[{"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-35":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},1473941,1923,"Chapter 35","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-35",35,"\u003Cp>In Luca’s memory, the man standing before him was the long-time steward of the Askanian family, always by his father and brother’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not being a mage, his face had aged naturally, with prominent deep wrinkles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hardly recognized you, you've changed so much since I last saw you. It’s good to see the brightness you had as a child returning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying that to me wouldn’t change anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced at the box in his hand and replied, “You remember me as a child?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, you had this sharp look in your eyes. It pained me to see you struggle so much with your constitution as you grew up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t bother to respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded as if understanding and looked around slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steward smiled broadly and gestured for me to follow. I matched his pace as we walked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We circled around the school’s outer perimeter until we were near the back gate. Then he led me through a winding alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long climb that left us slightly breathless, we finally stopped in front of a small door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door was barely wide enough for one person to pass through, but inside it opened up into a triangular space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the open windows, one could see the river and the surrounding forest of the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I used to visit this place often when I was your age. It looks the same.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re an alumnus here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I attended with your father. Though I only graduated from Imperial Academy No. 2.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled back as he ordered tea and asked about my well-being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you feeling better? You were in poor health for quite some time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t say I’m fully recovered.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked into my eyes with concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised my eyebrows and replied, “But I can manage my studies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, yes. I received word from the school last week. You ranked within the top ten of your class. Congratulations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your brother was very pleased. The Duke was surprised as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the server placed teacups and spoons in front of us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the brief pause, I brought up the main topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What brings you here today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There is a request for you to take your medicine directly every three days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every three days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s excessive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed the black wooden box on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From your brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened the clasp and handed me a diamond-shaped vial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please take it with your tea. I heard the next dose is due the day after tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked down at the tea in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rich scent of Earl Grey milk tea wafted up, and beside it was a jar of sugar cubes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I accepted the poison vial, he opened the sugar jar and used tongs to place a few cubes in my cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This had always been the routine. A clear scene in Luca’s memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I mumbled as I handled the diamond-shaped vial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not a request.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded, understanding my meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s an order.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly added, as if to explain the violence of the word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since Adrian is working with the imperial family, he gets news about Pleroma quickly. He says the current situation is unsettling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I waited in silence, prompting him to continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s a rumor, though not yet reported, that Pleroma is developing biochemical weapons in the northern empire.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I almost laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bit the inside of my lip to suppress my expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That information was relayed this quickly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t expect any parliament members to seriously consider it yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though you share Pleroma's constitution, the Askanian family knows you mean no harm. But outsiders think differently. With Pleroma's crimes becoming more severe, your safety could also be at risk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, they want to protect me from the dangers associated with Pleroma's traits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Insisting on administering the medicine personally shows how paranoid and perfectionist my brother has become.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Adrian is also worried about that, so he sent me here. Taking two vials a week alone must be mentally taxing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So now I really have to drink two vials a week.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Sigh.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They intend to kill me slowly but faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My core has gotten stronger since that day in the basement, so I can endure more than before, but...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s insane.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My brother is very meticulous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled gently and gestured as if offering something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, if I forcefully leave or refuse here, it would be the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be a quick and easy way to die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I removed the cap from the poison vial with a flick of my finger and poured the liquid into the tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black liquid sank heavily into the pale grey surface. I stirred it lightly with the teaspoon and brought the cup to my lips as casually as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the dilution in the milk tea, my throat didn’t burn immediately, but it didn’t take long for the sting to spread from my tongue to my esophagus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a sharp pain radiate through my stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like all the blood in my body was being sucked downward to avoid the poison. My vision turned bright red, then black, and I couldn’t see even with my eyes open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A curse nearly escaped my lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled and put the cup down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You've become quite composed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You used to cry a lot as a child. You said it tasted awful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Luca’s memory, it wasn’t just as a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later on, it wasn’t the taste but the sense of despair that caused it. He wouldn’t know that and didn’t need to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just smiled, and he wrinkled his eyes in a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You used to avoid looking people in the eye, but you’ve improved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I couldn’t disgrace my brother's name, so I tried hard. Sometimes people said bad things about him because of me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but cough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he didn’t care at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Luca’s memory, coughing almost to the point of vomiting after taking the medicine was routine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering those memories and my experience a month ago, the poison should affect me more strongly now, but it’s clear my health has improved as I can endure it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see. Students are quite young…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head, eyebrows furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My brother is the reason I’m alive today. I didn’t want to disgrace his name even if I couldn’t live a normal life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that’s why you tried so hard. It’s admirable. I’m sure the Duke and your brother are proud.