[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil":3,"chapter-how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-103":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1474009,1923,"Chapter 103","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-103",103,"\u003Cp>At my question, the friend sitting next to me opened his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He ate a rat over the weekend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Philip said he saw it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remark instantly annoyed me, and my face twisted in irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the emotions weren’t mine. I couldn’t influence the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you even trust what he says? Get your priorities straight, what are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another friend, sensing the atmosphere, chimed in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, he’s trying to clean up his record now. He wouldn’t spread baseless rumors and risk disciplinary action.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I half-listened to their words, my gaze fixed on the back of the training hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas stood there, head hanging low, unmoving. His long hair obscured his face, making it impossible to see his expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When did he grow it out so much?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philip ambled over, bringing a few of his friends along. He addressed the group of students surrounding Lucas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We were asking if it’s true. Did he really eat a rat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If they found a corpse in his bag, doesn’t that say it all? What, was he planning a funeral and kindly stored it there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philip leaned into Lucas’s face, mocking him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Say it. Is it true or not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, he doesn’t want to talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn... if you hate this, hate that, hate everything, why don’t you just drop out? Why are you even here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, isn’t dropping out just your wish?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not just mine, it’s everyone’s. This school’s reputation is trashed because of him. Now any riff-raff can get in if they pay enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Philip’s loud taunts echoed, the noisy training hall quieted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other students began stealing glances at the commotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, say something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philip’s relentless gaze bore down on Lucas, but Lucas stayed silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only opened and closed his mouth as if searching for the right words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philip sighed dramatically and straightened his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“God, you’re such a pain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philip kicked Lucas’s legs out from under him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas lost his balance and fell. He tried to push himself up reflexively, but Philip pretended to be surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, sorry! You know I didn’t mean to do that, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t look sorry at all. Grow up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m serious. Why don’t you apologize to Lucas instead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why should I? You’re the one who did it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heartbeat quickened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to yell, Why aren’t you using magic? Why are you just taking this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was angry seeing a mage, someone I admired, being treated this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a pathetic reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, I’d projected my ideals onto Lucas, expecting him to live up to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philip and his friends laughed among themselves in their fake, exaggerated voices as they looked down at Lucas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I said, are you okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’m….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas’s faint voice was barely audible, but it seemed to satisfy Philip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philip grinned and yelled loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, he’s fine! If anyone tries to pick a fight over this, bring it on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word wasn’t from Philip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas raised his head to look at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face twisted in a mix of emotions, but the irritation rising within me made me not want to look at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Damn it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The feelings were vivid and immediate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart raced as if I were reliving that exact moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to stop myself from speaking, but I couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re going to keep making noise, do it outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My voice was cold, and the room froze like someone had poured ice water over it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d never stepped in to mediate a situation like this before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this kind of irresponsible intervention?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shock started to creep into Lucas’s wide-open eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh… ah….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philip hesitated, mumbling as his expression twisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he leaned close to Lucas and whispered something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas, faced with Philip’s menacing glare, nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas stumbled down the steps and stopped at the training hall’s front door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to turn away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, as if trapped in this memory, I kept staring at Lucas with disdainful eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this was the same period, I probably had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s seeing this right now….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should’ve volunteered to read Lucas’s memory instead. Somehow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’d be no chance to apologize before this memory ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, I hadn’t even thought of apologizing back then—just anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this, I prepared a disciplinary meeting with the professor, but Lucas dismissed it as if it didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, I lashed out at Lucas, demanding to know how long he planned to keep this up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing where this memory began, it would probably show everything leading to that point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My stomach churned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The darkness in my vision narrowed, and my magic pulsing with blood felt like it was distorting and twisting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loud noise from behind made me instinctively turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philip, who had been lounging arrogantly, was now sprawled on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other students around him recoiled in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What... What just happened?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, argh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philip struggled against the force pinning him down, firing off spells in desperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What is this...?