Chapter 203
Chapter 203
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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“…The reason, huh.”
I looked up at Leo’s face and let out a chuckle.
It was so absurd that laughter came naturally.
What kind of nonsense is this? I was on the verge of losing my mind myself.
The Elias next to me was actually a fake? Since when? And why the hell was I stuck here with Leo grabbing me?
‘That bastard Elias….’
Right. The protagonist of that book was exactly this kind of guy. I kept forgetting because of his completely unhinged personality, the opposite of mine, which had me glued to the pages back then. I’d always seen the protagonist in a favorable light, but handing me over to the enemy and bolting?
I could understand it since I couldn’t exactly explain nicely, but honestly…
‘I’m going insane. It’s really hard to play along with this lunatic. Is this how Leo felt?’
I let out a long sigh and buried my face in the moss covering the block.
“There’s no reason like that…”
“You didn’t know the Elias next to you was an illusion either, huh.”
Right on cue, Leo brought up the same topic.
I hadn’t known, so the illusion hadn’t vanished and was visible to everyone. Auguste said that if even one person is certain the illusion is fake, she can’t maintain it.
Of course, there’s apparently another way to deploy multiple illusions in that case, but she kept it secret from us.
Anyway, I could guess when Elias started this and why. I just shouldn’t think about it.
Crack—shatter—!
I winced at the sudden noise.
The artifact shattered, scraping my cheek before falling to the ground.
“Why didn’t you warp?”
Why didn’t I warp? I snorted mockingly at the ridiculous question.
“You know damn well why, class rep. Didn’t you personally wreck my dorm?”
“Hmm, so you really do call me that.”
I just closed my eyes and stayed silent.
What was he so innocently impressed about? Is this Bayern? This guy’s no better than Elias. With dozens of professors watching, wasn’t it worth advertising that we weren’t on great terms? My “class rep” was just a jab.
I hadn’t liked being called that as a student, but seeing my sarcasm bounce right off him now, Leo was clearly something else.
I tried to peel off the vine covering my hand on the moss, only to realize the plant was tougher than expected.
Using magic was risky with us outnumbered. There was a reason Elias dropped me here, so better to go peacefully.
“Here, peel this off.”
“……”
“Can’t you hear me? Peel it off.”
Leo just tilted his head without a word.
Elias’s advice suddenly flashed in my mind, and I opened my mouth.
“Leo. I need to get up now, so could you clear away the plants?”
“Are you reading a grammar book?”
“…….”
He’d told me to say and do things I wouldn’t normally.
What the hell was Elias aiming for?
The answer to a simple request like this was obvious with a moment’s thought, but unfortunately, knowing it meant I had to empty my mind instead.
Heike, who’d been anxiously scanning the surroundings, tapped Leo’s shoulder.
“…Leo. It’s bait. Team 3 probably only showed illusions to Naruke. And for the rest of us, they mixed one real person and one illusion per spot. There are tons of search areas but few people, so they placed one per location, but leaving just one makes them vulnerable to attack, so they added an illusion companion. That means Team 3 is finding something elsewhere, like before.”
“…….”
“There’s a reason they handed over a key player like Lucas.”
“That’s what she says. What do you think?”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen Heike talk that much. Pretty anxious, huh?”
The pressure from the plants intensified.
I held my breath as the vine over my shoulder stretched down to the grass on the ground, wrapping tautly.
The plant’s pull toward the ground was stronger than I’d thought. With the right leverage, it could probably strangle someone to death. As expected, nature manipulation was borderline cheating.
Leo let out an incredulous laugh and drawled lazily.
“If you just keep snarking like this, when do we end the exam, Lucas?”
“Exactly. So let go and get lost already. I’ll pretend I didn’t see you.”
Leo glanced at the sky, exhaled sharply, cleared his throat, and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Lucas. I get you’re worried about putting Team 3 at a disadvantage, but staying like this sucks for both sides. Seeing a classmate like this doesn’t sit well with me either. I’d appreciate it if you cooperated.”
The tone reminded me of Julia earlier, and my mouth fell open.
‘Ah.’
There it was.
I figured out what Elias intended.
“…Apotheke Aum Adler, 128:208:982. Atelier Goldner Schnitt, 127:507:392…”
I muttered warp coordinates rapidly in my mind.
Elias telling me to “say and do things you wouldn’t normally” was to max out Team 1’s suspicion.
