[{"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-116":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},1474022,1923,"Chapter 116","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-116",116,"\u003Cp>“Hah, I swear, even just remembering that expression is hilarious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That kid is so straightforward, it makes teasing him way too fun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On our way back to the dorms, Elias kept chuckling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adalbert had been too stunned at first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he realized that the club president was probably going to accept me on the spot, he quickly recovered and even said he was looking forward to working together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that someone who admired Nicolaus could dislike Lucas…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was obvious in theory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing it firsthand still felt odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop teasing your little brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He wrote me another apology letter for Christmas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But other than that, we haven’t met.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…And then he just showed up today to laugh in his face and leave?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Classic Elias.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When we warped to Leo’s training ground, I spotted Narce already there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pai, perched on his shoulder, waved a little paw at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo stood there, slightly slouched, holding his wand with a crooked grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…At what point did my training ground turn into a meeting spot?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, Elias is obviously here to bother you, and Lucas was already supposed to train with you~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce said it so casually, as if it were obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So? What is it this time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re about to tell me to drop everything and leave, then no.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was… firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could already see how things were going to unfold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since I hadn’t trained properly since finals, Leo was definitely going to push me to the limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Narce shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no, it’s nothing urgent~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lucas, it’s actually about Vatican business.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it? Do we need to go somewhere?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith assigned me something, but it’s too much to handle alone…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I wanted to ask if you’d be willing to help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce… asking for a favor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What kind of job?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exorcism.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oooh~ Sounds fun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was supposed to perform an exorcism?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, it suddenly hit me that I was living in a fantasy novel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now that I thought about it, even in reality, religious people often talked about demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you ever heard of exorcist priests?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re the ones who beat up demons, right~?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias, clearly intrigued, whistled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pretty much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Roman diocese specifically requested our help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was already receiving exorcism training.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Wait, I think I’ve heard of that before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, Narce, are you actually part of that group~?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce laughed a little, almost shy about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias immediately clapped his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Not just part of it—he’s the head minister.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once again, this world reminded me that magic was everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it wasn’t that surprising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce’s stats were ridiculous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vice Minister of the Congregation had a Level 9 Insight, and even he didn’t recognize me as a believer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Narce, with just Level 2 Insight, had immediately figured out I was an atheist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So where are you operating?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here in the Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Imperial Church made a request to the Vatican.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And how does it work?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never learned how to perform an exorcism.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, don’t worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As long as you can use divine power, the process itself isn’t that hard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes sparkled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t really have a reason to turn him down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright. I’ll help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Great~!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll let them know Cardinal Nicolaus will be participating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This’ll officially count as your first Vatican mission.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Huh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still hadn’t fully processed that I was actually a Cardinal now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But hearing it phrased like that made it feel… real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, and Lucas—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you stay up all night?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was thinking we could head out at dawn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dawn? That soon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wanna do some preliminary scouting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can either Leo or Elias join us…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“ME ME ME ME ME! I WANNA GO!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias jumped up, yelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo simply covered his ears and sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…How old are you again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I turned 18 a few days ago~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I’m still older than you, Leo—unlike someone who’s still 17.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s only a few months.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, but I learned to talk first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re still shorter than me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll grow taller this year~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias declared, full of confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…He was still shorter than Leo even ten years later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No need to mention that, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Now that I think about it… Lucas already turned 18 too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been about two months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was so busy when I first arrived that I hadn’t registered it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And since the Education Bureau still used the academic age, I was technically still 17.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce, watching their banter, turned to Leo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But we can’t use divine power, you know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will that be okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re just scouting for now~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo hesitated for a second, then nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s still early in the semester, so I don’t have much to review anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Great! I’m glad we can all go together~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…But will Lucas be okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo stared at me, calculating something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…For some reason, his tone sent a shiver down my spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Well, Lucas definitely isn’t going anywhere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias patted my back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had been training nonstop for four hours since 8 PM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, I couldn’t stand up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, I was flat on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had actually gotten ready to leave—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment I changed clothes, my body gave up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good thing people here don’t wear shoes inside their bedrooms…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias chimed in from behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, but four hours is a pretty long time~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I was a kid, I’d collapse in three minutes against Leo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew for a fact that he had only collapsed in three minutes when he felt like it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo ignored his nonsense and offered a suggestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Next time, we should train as a trio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The balance is a little off, but learning Elias’s combat style would be useful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I laughed dryly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was just about learning Elias’s style, then wouldn’t it be easier to just watch them spar?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias suddenly brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, yeah! I wanna fight Lucas!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Use divine power and attack me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…No thanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t want to hear another word about training tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait… I haven’t checked my stats in almost three weeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Might as well take a look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lucas Rene Askanian]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Title: Sir Nicolaus\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Health: +3.0 (+0.5) [+6.0] Mental Power: +1.5 (+0.6) Magic Power: ? Skill: +4.4 (+0.3) [+7.4] Impression: -9.6 (+0.3) [-3] [+7.69523261] Luck: +3.3 (+1.05)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Traits: Dawn 777, Divine Power, Charisma (Lv.2), Retry (Lv.1)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>School reputation score used to be -6.8.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now it had shot up to -3.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than that—my health stat was at 6?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Alright, let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoa, where’d this energy come from all of a sudden?