Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble House
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No sound came from within.
I looked down at the doorknob and spoke.
“Professor.”
Knock knock—
“I know you’re in there.”
[…….]
A long while later, the door opened.
A middle-aged wizard with a neurotic, weary expression greeted me.
Not that it was much of a greeting. Before I could even offer one, Professor Trout unleashed a barrage.
“What business do you have here? Did I ever schedule a meeting with a student? Showing up at a faculty residence—not even my lab—first thing on a weekend morning? What’s this about?”
“I’m sorry. It would’ve been better if I could’ve given prior notice, but that wasn’t possible. I absolutely need your help right now, Professor, so I know this is rude, but I had to come.”
Only then did Trout furrow his brow, eyeing me suspiciously. His expression remained displeased, as expected.
No helping it.
There were limits to winning people over on foot.
What did the system want from me? Judging by the ‘攻略 possible’ function updated at the start of the semester, it seemed the system wanted me to pursue something I had no desire to get close to. I had no idea what kind of game I’d played in my life to deserve this kind of ordeal.
So, I wouldn’t play along with what the system wanted.
It was human nature to balk at anything you were told to do.
Thinking of going against the system’s intentions already warmed my heart for some reason.
“May I come in?”
“…….”
Trout scanned me from head to toe, then closed the door as he spoke.
“I’ll step out.”
* * *
Lucas René Ascanien
Title: Sir Nicolaus
Physique: +4.0 (+0.4) [+7.0]
Mental Strength: +4.3 (+1.3)
Mana: ?
Technique: +5.1 (+0.3) [+8.1]
Impression: -5.8 (+1.2) [+3] [+8.126]
Luck: +5.0 (+0.8)
Traits: Dawn777, Divine Power, Charm (Lv. 5), Retry (Lv. 3)
The last time I’d checked my status window was two weeks ago, during the art festival.
Now, I sat in Professor Trout’s all-white lab, reading through it line by line.
‘Everything’s gone up a lot.’
My physique and mental strength had now reached the average level of Imperial Academy No. 2, and my technique had surpassed it.
‘No wonder my spells came out smoother during exams.’
What mattered most right now was the impression score.
Up 1.2 points in two weeks—nationwide impression now at -5.8.
It had been about a month since escaping -9.9, but seeing that generous number still felt fresh every time.
School impression had risen 2 points to +3. Nicolaus, who hadn’t focused much on external activities these past two weeks, had gained 0.1 points too.
I’d need to compare later, so I committed it to memory.
From across the lab, Trout’s irritated voice called out.
“Coffee?”
“No, thanks.”
Trout gave a curt nod and shuffled back to his seat, slumping down. In one hand, he held a cup of pitch-black coffee.
“I didn’t expect you to grant my request, Professor.”
“I haven’t granted anything yet.”
“You came out here.”
I replied with a casual smile.
It wasn’t the most satisfying answer, so Trout was looking at me like I was a headache-inducing chore.
Of course, headache or not, he hadn’t told me to leave since he had no intention of helping.
Was it kindness, indulging a student whining at his door about some worry?
No.
‘It’s closer to something he can’t chase away.’
This was about why I needed to seek out Trout.
The day after warp magic was cast in my room, Stefan Trout burst into an emergency meeting of the magic department faculty and insisted on my innocence.
‘Are you trying to pin all this on Ascanien? No matter how flawed Lucas Ascanien’s temperament is, whether he drinks blood or not, there’s no way to obtain that drug without accessing Pleroma. Isn’t that right?’
Those were his words.
Why would a man who’d sworn loyalty to Adrian Ascanien do that? Why would someone who’d shown such displeasure toward me wish not for my downfall, but for my exoneration?
Considering it from every angle, the answer was simple.
From my perspective, Trout was an enemy—but fixating on that missed the point.
Why had Trout assigned me a watcher? Why had he locked the lab door during the magic potion experiment contest?
To check if I was using mana.
Using mana meant the drug my brother fed me had lost its effect—which meant the core’s reins were slipping.
A core returning to normal range implied what?
That my temperament had manifested unbeknownst to me, raising the risk of draining people’s blood and mana dry.
That was what Trout feared most.
If I killed someone, it would utterly destroy the reputation of my brother, who’d tried so hard to raise Lucas humanely.
For Trout, tied to my brother, it was the worst-case scenario.
Now it was clear.
Trout’s goal wasn’t attacking me—it was monitoring me to keep Adrian Ascanien’s approval ratings from dropping.
So, now that media play had intensified and every outlet was hounding me over Pleroma, what did that make my brother, who’d outwardly worked to socialize me?
Now I knew the value Trout and I shared.
If there’d been no common ground, I wouldn’t have considered anything but throwing him in jail—but from the start, he’d shown potential as a useful tool.
All that remained was reeling him in.
Trout gulped down his steaming coffee and spoke.
“Rehearsals for the launch ceremony must’ve started by now.”
“Yes. So time’s short.”
“What brings you to me first thing on a weekend morning?”
I pulled a newspaper from the binder I’d brought.