“No intention of cooperating, huh. Guess I can’t wait any longer then.”
Leo’s words went in one ear and out the other. The pressure clamping my joints increased, but it didn’t matter now.
If I acted clueless and panicked, it’d be obvious Team 3 used me as bait, and with blatant bait right there, they’d be more likely to let it go than grab it—like Heike just suggesting they search for other Team 3 members.
Paradoxically, acting like I knew Team 3’s plan and had a role would shift Team 1’s suspicion elsewhere. Making them think, “If we can foil Lucas’s scheme, we might as well use him.”
This was a way to heighten Team 1’s guard and lure them into overconfidence.
It sounded contradictory, but it wasn’t.
It’s a tactic I loved: focus their attention on the wrong thing and drain their effort. Elias thought similarly in these matters.
‘Too late now that I’ve realized.’
Nothing to do but act my best.
This time, pick the right lines. A single line to fulfill Elias’s goal—what should I say?
Struggling to breathe, I said calmly.
“Leo.”
“What.”
“No matter how hard I try to tough it out, it hurts.”
A chilly silence fell.
A few seconds later, Leo shot up like he’d seen a ghost and stumbled three steps back.
“What?”
“Why?”
Heike looked up at him.
Leo shook his head, muttering.
“He drank from the fountain and he’s already like this. We need to report Elias to the harassment committee. Turning off mimesis should bring him back, right?”
“…….”
“You’re saying he’s crazy? No way. He does look like he’s in real pain, like Lucas said. Blood’s already not flowing below the finger joints. I thought plants wouldn’t hit that hard, but they can do real damage.”
Heike, not knowing me long, didn’t react like Leo and just analyzed dryly.
Leo’s expression soured even more.
Of course.
It was something I’d never said once in all our training sessions.
Just training? Never said it in front of Strauch, Ainsidel, or Abraham either.
And it wasn’t meant to make him stop now.
This was a stage, and for success, I had to deliver my character’s lines. That’s all.
With no reply from Leo, Ainsidel sensed something off and turned to me.
“Saying it hurts is that shocking? Why? He looks like he’s in agony to me. Doesn’t Lucas usually hold back on that?”
“Haha… If he doesn’t say it hurts when it hurts, what’s he supposed to say? You saw my fingers too, Heike. They’re about to fall off.”
I pulled out my most gentle voice, like when I’d been grinding favor.
Heike blinked once, rolled his eyes around, then looked down at me again.
“Yeah.”
“So, convince Leo…”
“But you were laughing earlier.”
“Huh?”
Heike stood up.
He flicked his wand-bearing wrist to cast a sound barrier and approached Leo.
“Leo. He’s got a plan. Lucas is scheming something.”
Leo, turned away from me, clutched his forehead and muttered.
“…I know. He’s acting right now.”
Heike stroked his chin and glanced at me.
“Lucas maneuvered you into loosening those vines. He planned to attack us the moment you eased up.”
“…….”
Heike kept pondering.
As expected from placing the top two from the last exam as enemies, this test was turning into a battle of wits. We’d need to keep using our heads.
I wasn’t sure what Lucas was aiming for either.
Leo was the same. Teammate or not, he didn’t share his thoughts.
So, all he could do was voice what he’d figured out.
“Leo. I think Team 3 hasn’t found the answer yet. That’s why they sent Lucas to buy time and attack. Lucas’s thoughts are all going straight to Naruke anyway, so keeping him with Team 3 is a waste—better to send him to hit us.”
From the start, Naruke had focused his ability on long-range Lucas, and now he was constantly drowsy. Especially when Lucas crammed too much info into his head.
Still, Team 3 couldn’t be ignored.
“…Yeah, Heike.”
“Hm?”
“Your logic’s solid. Thanks for the advice.”
Leo flashed a grin and bowed slightly.
Heike stared at his face wordlessly.
Even if he was bad at reading emotions, he could tell this wasn’t sincere.
Leo thought my hypothesis was wrong and was considering more.
At the same time, Lucas just watched Heike and Leo conversing from afar.
‘They’re really chatting it up.’
I was curious how Leo, trying so hard not to fall for the trap, would respond.
Would he bite despite spotting my act, or keep his initial guard up and leave me?
‘Personally, just leaving me would be fine.’
Elias deserved some hardship.
Then, Leo snapped his fingers to dispel the sound barrier and sat close to me.
