Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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“…….”
What?
My brain buffered for a moment.
‘...Did he figure it out?’
Sweat started beading inside my gloves. I tried not to clench my fists.
No way this guy could sense a retry attempt, right?
No, that time has already vanished. How could he know about time that only exists in my head?
When I didn’t say anything, he tilted his head and continued.
“You’re not being straight with me.”
“…….”
A chill seeped into his tone. Probably just me overreacting.
My body must have healed on its own by now.
The aftereffects of the retry were real, but Leo couldn’t know about anything else.
“Like I said earlier, I cleared out the police station. I used too much divine power in one day, so of course I’m wiped.”
“Hmm.”
“Why are you ‘hmm’-ing? I went to the police station, got info on the dorms with my ability. You know I didn’t have time for anything else after that.”
Instead of responding, Leo reached toward my left arm. I yanked it back reflexively.
“…….”
Leo stared at his hand hanging in the air.
I knew rationally it wasn’t a good move, but this was a reaction I couldn’t control.
‘...At least my mind didn’t revert too...’
I muttered curses under my breath. I knew turning back time nullified everything, but remembering the injection and baptism all happening on this arm made me defend it unconsciously.
Neither of us spoke now.
From his reaction, it looked like I was making excuses, but in this timeline, it was the truth. I really only went to the police station.
And could I just blurt out that I can rewind time? That’d make me sound insane. Even with magic, humans can’t transcend time. A retry ability would land me in a lab for experiments immediately.
‘...Say something, anything.’
I already had enough on my plate.
After staring at my face for a long while, Leo turned away.
“Fine.”
“…….”
“If that’s what you say, then sure. For now.”
I scrutinized his face.
Unlike before, Leo’s expression was blank.
He definitely knew something. Just like I wasn’t telling him everything, he wasn’t spilling either.
“...Yeah, good call.”
Sorry, but I can’t reveal retries. Rewinding time isn’t magic—it’s acknowledged as such by the entire academic world. Not just my hunch.
That’s why even when I first confirmed the ability, I couldn’t fully celebrate.
The problem is, if I report the warp spell on my room to the school, he’ll suspect how I knew about it no matter what.
“…….”
Felt like walking into a tiger’s den.
But no choice.
I can’t take the foolish route of not reporting it, and Leo’s the right guy for this. Even if I asked Narke or Elias instead, Leo would end up knowing everything anyway.
If detours lead to the same result, best to hand it to Leo despite the suspicion.
Leo crossed his arms and asked.
“What do I need to do?”
“Don’t go into the room at all—just stand by the door and fetch a professor. Since I’m the first discoverer, once they assess the situation, I’ll join you, so for now...”
First, send Leo off, and while he gets the professor, I need to check if Narke and Elias are up, and if they are, warn them not to warp into my room.
As I said that and turned, Leo yanked my robe hood.
“...Anything else?”
“Lucas. Fetching the professor, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Planning to advertise ‘Nicolaus’ on the way?”
Only then did I check my outfit.
It was the formal attire I wore to meet the emperor.
‘With everything piling up, I didn’t even notice my appearance.’
“You must be exhausted. Change quick.”
I nodded, rubbing my temple.
My uniform was at the inn. Couldn’t carry it in my bag or it’d get caught in the palace’s inspections.
Of course, it was in my room too, but...
Can’t go there now.
Leo let out a hollow laugh, like he knew without me saying.
“...Go to the inn and back. I’ll fetch the professor when you return, so take your time.”
“No. How many uniforms do you have?”
“Five. Why?”
First guy I’ve seen with five uniforms.
Royalty, huh.
I thought for a moment.
“Lend me one.”
“Sure.”
Luckily, Leo wasn’t picky about that stuff.
Going back would be better, honestly.
But I didn’t want to warp anymore.
Not even to a building I’d just been in.
I only warped here because I had to preserve the scene quick or rewind again. Otherwise, I’d have walked.
Leo shoved a uniform at me.
“Here. No mana left even for the inn round trip?”
“That’s how it is.”
I answered curtly and changed quickly. While I did, Leo repeated my instructions.
