitting suddenly now should feel stronger—yet enduring it at this level showed my stamina had improved.
"I see. The other students are so young..."
He drooped his brows and shook his head.
"My brother kept me alive to this age, so even if I can't live normally, I didn't want to sully his name."
"That's why you've pushed yourself like this. Admirable resolve. The Duke and your brother will be proud."
"It's still hard, honestly. His Grace feels like family, so thinking of home eases my mind, and my efforts pay off more."
"I'm glad you feel that way."
I smiled back and checked my watch.
"One class is already about to end. I should head back."
"Right. Let me walk you to the main gate."
We left the shop wordlessly, wound through the alleys, circled the school outskirts, and reached the main gate.
"I've informed the school about your missed class, so no worries."
"Yes."
"See you in three days, young master."
I nodded and passed through the gate into school.
In this cold weather, cold sweat started beading. Maybe it already had.
I hurried into the nearest building and leaned against the wall.
As tension eased, what I'd held back hit all at once.
Not unbearable personally, but my focus and gait might look off to others.
Should I purify here?
No, spells on oneself need separate practice unless it's an external issue.
Plus, this wasn't something purification alone would fix, and casting magic outside the dorm was too risky.
"..."
Sitting on the back door ledge to rest, something scurried in front of me then climbed my neck.
A familiar furball.
"Lucas! Narke says go to Lucas."
"Mm."
I tried my best to respond properly but failed.
Luckily, Pie didn't mind my lame reply.
Pie, who had set a root down on the floor, picked it up in his mouth and shoved it at me.
"Eat this!"
"...Isn't this what you were chewing on...?"
"Narke says, 'You think Lucas would be picky if you say that?' And it's clean!"
They foresee even this? I huffed in amusement.
I picked up the root Pie brought; my fingertips chilled like holy water blessed with divine power.
Feeling decent, I popped it in my mouth, chewed roughly, and swallowed.
"...!"
The throat pain vanished instantly.
Still weak, but I had the wits to walk. Pie stood in front peering at my face from all angles.
"You okay?!"
"Yeah."
Do animals smile? It felt like Pie was grinning.
Seeing Pie's face right on the verge of chatter, I burst out laughing too.
"Narke did this a lot for people back in the Papal States too! I fetched tons."
"I see."
"Now let's go!"
"Right."
I dusted off and headed to class.
A few faces looked curious about why I'd been suddenly called out—all club friends.
Sadly, nothing I could tell them.
I shot Narke a grateful look, grabbed my notebook, and headed to the infirmary.
'Skipping class isn't ideal the more it happens.'
Not how I planned it, but I'd use the time lying down to sort my thoughts.
More medicine records would just make my brother happier—two birds, one stone.
To sum up: my brother wants me dead quick.
Feeding me more poison without knowing I use magic is just telling me to drop dead sooner.
The moment he got the perfect excuse of "Pleroma's new experiment," he acted fast—clearly still haunted by the midterms ghost.
He never thought I'd actually raise my grades, so it must've shocked him hard.
Telling me to study was just to confirm my hopelessness one more time and crush me, knowing it was impossible.
But jumping from dead last to top ten on a whim? I had to look like a thorn in his eye.
"Putting up a futile struggle."
Even as alien fear and terror paled my skin and trembled my fingers, I smirked.
Whether my brother poisons me or not, my plans won't change.
Ding—!
〈 Chapter 4. Constant Water Drops Pierce the Stone (2) 〉
Proposal 2: Achieve [Impression] Score 5 (0/1) (167 hours 59 minutes 55 seconds)
* Route 1 — 〈 Chapter 4 Special Reward 〉
* Route 2 — 〈 Chapter 5. Don't Praise the Day Before Evening Falls 〉
* * *
On strategy meeting day, one student nervously bit their nails and asked.
"What now, Lucas? With the council responding like that, you got a plan?"
"There is a way."
"..."
Not my answer.
Elias said it with his sly grin.
"Leak it to the press."
"Uh, the press?"
"Oh."
"Man, why didn't we think of that?"
In the original story, the council sent back near-automatic replies, and Elias turned to the press.
But security headquarters' own barriers—nearly ten of them—failing to function?
Anybody could see it was the court's fault.
'And the press is court-friendly.'
Without magic support from the court-government, this country's media couldn't even operate.
So Elias's tip-off was sure to be buried.
"Wait, even the press won't be much different from security or the council, right?"
"That's what I think too."
"Yeah, me too."
"?"
The students gawked at Elias in disbelief.
"High-ups never get it when you're polite. But when their careers are on the line?"
"Careers?"
"If a section chief stakes his journalism career, he can't not report it. Don't worry, kids. It'll definitely go out."
When the press seemed unlikely to run it, Elias blackmailed the section chief with his weakness.
It worked.
The Imperial Newspaper ran it as a main feature, and countless other outlets rushed to follow.
Stoking public outrage forced the council agenda through in a panic—mission accomplished perfectly.
The reinforced barriers might've let Pleroma rampage more, but with government mages deployed, it hit Pleroma hard in the end.
From a reputation standpoint, though?
"That seems risky, Eli."
"...Yeah? What's your idea?"
Elias leaned back in his chair with a "let's hear it" smile.
In the novel, Elias's feat saved countless imperials from Pleroma rampages and braked their frenzy, but he got none of the credit or praise he deserved.
The press and court teamed up to bury his achievement completely.
Sticking to the original method would make me enemies of the court and press too.
And naturally, I couldn't let that happen.
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