Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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‘I feel like I’m dying.’
I couldn’t check the clock, but it felt like about three hours had passed.
For those three straight hours without a single break, I’d been training nonstop. Sweat poured off me like water now, stinging my eyes so badly I could barely keep them open.
Sure, I usually trained for around three hours, but the intensity this time was on another level.
I was too busy blocking his insane barrage of attacks to land a single clean hit on him.
‘...This bastard’s taking his anger out on me...’
Of course that wasn’t it, but the training was so ridiculous it made the thought pop into my head naturally.
“Get up.”
“......”
Leo clapped his hands, signaling me to hurry up and stand.
He’d rarely pushed himself this hard today either, looking worn out but not nearly as drained as I was.
I tried to get up from the floor, only to collapse flat on my face again despite myself. Leo asked in a tone utterly devoid of sincerity.
“Want a short break?”
“......”
It had only been four days since I got hurt by Strauch, so my stamina hadn’t fully recovered.
Pushing to the absolute limit like this on top of that? It was pure agony.
‘...Still, now’s not the time to complain about it.’
Pleroma’s warning was aimed at Nicolaus, and Bayern had taken the hit for backing me up.
When I thought about that, I had to grit it out.
I pushed myself up on my knees, grabbed my wand again.
“No, let’s keep going.”
* * *
“You need to rest thoroughly through the weekend. I’ll contact your homeroom professor, so let’s have you admitted for two days.”
That evening, I headed to the school infirmary.
There were classes Thursday and Friday, so I needed some official permission to skip them legally.
No need to fake an illness for a rest recommendation, though. From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.—minus one hour for meals—that was eleven full hours of training. I was already a walking zombie.
‘Zombies don’t walk, though...’
Look at me. My brain’s not working right either.
My gaze wandered until I remembered the doctor was right there. I composed myself and replied calmly.
“I’d rather rest in my dorm. Is that possible?”
“At this stage, it’d be better to stay here in the infirmary.”
“My own room’s the most comfortable for me.”
“Hmm. Then come back Friday. We’ll check your condition again then.”
Perfect. That bought me time to grind out those four skill points.
I left the infirmary and looked around.
A thick fog blanketed the paths, heavy as if rain were imminent. In the aftermath of the incident, no students wandered about, and no voices drifted from the buildings.
It was impossible to believe yesterday had been a festival. The silence was eerie.
Thinking back to what happened made a bitter pang twist in my chest.
I quickened my pace to shake it off.
‘Maybe check my status window during the commute.’
Lucas René Ascanien
Title: Sir Nicolaus
Stamina: +1.4 (+0.1) [+4.4]
Mental Strength: -0.9 (+0.2)
Mana: ?
Skill: +2.85 (+0.15) [+5.85]
Impression: -9.9 [-6.8] [+6.61517849]
Luck: +1.25 (+0.1)
Traits: Dawn777, Divine Power, Charm (Lv.2), Retry (Lv.1)
It was 2.7 at the start.
Twelve hours later, up by 0.15.
Since it was positive, I’d been tracking even 0.001 gains, and training while chugging potions to revive my near-dead stamina had paid off with decent progress.
Back at the dorm for dinner, then to the training grounds. Leo, sitting in the corner with his bag, handed me an envelope.
“Investigation results are in. You were looking for the orphanage donor list, right?”
“Fast work. Thanks.”
“No problem. Clock’s set—let’s start training in thirty minutes.”
At my request, the Wittelsbach side had reached out to the Prussian Investigation Bureau.
I’d figured it would take longer this time, but the results came back just as quick as when I’d tasked Bayern.
I flipped through the file, scanning the names.
‘Hmm... Maybe because they’re early-game extras, some names ring a bell, but nothing solid.’
To remember long-term, I needed review, but it’d been over two months since I arrived here anyway.
About twenty donors on the list.
I’d asked for regular donors within the last year, so the pool was already narrowed.
‘Still, tracking down all twenty would take time.’
Luckily, I clearly remembered the two Pleromas were family, and they’d donated hefty sums each round.
That narrowed candidates to four.
‘Family, so think of it as two teams to investigate.’
Two teams? Manageable to meet in person.
Now I just needed to figure out, with Narke, what professions to disguise as for approaching them.
If things went smoothly, team up with Elias afterward.
As I read the list, Leo shouldered his bag and asked.
“What’d the infirmary say?”
“They said rest, obviously.”
“For how many days?”
“None of your business. We’re training anyway.”
“......”
Leo shut his mouth, unable to argue. He pondered something, then asked cautiously.
“Did I push too hard without giving recovery time?”
“You messing around now? Just keep doing what we’ve been doing.”
“No... That’s why I asked the house to brew some potions.”
“Already got some from the school infirmary.”
“These are better.”
Leo pulled a leather pouch from his bag.
Cocky much? But Wittelsbach quality checks out. I took the sorted potions without comment and downed them.
Rummaging further, Leo pulled out a box and said.
“Oh, and friends asked me to pass this on.”
“Hm?”
This bag’s a bottomless pit.
Inside: school-embossed stationery odds and ends.
Exactly the kind of giveaway prize from school. Not surprising.
A clear box beside it held Krapfen and blancmange lined up neatly.
“For the drama kids. They probably added the snacks. Said thanks for coming out.”
No appetite for snacks, but thoughtful amid the chaos. They must’ve struggled to prepare.
I’d thank them Monday.
Then Leo pointed at the file in my hand.
“So, you think Pleroma’s on this list?”