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, I realized I could move freely again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, that took long enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned my head sharply at the familiar voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the door stood Lucas, sweeping his long hair back as he snatched a wand from a nearby student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He climbed the stairs purposefully, pointing the wand at Philip’s friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, hold on—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas unleashed bursts of magic without bothering to aim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The students who had been standing with Philip screamed and retreated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wha—agh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahh! Stop!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve seen enough of you pretending to take detailed lecture notes. Watching you get smacked around is way more interesting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas’s eyes gleamed as he spoke in a sharp, clear voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t his words but the tone that struck me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t the Lucas from freshman year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood slowly, unable to close my mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What on earth was happening? Was I losing my mind?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas exhaled deeply and glanced at Philip at his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gah...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite earlier claiming it was pointless, Lucas kicked Philip and began walking down the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scanning the room, his gaze landed on me. His eyebrows rose slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas approached me. Before I could speak, he grabbed my collar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not going back, are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White light flared in Lucas’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The darkness at the edge of my vision cleared in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve read it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unexpected part was that the memory unfolded from Lucas’s perspective, not Leo’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant two things:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, this wasn’t a pure memory but a space created by magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, I succeeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s both.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering how I couldn’t move at first, it wasn’t just spatial magic. It was Leo’s memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The effort of biting into that lemon paid off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though I’d blessed it with divine power, it hadn’t changed the flavor—it took some effort to keep a straight face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This was like that experimental case from the Round of 64.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drugs that interfere with someone’s psyche.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary people, authorized by the government, use them without divine power. With alcohol, it was easy to approximate the ingredients.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, I could’ve used divine power to directly influence Leo’s mind, but it would’ve been too obvious. Using available materials was better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Besides, this plays right into Richthofen’s plans.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I couldn’t help but admire the implementation of this memory-sharing space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Their technique is impeccable.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I liked it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d achieved something the Empire couldn’t accomplish even with billions in funding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo’s guilt-ridden memories might seem ridiculous, but with the right target and selective memory manipulation, this could sow chaos far more effectively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’d love to use this on my brother, broadcast it across the country.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I try to snag a strand of his hair for this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amused by the thought, I checked Leo’s condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his magic had started to twist earlier, there was no trace of black magic now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo, flustered, tried to pry my hand away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-What, Lucas….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I was just wondering what kind of awful memory you had. And now, with this….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled softly and continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What exactly upset you so much about this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right, your standards are always impossibly high. That guilt must’ve amplified because you felt uneasy. That’s all. Are we done now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...You seem to be feeling pretty good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once again, I don’t see where you’re supposed to feel bad here….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just my opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Luca had truly been hurt, I wouldn’t have said this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luca himself thought it was unexpected for the class president to help him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo seemed fixated on the words, ‘If you’re going to be loud, do it outside.’ But who would interpret that as ‘Go outside and beat him up?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Obviously, it was meant as ‘Stop it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Leo overanalyzed it, replayed it hundreds of times, and mixed in Luca’s expression, making the misunderstanding worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Perfectionists are so tedious.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To others, it wasn’t a big deal. But he was tormenting himself because he didn’t respond perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look, the day before, and after that, I also—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just shut up already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo lowered his head, silent for a long moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The waves of magic emanating from him gradually stabilized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was obvious he wasn’t apologizing for the earlier memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes, now sharp as usual, showed he was apologizing for losing his composure. Not that there was any need to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lucas.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go. Unless you have some other plan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind us, Philip clutched his stomach and stood, yelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You—you used magic, no—divine power…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that how Philip sounded in your head?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’d say something like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, it did sound like him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I slammed my staff into the ground with all my might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The radiant white divine power rippled outward, enveloping everything, including our bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no cracks appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Usually, that’s enough to get us out of here.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being spatial magic, escaping this place and returning to where we were required breaking the enchantment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was there something my magic couldn’t overcome?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo stood and pulled out his wand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With my greater magic reserves, it would make more sense for me to handle this. But was he planning to try it himself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Getting us out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo smirked like he’d been waiting for the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No idea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sounded suspiciously like something I’d say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I watched as Leo pressed the wand against his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I realized what he was doing, my mouth opened in shock—then the world went black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were back in the same room as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat bolt upright and immediately spotted Leo, already on his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This bastard...