“Alright, Lucas. If you know something, it’s gone to Naruke by now.”
“Yeah… I really don’t know anything. Now can you clear the plants?”
I said with a sly smile. Lately, focusing on Jeremiah’s identity had me slipping into that acting tone unconsciously.
At that moment, the grass around my fingers loosened abruptly, easing the pressure a bit.
Leo gestured.
“Heike, check the surroundings?”
“Sure.”
Leo turned back to me.
“Team 3’s plan doesn’t matter. We needed Ascanien, and conveniently, you got caught right in front of me.”
“…….”
“Anyone can see we’re about to take a loss. Right?”
Leo extended a hand with the smile he gave his friends.
Sunlight shone through behind his neck. The grass began wriggling back to its places, like rewinding time.
“Even if we lose something, it’s fine. I’ll let you Team 3 do whatever.”
Ignoring his hand, I sat up on my own power.
“You talk like I have a choice.”
“But… you said it hurts earlier.”
Leo ignored me and said something out of left field.
The moment I raised an eyebrow in confusion, something from the edge of my vision flew at me from all sides.
“…!”
Blood flow to my briefly freed fingers cut off again. The grass returning to place wrapped and squeezed my palms.
“Sorry, just bear it. We need insurance too.”
* * *
He didn’t look sorry at all.
Of course not. He knew I was acting, so no reason to feel bad about a lie.
And sure enough, I had no choice.
The moment Elias tossed me here, it was decided.
‘Anyway, success.’
Leo decided to take the bait, at least for now.
Meaning he was taking me to the park set as Team 1’s rendezvous.
Lucas thought so with a calm face—or to Leo and Naruke, an already annoyed expression—as he looked down at his hands.
“Caught Lucas?!”
“Whoa, for real.”
Just then, a few students warped in around us.
Leo, controlling the grass to bind my hands and prevent magic, asked.
“Team 3?”
“Nope. Fountain was a bust after all. They left just newspapers at city hall too.”
“Let’s scratch fountain off our list.”
“…….”
Leo stroked his chin.
That meant Team 3 was either relying on Lucas now or scheming something else.
“No need for everyone here. Gear up with spare artifacts in case of attacks. Heike, Josephine, Hildegard—you three go together. Done the relief center?”
“We did, but no evidence. Need Heike’s ability to judge.”
“Yeah. Professors might not have set up their entire past. Always keep an open mind.”
“Got it. We’ll report back!”
The three from Team 1 moved out immediately.
Now left were Lucas, Leo, Naruke, and Ulrike.
Lucas muttered down at the green mass coiled around his arm.
“Could make ghillie suit out of this.”
“Huh?”
“There’s such a thing.”
“Oh~ camouflage clothes.”
Lucas made a fed-up face at Naruke’s realization.
That term didn’t exist in this world yet, so the other two just looked puzzled.
Ulrike, peering at Lucas, suddenly grinned mischievously.
“Looks like someone who lived 50 years in the woods.”
“You turn out like this after 50 years?”
“I wanna try too!”
Leo clutched his head.
“What’re you gonna do all of a sudden? Ask for camo clothes?”
“No, didn’t everyone think this as kids? Would be fun if grass grew over me while I slept.”
“Guys~ I get concentration’s waning after almost an hour, but we’re in the middle of the exam!”
Naruke clapped to refocus them.
“We didn’t catch the other Team 3 members, but we got Lucas, so let’s regroup and push hard.”
“Yeah. Now we can execute our original plan.”
Ulrike propped her chin, sitting comfortably with a smile.
Right.
Intercept Lucas the moment he figures out the strategy, block Team 3’s path, and score points.
The conditions were set.
Naruke stared piercingly at Lucas’s slightly grumpy pink eyes.
“What’re you looking at.”
“Haha, Lucas is usually friendly with me, but not today~”
“Now’s not the time for buddy talk. Stop using your ability. Your eyes are all red…”
Lucas clicked his tongue and turned away.
Seeing the whites turn red was creepy. Everyone felt it.
Naruke froze awkwardly, then snapped his fingers.
“Ta-da~ Better now?”
Divine camouflage magic? His eyes were back to normal. Lucas eyed him like “you joking?” and Naruke deflected with a laugh.
“Anyway, not the point. We need to know what you know, Lucas. I’ll list our hypotheses so far.”