“Nothing to lose checking. Narke loves disguises anyway, so we’ll comb the suspects.”
Right, disguises needed for this too.
But not as Nicolaus.
Every move as Nicolaus was high-stakes—he should only appear at crucial moments.
Before that, show a face that’s neither Lucas nor Nicolaus.
Leo nodded without prying.
“Hmm, yeah... Narke’s perfect for scouting. What disguise?”
“Gotta think on it.”
Beep—
The stopwatch blared right as I finished.
Leo pocketed the watch, stood, and grinned.
“Training time. Think you can focus?”
* * *
Ding!
Congratulations!
‘Skill score reaches 4’ achieved!
‘Route 1 — 〈Proposal 2〉’ confirmed.
“Hey, the kid’s half-dead. Wouldn’t look weird in a coffin right now.”
“......”
Elias, who’d come to watch, clicked his tongue.
He yelled at Leo.
“Strauch was last week. Forgot?”
“I know. Sorry, I did think it was a bit much...”
Leo winced, covering one ear toward Elias.
Leo’s excuse held water, actually.
Once Bayern allied with the Papal Court to declare war on Pleroma, then hastily accepted the Imperial intervention to form a tripartite alliance—that’s when Leo started pacing for my stamina.
I was the one who’d undone that consideration.
‘Faster the better, no downside.’
Might as well max it while the stage is set. Otherwise, my political focus over combat magic keeps delaying skill growth.
‘Hit it a day early. Let’s check the numbers.’
Lucas René Ascanien
Title: Sir Nicolaus
Stamina: +2.2 (+0.8) [+5.2]
Mental Strength: -0.1 (+0.8)
Mana: ?
Skill: +4.0 (+1.15) [+7.0]
Impression: -9.9 [-6.9] [+6.61523261]
Luck: +1.75 (+0.5)
Traits: Dawn777, Divine Power, Charm (Lv.2), Retry (Lv.1)
‘Skill’s up, but stamina’s still the bottleneck.’
No way ten years of otherworldly health issues fix in two months.
At least 5.2 final means no mana strain. Good enough.
‘Anyway, pure skill score now matches the average for students here.’
Kids or not—they were—these guys were Empire-top for their age in prowess.
Before, mana brute-forced my technique gaps. Now, I matched their level.
As Elias kept glaring at Leo, he changed the subject.
“So, got the materials?”
“Obviously.”
A few days back, I’d asked Elias for disguise supplies.
Always prepped for mischief, he had plenty useful stuff.
Novel knowledge, but bringing it up naturally got him hyped, showing off options.
Elias noisily opened his bag.
“Ta-da~”
“What’s that?”
“Glasses.”
He shoved them in my face.
“Perfect for intellectual vibe. Try ’em!”
Thin silver frames, unlike modern ones—no curved temples, just connected. Museum-piece design.
No prescription in the lenses, but scratches made me look hazy in the mirror.
‘Satisfactory.’
“Brought clothes too! Try these!”
I draped the coat over my shirt.
Zero fashion sense: sidestepped trends, oppressively heavy seasonal feel. Fur coat crushed my shoulders—even for November, overkill.
Sized for Elias’s height matching mine, but baggy. He’d prepped it for stuffy-impression looks.
“Wow...”
“What.”
Elias shook his head instead of answering.
Leo, spectating, chimed in.
“Still looks like Lucas. Kinda like he’s handing out illegal pamphlets, though.”
“Now for color swap~”
“What’s with the illegal pamphlet vibe.”
I’ll take it as ‘trust the church’ preacher.
I snapped my fingers as Elias suggested.
Hair in my vision lightened. Eyes probably went blue too.
“Hmm, no good.”
“Too bright all over. Kinda Adrian Ascanien vibes.”
Both reacting like that? Can’t go as-is.
Need a new formula.
I pulled the divine power color book, sat Leo and Elias down.
“If none work, pick a color.”
* * *
After twists and turns, Narke and I disguised as local newspaper reporters.
No usable job fit our age otherwise.
To make youthful prowling believable, noble or mage—but those spook commoner donors.
High school sophomore? Style it right, pass for twenties. Adult enough now.
‘And if not, hide mage status for contingencies anyway.’
Monday came. I grabbed Narke—who seemed oddly chipper—and boarded a carriage north of the capital.
Permissions for interviews already secured via proxies.
I drew the curtain on the coachman’s window and addressed Narke.
— “Narke.”
— “Ooh, talking like this feels fresh, like you’re doing it too~?”
— “Yeah... Later, use your ability while I steer the convo. Might bring up sensitive stuff, so stay cool.”
Persuasion at 30%. No waste.
Great for offhand rudeness without them storming out mid-chat.
— “Got it. Red hair’s a nice change, Lucas.”
— “Weird?”
— “Nah. Hard to say? Not the color—it’s the whole styled look. Screams twenty-something revolutionary intellectual.”
— “......”
Different’s welcome.
Narke dressed sharper than expected: hair slicked back, my glasses. Didn’t scream usual Narke.
Peering out the window, Narke said.
— “Wonder which’s Pleroma. Your guess seems solid, though.”
Hadn’t explained my picks, but insight nailed it.
— “No hunches?”
— “Nope, haven’t met ’em. Predictions work best in the moment anyway.”
Fair.
Soon we’d meet; truth outs then. No need for wishful thinking.
Half hour later, the carriage halted on the capital outskirts.
We knocked at the pre-arranged address.
“Anyone home?”