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d fired magic into his own core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I glared at him, curses practically written across my face, Leo shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the field source is my memory, all I had to do was wake up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t wrong, but hearing it after the fact made it all the more absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now I understood why Leo had been so resistant earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d delivered most instructions bluntly, so naturally, he reacted the same way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Mirror therapy works wonders.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that Leo needed therapy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, as long as it worked, that’s what mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go find Elias.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have a plan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just do what we’ve been doing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait a second. If it’s that simple—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I extended my wand into a staff and attuned it to the core’s flow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, just like before, I slammed it into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light spread from the floor to the walls, and four robed figures materialized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, “materialized” wasn’t quite right—they were clearly startled, meaning they’d already been here, hidden by the spatial magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the—?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No wonder.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They must’ve been stationed at this original location, never expecting the spatial magic to unravel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surprise worked in our favor. Without hesitation, I transformed my wand into a dagger and drove it into the shoulder of the nearest figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Argh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the blade was made of magic, it didn’t cause serious physical harm. I only suppressed its power to avoid severing his arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as he screamed, he wildly fired off magic with his other hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no time to waste on defense. Shrouded in a magical barrier, I pushed through his attack and plunged my blade into his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Leo’s magic pulled me aside. Regaining my balance, I turned to see one of the robed figures fall to Leo’s attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Watch your back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gave a slight nod and scanned the room. Thanks to Leo’s quick work, three of them were already down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘His skills are as sharp as ever.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I hadn’t brought him along, it would’ve been a mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it’s just for appearances, having someone like him as my escort is invaluable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Placing my hand on the wall, I focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no magical activity outside, but reinforcements from the local militia would arrive soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We couldn’t let that happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m certain now where Müller is.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I let Richthofen slip away now, it would be a mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I’d just come up with a good idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I could make it seem beneficial for the Emperor on the surface, while secretly aiding the Catacombs, Richthofen could become a valuable piece on my board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo surveyed the area calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something feels off. There’s no way the Catacombs would create such a sloppy spatial magic setup.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think it’s a trap?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s possible. Without knowing what kind of person Richthofen is, we shouldn’t move recklessly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sloppy spatial magic was intentional—almost certainly Richthofen’s doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. It’s fine. He’s on our side.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Leo could scold me, I continued, pulling him along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s talk while we work. Did you see the black blood on those militia guys earlier? What do you think it is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like some half-formed Vitriol to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. Remember when I asked Richthofen for clear orders? Their goal is to capture Nicolaus, even if it means killing you two.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right. If Müller’s really in the Catacombs, he’d be with the militia. Probably as their leader.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smart guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded and continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Müller was known to oppose Pleroma, but now the entire militia under him is tainted with Vitriol. Why do you think that is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo stroked his chin thoughtfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe they were attacked by Pleroma. Promised they’d be freed from Vitriol if they handed you over?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. Vitriol is a high-grade material reserved for Pleroma’s elites. They wouldn’t waste it like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the mention of Vitriol’s power, Leo’s face hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must’ve realized what I was implying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…They made a pact with the Catacombs, didn’t they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exactly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under constant pressure, they probably decided they needed to get stronger—fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this insane plan to acquire Vitriol was likely the militia’s idea, not the Catacombs as a whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now, about Richthofen. He was stalling for time, wasn’t he?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And he knew both our names—‘Lucas Askanian’ and ‘Narce Farnese.’ But why did your drug show Leonard Wittelsbach’s memory?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he knew you were Wittelsbach, then he already figured out who Nicolaus is. That leaves only me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo’s expression hardened as he realized my train of thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And one more thing. If he knew our names, why weren’t they on the alert we saw earlier?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo calmly answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To hide which of us is Nicolaus—so Müller couldn’t use him as propaganda again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. Now, are we teaming up with Richthofen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo looked at me in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all this, how could I immediately propose an alliance?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smirking, I replied,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, we’re going to rough him up a bit.”\u003C\u002Fp>",2608,"2026-06-06T03:11:08.303Z",1,"novelbin.me","dc4fa8288f42cb43e82dc821d40619c2205ba84923f5439edba687d76ea32335","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-104","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-102",367,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-cover.jpg"]