“Listen up and think hard, Lucas~ Still can’t forget how you helped us at the potion contest.”
Ulrike winked.
Repaying favors like this. Lucas gave a hollow laugh and shook his head.
Naruke pushed the newspaper toward him.
“All based on today’s articles. First: Liquor tax hiked 50%, bought contaminated booze on black market, went berserk. Second: Touched contaminated street food, berserk. Third: Pleroma disguised as environmental inspector met official. Fourth: Official raided poorhouse for beggar crackdown, they met—Pleroma posing as volunteer maybe.”
“…….”
“Fifth: Official and beggar touched fountain water for water quality checks, potable use, etc., berserk.”
Naruke set the paper down and looked at Lucas.
Lucas stared blankly downward, lips moving as he internally assessed all possibilities. Naruke could read it if he wanted.
No escape, so that expression was natural.
Ulrike poured fuel, clapping with a grin.
“Now, refute from the first~”
Leo and Naruke’s gazes bored into Lucas.
Lucas sighed deeply, then smiled at Ulrike.
“…You don’t know economics, do you? Black markets don’t always mean cheaper than legit goods. If it’s from dissatisfaction with market prices, booze quality drops below the low end. An official crawling to black market for low-grade grain booze possibly mixed with methanol over a 50%—not 550%—tax hike? Unlikely.”
“Sharp~ Second?”
“You kidding? Inspecting street vendors, and the official eats their food? Sure, humans eat tasty-looking stuff despite rules. But is that final selection exam material for Imperial Academy Student Militia? Ha…”
Leo couldn’t hold back laughter, pressing his mouth with the hand propping his chin, turning away.
Ulrike’s voice turned sad.
“…These are our team’s best efforts… How much better did your team do!”
“Ours probably same as yours. Same hypotheses.”
Ulrike deflated at Lucas’s bored tone, speechless.
“Hahaha, then how about this, Lucas? Even without buying food, maybe some unknown backstory with contamination.”
“…Seriously, this nonsense… You’re testing me.”
Lucas chuckled lightly.
“You know it’s not, Naruke. Found evidence for that backstory?”
Naruke smiled silently.
‘Exactly.’
That’s why Lucas topped the last exam, why the school jacked up difficulty.
Why we obsessed over removing his blindfold.
We knew the hypotheses were flimsy, that’s why we led with them.
But his speed and accuracy always amazed.
Victory was near. He wouldn’t stop at our weak guesses—he’d find the real answer.
‘Good, can’t stop here.’
“You’re right, no evidence. But what if Heike and Oswald missed something on-site? Don’t fixate on ingestion. Baden-Baden case shows severe contamination can berserk on skin contact.”
“…….”
Lucas eyed Naruke beside him.
“But there’s more to consider~ Drinking/eating vs. absorption through skin differs. If contact alone berserks, others in the capital would’ve exploded. So assume strong source, not public, and both touched it somehow.”
“Somehow?”
“Accidentally same water, splash on hands. Too many possibilities.”
Then Ulrike piped up, realization dawning.
“They fought and fell in? Fully submerged clears doubts. Not just touch—water in eyes/nose/mouth. Explains only three cases! Stagnant water fits low count better.”
Lucas, listening expressionlessly, spoke.
“If submerged, fine notice would be soaked/torn stuck in lining. Ink intact.”
“Oh? Not submerged…?”
“But if contact hypothesis holds, stagnant water fits.”
Lucas smiled faintly at Ulrike.
Ulrike blinked blankly, eyes rolling.
No more rebuttals, so Lucas wrapped lightly.
“Nothing more to say without evidence.”
“Good, got it. Then… Lucas.”
Lucas raised a brow at Naruke.
Naruke grabbed his head suddenly, staring into his eyes. Realizing, Lucas grimaced and tried pulling away, but against three with free magic? No chance.
Naruke grinned, reading.
“…40s newhuman, teal check jacket, deodorant smell, gum wrapper, business card, fountain pen, finger-sized portable perfume, five folded fine notices, palm-sized notebook.”
“…….”
“Nice, thanks. Thought you’d memorized coordinates, but caring for friends too—Lucas is so kind~”
“I think so too.”
Lucas brushed him off casually.
Surprisingly calm despite being read. Ulrike tilted her head, observing.
‘Something up? …Nah, Naruke would’ve caught it.’
“Haha, third hypothesis next?”