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What just happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias clapped his hands, laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood up in one swift motion and held out my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce, who had been watching quietly, took it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he did—a strong gust of wind slammed against my face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Did we come here for a vacation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a dry laugh at the sight of the lavish dinner table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this was why he insisted we all come together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had arrived at one of the Empire’s most famous resort towns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Technically, we were here because of a request from the Vatican, not just for fun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But… since we happened to be at a vacation spot, Narce clearly wanted an excuse to drag us along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce, appearing suspiciously prepared, casually pulled out a bottle of wine and grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The official exorcism mission starts this weekend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s still Monday, so today we’re just getting familiar with the area~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So basically, we’re just relaxing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, and Lucas—I really do need your help for the actual mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no way I can handle this alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce chuckled awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was saying that, then just what the hell was going on here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce poured himself a glass of wine and explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be honest… I brought you guys here because I realized we never really took a break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We only get two weeks of vacation, and we spent all of it taking exams or working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not fair, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had taken the exams on purpose to avoid going home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Elias and Leo?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t as desperate to stay away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they probably felt robbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias, stuffing his face, mumbled through a mouthful of food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah~ A guy’s gotta relax sometimes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I wasn’t worried about getting held back, I’d have skipped school too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Man, I was scared they’d find the curse marks still left in my body.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chew before you talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo muttered from across the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…At least Elias was enjoying himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guy was shoveling food into his stomach like he’d been starving for days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aahh~ This is amazing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You literally already ate dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You sure you should be eating that much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I digested all of that two hours ago~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce, watching this spectacle, swirled his wine bottle and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You guys wanna drink?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll only pour one glass each, though—don’t wanna get drunk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias’s eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, finally!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve been waiting for a friend who actually gets it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You guys go ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo, clearly still traumatized by his last experience with alcohol, declined with a grimace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Elias had already poured himself a full glass and chugged it down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You still hung up about the Catacomb wine?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That doesn’t count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The moment those drugs hit, it wasn’t alcohol anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, Champagne isn’t even real alcohol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just carbonated water.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The hell kind of logic is that?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just not your taste.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them launched into a heated debate about Champagne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, I glanced out the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a noble estate far from the nearest town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All I could see was forest and mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce had said that the lord of this land had requested the Vatican’s help because people were becoming possessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no divine mages in the local diocese, so they had to send for the Vatican.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If a rumor like that spreads, the businesses here are screwed.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place was called the Summer Capital of the continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every year, nobles from all over came here to vacation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But right now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was winter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main attraction, the hot springs, were under maintenance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So there were no tourists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, the local noble said he’d open part of the hot spring for us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The repairs were probably almost done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was thinking, I overheard my friends switch topics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were now discussing going to the hot springs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“C’mon, we’re in Baden-Baden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’d be a crime not to go soak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right after eating?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not supposed to expose your body to high temperatures immediately after a meal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Man, you’re so from a doctor family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I was just looking out for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, no one went to the hot springs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, Elias and Narce left to do some early scouting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lay down on my bed, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Demons, huh.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much the Church preached, most people treated demons like boogeymen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even some priests did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I used to think the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that I was a Cardinal—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it was just an honorary title—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should probably take this seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Might as well start building my track record.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t exactly the noblest reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But whether or not my intentions were pure didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as I took the job seriously, I would succeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I checked the local newspaper but found nothing useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like they were suppressing information to keep the rumors from spreading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Guess I’ll have to ask around myself.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having free time felt weird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I opened the exorcism ritual book Narce gave me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spent the next few hours drilling the ritual procedures into my brain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, I closed the book to rest—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only to immediately start thinking about the Imperial Family again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Leo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was the final report on that drugged wine I gave you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t tell you the details?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We still don’t know what it was made of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ingredients don’t exist in the Empire.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It reminded me of Adrian Askanian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prince Adrian’s hostility toward Elias had never been this blatant before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So it’s not Adalbert who’s the problem—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s the first prince.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must’ve been desperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike in the novel, Elias had someone backing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was enough to change things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it meant that not just Elias—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was now on his hit list too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If I reveal myself as Nicolaus, the Emperor and Adrian could join forces.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had created Nicolaus to deceive Adrian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that had kept me alive this long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I revealed the truth now, Nicolaus and Lucas would merge into one identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were three people just waiting for a chance to tear Nicolaus down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t about to let them use me as their scapegoat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Looks like I’ll need to strengthen my position in the Vatican.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To stop them from framing me, I needed to secure my Cardinal influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that meant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This exorcism mission just became important.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only way to get answers was to start investigating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Alright. Time to sleep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loud bang shook my bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pai, who had been curled up on my pillow, suddenly lifted its head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at Leo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked just as confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOOM—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[AAAAAAHHHHH—!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A piercing scream echoed through the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt chills crawl up my spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo and I locked eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>",2278,"2026-06-06T03:11:08.303Z",1,"novelbin.me","4a8e93cc259224551ff05e61fedd4c54e5be3768139ab594d2cfeb2af0d6bfd8","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-117","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-115",367,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-cover.jpg"]