“Don’t open the door, right? Just sense for mana from outside? Then call the professor right away?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s this about anyway?”
“Someone set a spell in my room.”
“What?”
“Found out with my ability. Go for now.”
I left and knocked on Elias’s door at the end of the hall.
As expected, the heavy sleeper didn’t stir.
I infused mana through the crack and waited.
[Groan...]
Good.
Asleep, no issue.
I crossed the cloud bridge to Narke’s building.
Knocked on Narke’s door too—no response.
“Lucas!”
Pie warped onto my shoulder.
As expected from an animal, he knew I was here right away.
“Narke asleep?”
“Yeah!”
“Good, that works.”
“What’s up?”
[Professor. Right here.]
[This place...]
Then, footsteps from several people echoed from the opposite building connected to this one.
At the same time, the door in front of me opened quietly but swiftly. A hand grabbed my collar and yanked me inside.
“...?!”
Narke in pajamas patted his chest and grinned.
“Lucas! You scared me~”
“Who just grabbed my collar...”
“That’s not the point, right?”
“......”
I stared at his face.
Narke blinked his sleepy eyes.
“Narke. How much do you know?”
“Hmm... I know you need my help, at least.”
I smiled faintly, lost in thought.
“No other traces?”
“Not sure right now~? Why?”
“Nothing. You’re right. I need your help.”
“Oh! Lemme guess. With Nicolaus gone, we need to sync our stories, yeah?”
Narke grinned as he said it.
I just looked into his eyes silently.
This wasn’t something to say lightly.
Thinking about it, he always shared everything except info that’d trouble him if he knew, or key details.
Why?
Did he really not know? Or was he being considerate?
After what just happened, I couldn’t let anything slide.
As I thought that, I switched topics.
“So, can you tell me what you did from 6 PM to midnight?”
“Hmm~ Nothing much. You ate dinner alone in your room anyway, so no one’d notice you missing from 6 to 7. From 7 to 8, we gotta sync: I was training with team friends, and you were resting sick, right?”
Narke rolled his eyes, digging through memories.
“And... 8 to 11 was self-study. 11 onward is lights out, so I slept.”
“Yeah, that’s it all. Narke, for 7 to 8, can we say I was resting in your room? Looking for Pie.”
Lots knew he kept an animal.
Not that it warped and talked, though.
“Perfect! Then 8 onward, we say you were in strategy meetings with me. We’re both leaders, so the third-wave kids’ll buy it. Right?”
“Yeah.”
“Past midnight’s fuzzy, so after that, we got sidetracked into board games~”
Narke knocked on a box under his bed.
Yeah, rough outline in place. Good he didn’t meet other students post-training.
When I just smiled, Narke smiled back then changed topics.
“But hey, what’s with the uniform? Borrowed from Leo? Wear mine if you need~ Wanna swap now?”
Seeing his confidence, he must’ve used Insight.
Leo and I had a big height gap, but Narke was close, so more practical.
Couldn’t strut the halls in Nicolaus formals, though? Needed a uniform to get here.
Anyway, that line was a good clue.
He knew I borrowed Leo’s uniform but not why I had to.
I couldn’t wake Narke or Elias by warping into their rooms. Wasn’t a ‘wear mine if needed’ situation.
Meaning Narke couldn’t read pre-retry memories.
“Nah. Close enough fit. And yours would need two washes.”
“Haha, it’s fine~ More importantly, Leo’s got a light jacket too.”
Student council wore different jackets.
Leo wasn’t council from day one of first year first semester, but he had one.
Anyway, not important.
“Narke. You really can’t read where I was or what I did?”
“......”
Narke stared at me, then smiled.
“Yeah. Just the police station? Asking like that makes me curious~ Wanna push my ability till my head explodes.”
“Could you find out if you tried?”
“Hahaha, maybe someday? Where’d you really go?”
“Nah, forget it. Police station’s right. Just checking.”
So, he doesn’t know.
That’s normal.
I stood.
“Thanks. I’ll head out.”
“Lucas, wait.”
Narke tugged my jacket hem.
“Why?”
Didn’t need to ask.
He pointed straight to his wardrobe.