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s still challenging. The Duke feels like family, so it reminds me of home, and it’s comforting. It seems my efforts are paying off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm glad you're feeling comfortable,\" I replied with a smile and checked my watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s almost time for the next class. I should be going.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course. I’ll escort you to the front gate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We left the teahouse and walked through the winding alleys back to the school’s front gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve informed the school about the class you missed, so you don’t have to worry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll see you in three days, Young Master.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded and entered the school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this cold weather, I started sweating. Maybe I was already sweating before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly headed to the nearest building and leaned against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tension released, and what I should have felt earlier hit me now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t unbearable personally, but my focus and gait might look odd to others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I cleanse myself here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, I need to learn specific spells for self-cleansing, and this isn’t a minor issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, using magic outside the dormitory carries risks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While resting on the back step of the building, something scurried up my neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar furball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lucas! Narce said to come to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to answer sincerely but failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Pie didn't mind my poor response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pie, holding a root in his mouth, brought it to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eat this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Didn’t you bring this yourself?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Narce said if you say that, it means you need it. And it's clean!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce predicts even this? It’s amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I took the root from Pie, my fingers felt a chill as if dipped in holy water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sensation wasn’t bad, so I chewed and swallowed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain in my throat disappeared quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still felt weak, but I could walk. Pie examined my face closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you okay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do animals smile? It seemed like Pie was smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Pie on the verge of chatting, I laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Narke used to give this to people often in the Papal State! I helped a lot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I dusted myself off and headed to the classroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some faces showed they wanted to know why I was called out. They were all friends from our group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell them anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I signaled my thanks to Narce and collected my notes to head to the infirmary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Skipping classes is always nice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I hadn’t planned to skip like this, I wouldn’t miss this chance to lie down and organize my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more prescription records I have, the happier my brother will be, so it's a win-win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In summary, my brother wants me dead quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Giving me more medicine without knowing I use magic means he just wants me to die sooner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately acted upon hearing about Pleroma's new experiment, showing he’s still haunted by the midterm results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He probably never expected me to improve my grades, so it must have been a huge shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Telling me to improve my grades was just a way to make me feel more frustrated and confirm my helplessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I jumped from the bottom of the class to the top ten with one word, making me a bigger thorn in his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He's desperate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as fear and trembling took over, making my skin pale, I smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how he tries to kill me slowly, my plan won’t change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Ding!*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**〈 Chapter 4. Constant Dripping Wears Away a Stone (2) 〉**\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**Quest 2: Achieve an [Impression] score of 5 (0\u002F1) (167 hours 59 minutes 55 seconds)**\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* Route 1 — 〈 Special Reward for Chapter 4 〉\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* Route 2 — 〈 Chapter 5. Do Not Praise the Day Before Evening Comes 〉\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On strategy meeting day, a student nervously bit their nails and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are we going to do now, Lucas? The parliament is stonewalling us. Do you have a plan?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have a plan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"….\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The response wasn’t from me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias spoke with a sly smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go to the media.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The media?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why didn’t we think of that before?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the novel, the parliament responded like an answering machine, and Elias turned to the media.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the fact that the Security Bureau's barriers, nearly ten of them, were failing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s clearly the imperial family's fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'And the media isn’t friendly to the imperial family.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without magical support from the government, the media couldn’t operate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias’s tip would be ignored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait a minute, I don’t think the media will be any different from the Security Bureau or parliament.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, I think the same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Me too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The students looked at Elias, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Important people don’t understand polite requests. But if their careers are on the line?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Their careers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you threaten the media directors' careers, they’ll have no choice but to report it. Don’t worry, guys. It’ll definitely get out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias blackmailed the media directors into running the story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main article in the Empire Times and numerous other outlets triggered public outrage, pushing the parliament to pass the agenda hastily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strengthened barriers restrained Pleroma, but also mobilized government mages, resulting in a blow to Pleroma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But reputation-wise?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That seems dangerous, Eli.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Yeah? What do you think?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias reclined in his chair, smiling as if eager to hear my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the novel, Elias made the empire safer and curbed Pleroma's rampage, but he didn’t get the recognition he deserved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The collaboration between the media and the imperial family ensured Elias’s efforts remained unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the same method would make me an enemy of both the imperial family and the media.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that can’t happen.\u003C\u002Fp>",2052,"2026-06-06T03:11:08.023Z",1,"novelbin.me","8c27bf193ed2f30e9f8cf232fdcc77c9d58923ae942b5dc6c6f43000cef89eeb","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-36","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-34",367,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-cover.jpg"]