“You’ve seen this, I assume.”
Articles warning against Lucas Ascanien were laid before him.
Perhaps thinking my tone improper, Trout raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, I’ve seen them.”
“The public seems worried I’ll harm society, contrary to the facts.”
Trout narrowed his eyes at me.
It must’ve felt a bit out of left field.
Of course it would. Were we on terms for this kind of talk? We’d barely exchanged greetings—practically strangers.
I continued without a smile.
“My brother traveled the nation himself seeking a cure for my temperament, which neither religion nor magical medicine could heal. It’s been over ten years now. Thanks to his efforts, I live with a healthy core. Yet the public undervalues his work.”
“No, you didn’t drag me out here on a Saturday morning for this...”
I cut off Trout as he began protesting with a puzzled look.
“As someone who’s lived under my brother’s grace my whole life, I can’t stand by while these articles belittle his efforts.”
Trout shook his head, looking at me in confusion.
“…Fine. It’s certainly an insult to Vice Minister Excellency Adrian Ascanien. And to you as a student. But why suddenly tell me this?”
“You know what I’m asking.”
Instead of answering, Trout narrowed his eyes as I leaned closer.
“You have wide reach, Professor. I believe someone of your position can clear the false accusations against our house.”
“…….”
Trout’s face twisted.
Having grasped my intent, he shot me a glare with his eyes and stood.
“Go home. Even if I receive Ascanien patronage, I’m not obligated to indulge unreasonable demands.”
I’d expected this.
No one tied to my brother would be friendly to me.
But it was too early to give up.
“You should hear me out. Cursing someone’s artery? Quite the surprise.”
“…?”
Trout’s complexion changed as he rose. He stared down at me, eyes wide, as if asking what I’d just said.
“Just to avoid becoming a suspect, right? You know who locked me in the lab on the experiment contest day.”
“…….”
“No matter how I thought about it, Jürgen Beck’s motives for slandering me didn’t add up, so I requested more detailed investigation records. The investigators said Beck’s mouth spilled your name, Professor.”
I clasped my hands and leaned back against the chair.
His face had lost all composure, gone pale. Maintaining a blank expression, I pressed on.
“A wizard who gained a professorship through Ascanien patronage undermining Ascanien? My brother would be shocked.”
“It was all for Ascanien’s safety...”
“Safety? My brother wouldn’t order his little brother locked in a lab.”
This was true.
I’d thought so at the time.
Adrian Ascanien wasn’t the type for such risky moves. He might send letters hinting ‘I fear my brother’s temperament returning,’ as before, but openly commanding more? No.
With his paranoia and perfectionism, delegating to others was impossible.
“I know you’re aligned with my brother. But do you think he’d lose his ducal succession over something like a high school potion contest win? That I, who sees him as a father, would steal his seat? Or that he’d guard his seven-years-younger brother that way? Ha, I wonder what he’d say if he knew...”
Of course, I knew that wasn’t the reason he’d locked me in.
But within the limited scope he knew of me, it was plausible—and Trout had no excuse to convince himself otherwise.
Unconsciously, Trout stepped back.
His legs seemed to give way under the unexpected pressure.
I watched and continued.
“How insulting. To me and to my brother.”
“…Th-that wasn’t my intent...”
“I’ll grant you not trusting me. But at least trust your lord. Oh, no. Maybe that’s too much for someone who doesn’t even trust the drugs my brother feeds me.”
No reply came.
I stood and approached him.
“Now you’re ready to talk.”
“…….”
“As you know, I don’t want my issues staining my brother’s name. He’s the benefactor who brought someone as lacking as me this far. Now it’s time I repay his dedication. You respect him too, Professor. So you understand how threatening those articles are to Ascanien—and an insult to his care?”
Trout didn’t answer. Didn’t nod.
It showed just how prideful he was.
But his eyes wavered.
I hadn’t lied about him being ready to talk. He would heed my words.
Provided I didn’t bruise his pride—or crushed it outright.
Time to put away the whip.
“I trust you, Professor. When I entered this school and attended like a dead man with no friends, knowing a fellow countryman was here was such a comfort.”
Trout’s shoulders twitched.
‘Oh.’
This point?
A meaningful reaction at last.
Suppressing a smile, I continued.
“Hearing the investigation results from the contest day felt like betrayal from someone I trusted. It still does.”
I stared into his eyes.
Clearly a man who lived and died by trust. At ‘betrayed,’ his gaze wandered, unsure where to land.
“I know your concerns, Professor. I deeply respect my brother and swear on Christ’s name I won’t harm him. So please, restore my faith—and his—in you.”
“…….”
After a long silence, Trout nodded.
Still prideful, he stared straight at me.
“Fine. Sit.”
Smiling, I magically drew the binder from the desk.
I opened to a relevant page and handed it over.
I’d once told Jürgen Beck: ‘Write down names of those helpful for info besides Trout.’
This was that list. People under my brother’s influence, aligned with Trout.
I’d warned no lies since we’d investigate everything—but assuming he’d lie, I’d vetted them all. They matched Trout’s ilk, with active connections among them.