No answer for a while, Leo lightly drummed fingers on table. Plants tightened harder.
Lucas shot a quick glare, shrugged, and spoke.
“Third and fourth same treatment. Same answer: nothing without evidence. No proof they met, don’t cling.”
“Good. No special evidence on second victim either, so scrap those~”
Fourth down already.
Fifth left.
Fountain/potable water.
Victory close.
Leo tapped artifact, messaged team. The three who left returned quickly.
Lucas eyed Leo and them sharply. Naruke sensed calculations, reached for ability—but coordinates recited first.
Lucas back to bored normal.
Memorizing didn’t stop ability use, but low stamina meant caution.
Naruke half-gave up, laughed, returned to topic.
“Fifth? Elias made you drink fountain water to test~? Not finished yet, right?”
Lucas closed eyes, thinking.
All waited; he affirmed softly.
“Most likely. That’s why Elias did it.”
Nodding like pieces clicked.
“Misunderstanding. What I drank wasn’t fountain water.”
“Then?”
“Elias faked potable water like fountain. Leaves floating—random junk he added. Why else?”
Team 1 exchanged glances.
“…Dunno? Us?”
“Yeah, you. Sigh… Tired. Had to scramble your info.”
Lucas laughed lightly, like what a world, eyeing Team 1.
“To verify, retrace from start. Heike, redo fountain/potable sites. My bio-test was fake from beginning.”
Natural command; Heike nodded belatedly, realizing after Leo’s signal.
“We haven’t gotten your answer yet.”
“What answer? Didn’t you need my judgment? Figure it out yourselves.”
“‘Most likely’ isn’t ‘the answer.’ What’s your response to the exam question?”
“Spot on.”
Lucas grinned slyly.
“Disappointing, kids. Just one hypothesis?”
“Hahaha, nothing comes to you either~?”
Naruke clutched head, laughing.
Lucas laughed along.
“Not nothing—won’t do it.”
Naruke’s nose bled instantly. Midway rebuttal grin faded; evidence out, he nodded meekly.
“Let’s go one by one like you want. I’m starting now.”
Lucas stared into space, tapping floor twice with shoe.
No one focused on him.
“Beggar, urban aesthetics, official… Fine, cleanup, city hall. Contaminated water… Contact, potable. Hm…”
Lucas glanced at Naruke.
Chinning leisurely, staring—clearly using ability.
Lucas turned to students.
“Disappointing no matter how I think. Obsessed over where official lives/works, but not beggar’s survival spots?”
“We did! Poorhouse free kitchen.”
“You joking…”
Lucas muttered at air, exasperated.
“Naruke pulled second victim info from my head himself, still nothing? First berserker info limited; second had plenty. Why? Never thought?”
Unlike clueless students, Naruke/Leo grew serious.
“Key overlap evidence. …Deodorant smell, finger-sized perfume. Why needed? Fine spot unsanitary, stench lingers?”
“…….”
Students narrowed eyes at each other. No clue what Lucas meant.
Leo furrowed brow, called softly.
“Naruke.”
“Not yet.”
Lucas hadn’t concluded.
Lucas continued, entranced.
“Time to synthesize. Combat-unfriendly terrain kept up, manhole open especially. Newspaper you shoved—sewer pipe replacement article. Remember?”
“…So…?”
“Repeat? Why ignore beggar’s living/begging spots?”
Lucas pressed on smiling, disrupting thoughts.
“Disappointing—you too, Leo, Naruke.”
“What?”
“Too much knowledge bred complacency. Not like I memorized coordinate book for fun.”
Thanks for the think time, anyway.
Everyone’s faces hardened. Lucas’s mana pulsed in air.
Naruke/Leo beside him eyed his chest. No action, yet reaction—if Lucas…
Leo drew wand realizing; Lucas smirked mischievously.
“Should’ve bound legs too, Leo.”
“…!!”
“See ya.”
Boom—!!
Lucas stomped hard; crimson mana erupted.
Flash and shockwave hit all. Naruke raised barrier, jumping up.
Too late.
Snap—
Plant stems holding Lucas hit ground.
Light cleared: only mana left.
Team 1’s shocked faces hardened.
Tricked.
Obvious now.
Would be exposed anyway; drop in enemy turf, make them conclude. Perfect for complacency.
Elias’s plan.
Leo grit teeth, shot up yelling.
“…Quick, find sewer coordinates!”