After that, we bickered awhile before I swapped uniforms and left Narke’s room.
“Lucas! It’s not even a day worn—don’t bother washing, just give it here~”
Yeah, this was safer.
No questions about why my perfectly fitting uniform suddenly looked baggy. Who memorizes others’ uniform sizes anyway.
“Hahaha, not that bad~ Anyway, gotta avoid suspicion!”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Thanks were genuine. Laundry’s a hassle, but no downside listening to an Insight user.
Narke eyed Pie on my shoulder.
“Pie, you too~”
I peeled Pie off, and he warped inside sulkily.
As I turned, Narke called.
“Lucas.”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful.”
“......”
I nodded and headed to the opposite building.
The atmosphere felt off immediately.
Beyond the bridge, a white marble hallway had a door lying detached.
Looking up, I met eyes with Leo, expression controlled, and professors pale as ghosts. Our homeroom professor spoke like he’d seen a specter.
“Student. You’re safe.”
* * *
‘Safe, yeah.’
Retries were the ultimate ability.
If revealed, it’d be the second thing after my possession to hobble me.
‘Though right now, it’s not retries holding me back—it’s something else.’
I scanned the stark conference room.
Emergency meeting past midnight.
None of the magic department professors were asleep anyway.
Since yesterday afternoon, the emperor had been informed of Adelbert’s near-meltdown.
And now another campus crime.
Prime chance to catch the perp—and the darkest night in Imperial Academy history.
Three crimes in a row at the empire’s safest school.
I knew how this would play out.
The magic department chair, face darkening quickly, asked Leo.
“Student Leonard, how did you know there was a dangerous spell on the door?”
“I sensed mana from outside.”
Leo said flatly.
The chair tilted his head.
“I sensed nothing. Not till I opened it.”
“......”
“You sensed it, though. You have keen senses, so possible, but surprising none of the four professors felt the mana ripple.”
The professor was pushing Leo hard, problems piling up driving him nuts.
Didn’t seem to suspect Leo as perp. He was polar opposite of Pleroma folks—wouldn’t put him on the list.
Just desperate to squeeze answers on the perp.
“If that’s how you see it, I’ve got nothing more. After hearing Elias nearly melted down, I’ve been checking dorms whenever I could. Didn’t expect this on day one...”
“Yes, of course not. Did you witness the crime? See anyone pass Lucas’s door?”
As I predicted, the professor said.
Leo shook his head.
“No.”
“I see. Student Lucas.”
The chair was really impatient.
He nodded vaguely at Leo and called me next.
“Heard you skipped training to rest. See anyone approach your room during?”
“No.”
“Right. You weren’t in your room around midnight. When did you leave?”
“From 7 PM.”
“Where to?”
“Narke’s room. Stayed till midnight.”
Then, the third-year magic Class 1-A professor extended a hand.
Mid-conversation cutoff drew all eyes.
He stated the obvious.
“Everyone. I believe the perp behind the Hohenzollern students’ near-meltdowns did this.”
“Likely, but we must consider all possibilities.”
“Of course. But to commit those crimes, they’d need our school dorm warp coordinates—top secret outside. And precise ones at that. Wouldn’t all funnel through one path?”
He scanned the professors and continued.
“In investigating Adelbert, no professor was suspect. Why?”
Professors had self-investigated recently—no leads.
Why?
One: No professor perp.
Two: Shoddy investigation. Including looking the other way or barely trying.
Two was unlikely. Emperor involved.
Assuming full effort, all non-divine methods deployed.
In this pro-emperor prof group, they’d tried hard, so conclusion...
“We limited Pleroma contacts in-school to ‘adult wizards.’ That’s what angered His Majesty. No progress in three days.”
Leads to one.
And what follows is obvious.
Professors caught on, frowning. The third-year ignored and pressed.
“The perp might be a student, not professor. Maybe disguised as good senior or friend to approach victims. Or didn’t stop at faking first witness—decided to fake victim too.”
I leaned back, meeting his eyes. Knew this was coming ages ago, but living it felt different.
Had to stop my lip from curling.
The third-year magic professor looked down at me.
“Isn’t that right, Student Lucas Ascanien?”