“Looks like quite the network between you and Jürgen Beck. Two each in Imperial News politics and society desks. Berlin Daily editor-in-chief, and... even the Dasrote Berlin branch.”
Unlike my smile, Trout’s face soured again.
As I flipped pages showing their profiles, he swallowed hard, trying to relax his expression.
‘Of course. I reminded him of his crime.’
No need for harsh words to crush his pride—just remind him of his place to keep him from getting cocky or plotting revenge.
I reclaimed and closed the binder.
“48 hours.”
“…?”
Eyes full of fear and discomfort shifted to me.
Wary of what I’d say next, I clasped my hands and spoke.
“By Monday morning, turn Berlin’s mood completely around.”
* * *
I saved his skin; this is the price.
Just this once?
No, I’d milk it like broth from bones forever.
“Let’s move to the right this time!”
Someone shouted from afar.
I’d arrived at the palace and was half-zoning out, brain on autopilot during endless pointless position drills.
Those articles from 6 a.m. today—didn’t they feel familiar?
Just like the reaction after the first January student militia exam.
[Is ‘Pleroma’ treatable?]
[Anhalt New Church Union: “Era of Pleroma handling Pleroma” draws fierce criticism]
[Lucas Ascanien, Ascanien Family’s Sole Hope]
[“Can’t entrust subjects to Pleroma”—Opposition to Imperial Academy No. 2’s Decision]
These were the headlines after last month’s first exam.
I’d thought then:
‘This is the natural outcome. If public negativity flipped overnight, that’d be suspicious—signaling some high-up manipulating the press.’
That view hadn’t changed.
So how could I gather 10,000 favorability points amid this mess?
Perfect timing, really.
The media had dragged the same topic for a month, interest waning. The issue of ‘Lucas Ascanien in Imperial Academy No. 2’s militia exam’ lingered unresolved—what more could they do?
In early January, the public wanted me expelled or safety confirmed—one or the other.
The school didn’t expel me, and I proved my core normal via Bayern Magical Medicine Center verification.
The masses quickly habituate to stimuli, craving bigger shocks soon after.
The press must’ve thought my topping the exam and entering the palace was that ‘bigger shock.’
Good call.
But I was at: ‘Public negativity must flip overnight for points, no more waiting. So how?’
The answer was already there.
Time to control the media.
“That’s it for today!”
The palace protocol team leader, practicing with us for the launch, shouted via amplification magic.
Glancing at the time: already 6 p.m.
“Ugh... so tiring.”
Elias shuffled over, draping his arms around my shoulders and going limp.
“So boring, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s grab food. Everything’s gone stale, but home cooking’s good. Haven’t been back in ages; now I miss it.”
Our house... whatever.
I still wasn’t used to him casually calling the palace ‘our house.’
I gave an awkward smile and looked around.
Not just Elias—all my friends scattered with drained faces.
Fair enough.
Unlike my friends, who’d arrived at the palace annex at 7 a.m., I’d shown up at 2 p.m. I was still fresh; they weren’t.
During breaks, Elias prattled about playing Heike at poker or whatever, then shoved his face near mine from behind and yelled.
“Oh yeah, why’d you show up so late, Luca? Was so boring without you!”
“Had one more thing to ask a professor.”
“Ask?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded, eyeing Narke running over from afar.
“Lucas!”
“Hm?”
On closer look, he clutched a bundle of newspapers.
Before I could tell him not to run, the papers dropped at my feet—warped ahead, no doubt.
Elias snatched the Imperial News first. Skipping the front page on 1st Academy militia, he flipped back.
“Huh.”
The very next spread was dominated by articles.
[Lucas Ascanien Tops Imperial Academy No. 2 Student Militia Final Selections]
[Palace Magician Association: No Disqualifiers for Lucas Ascanien... “Perfectly Qualified”]
[Lucas Ascanien to Follow Adrian Ascanien’s Footsteps?]
[Karl Reitzberg, Imperial Academy No. 1 Honorary Professor: “Lucas Ascanien Boasts Magician’s Highest Potential”]
“…….”
A far cry from this morning’s 6 a.m. pieces.
Elias met my eyes. He cast a sound barrier and slapped my back.
“Hey~ Wasn’t the situation tough for Nicolaus to intervene? You worked the media as Lucas?”
“Something like that.”
“Right? Awesome!”
Narke, now arrived laughing, answered in sync with me. Outside the barrier, he couldn’t have heard—but read it intuitively.
Elias expanded the barrier to include him.
“But that professor couldn’t snag the front page.”
True.
If he had that much pull, he’d have gotten out of holding without my help. Though how many could extract someone the Emperor jailed?
Shaking my head with a smile.
“Front page off my back is profit enough.”
High newspaper reliance meant non-front-page was fine.
And...
What I’d prepared wasn’t over.
* * *
At the same time, in Berlin.
In a tavern frequented by commoners, someone quietly listened to a group’s talk.
“I just can’t understand putting someone like that at number one. Even with scores for it, how do you pass someone with those rumors?”