[{"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-60":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},1473966,1923,"Chapter 60","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-60",60,"\u003Cp>\"Hmm...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opponent only had 12 chips, and he went all in?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It doesn’t matter to me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tilted my head slightly and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You can take your time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come on, we've been playing for a while now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, dude! Why are you checking when you know better? Just end it since you went all in!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guys from the Department of Public Administration drummed the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The student from the Department of Magic laughed and explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, that’s why he went all in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going all in was allowed, but otherwise, you could only bet 2 chips for the first bet. That was the rule I had read initially.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were his second turn, he would have raised 10 chips to match my bet, but it's his first turn. He can only bet 2 chips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wouldn't raise without chips, so the pot for one round would be a mere 4 chips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's what happened in the third round.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, he went all in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He must be eager to finish quickly.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this case, unless I fold, he would end up with a total of 122 chips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, what are you going to do? Fold?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pushed the chips in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's keep going.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, I saw the opponent's eyes waver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he smirked and turned his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's keep going.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas Askanian pushed all his remaining chips toward the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That's strange.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would he stay so calm when he's clearly going to lose?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that's how it's been all along. It's not surprising now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at his face and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You seem tired. We've been at it for a while, haven't we?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not really.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not very sociable, is he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shrugged my shoulders and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll reveal the cards.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dealer announced, and we turned our cards over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>J, K, J, 8, J, 3, 6.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The suits didn’t match meaningfully, but there was a triple with three Js.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dealer looked at my cards and said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's a triple J.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Askanian had one J, a four of a kind was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I actually wanted to aim higher, hoping for a full house, a combination of 3-2, meaning a triple with a pair....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. But getting a triple is still good.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rested my chin in my hand and watched as Askanian turned over his cards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Q, 2, J... and Q.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was another hidden Q.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he had a pair of Qs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understand why he was so confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Q pair is rated higher than a J pair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Simple.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind who doesn’t consider what might be hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's not surprising since he showed the same attitude throughout the dozens of rounds we played.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter what, a triple beats any pair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I was lost in thought, a friend jumped up from his seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's a Q and 2 two pair? No way! Wait a minute, oh my God...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What does it matter if it's a two pair when I have a triple....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I relaxed my chin to look at his hand, the dealer spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's a full house with Q-2.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A full house on his side?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In shock, I leaned on the table to get up, causing the chips I had placed to topple over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clatter―\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That means my chips...!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pot of 35 chips on the table and the 75 chips I had left were all transferred to Askanian, totaling 110 chips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of my friends smacked my back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, why did you go all in?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why didn’t you check and take him down in the 4th round...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still expressionless, Askanian sat with his arms crossed, staring down at his cards. Then he looked up and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That makes my chips 122, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's correct.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While we were dumbfounded, the dealer nodded. Then, to wrap up the game, he delivered the final line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The final winner is Lucas Askanian, the first poker champion of the morning!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang―!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shouted downstairs to the first floor and pulled out a paper firecracker from his pocket. Askanian seemed surprised by this unexpected celebration, looking at the student with an incredulous expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't worry. We'll handle the cleaning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Oh, okay... sure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, how do you feel? We're about to put your name up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My thoughts? I was surprised that everyone had more perseverance than I thought...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perseverance?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned at the absurdity of it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then something suddenly dawned on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No way....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Was he waiting for us to tire out all along?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might be overestimating him, but if everything he did, from bluffing with weak hands, raising after consecutive folds, and calling my reckless raises, was all to shatter our guard....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I understand why he took such risks every time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a strategy to survive thin and long until the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘By doing so, he could make his moves unpredictable when luck came his way.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you wait, luck is bound to come at some point. And that point was now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought he was just doing it because he was out of his mind....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Askanian, with his chin resting on his hand, smiled at us, not the dealer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thanks to you, I had fun, seniors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Huh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His name glowed with magic on the first floor visible below the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Askanian nodded and then stood up, passing by us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow, I knew you’d win!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Knew you’d win? You were biting your nails the whole time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias and Leo lightly bickered behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I brushed off the confetti sticking to my clothes and exited the building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My name was briefly displayed on the hall’s list, but I asked them to take it down. As a result, it wasn’t completely erased but kept anonymous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I checked the probability of change once again after stepping out, but there was no change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you see that 3rd-year guy’s smirk when he showed the triple? Man, I wanted to punch him, but Luca took care of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…‘That guy’? He’s the vice class president of the 2nd class, 3rd year. We might run into him later, so don’t let that get back to him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, you saw him often in the student council?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I saw him occasionally until last year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? Oh, anyway, I should’ve taken a photo of their faces earlier!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias shook his head, chuckling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his distinctive laughter, Leo laughed along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know, right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What do you take me for, Luca and you? I can think like you guys do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo shrugged with a small smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, did Luca have something to say to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When the art club offered another stamp for drawing, I sketched it out, and they seemed surprised.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s because they didn’t expect such a trick to work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I answered simply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No need to elaborate. Elias’ attention had already shifted elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, they give two stamps? I should check it out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, in five minutes, we left the exhibition hall again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias, having gotten the stamp, glanced at the visitors’ paintings and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, which ones are yours? Oh, here’s Leo’s painting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias pointed out a picture of Pai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since I went to look for Elias earlier, Pai hadn’t seen Leo’s drawing and stood up on my shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that me?! Is it me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could respond, Pai jumped onto Leo’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Can you recognize his drawings?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo gently removed Pai from his neck and placed him on his shoulder. It seemed like he was holding Pai, but it was just his short arms; he seemed to be hugging him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s learned human expressions….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe he picked it up from living with humans instead of his kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did he recognize it? The rabbit seems happy. So where’s Luca’s picture?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Elias’ question, I pointed to a picture pinned in the center of the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias squinted, tilting his head as if at a loss for words, and gestured with his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay, I see it. It’s unique.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression was nice, but it didn’t seem like a compliment from his gestures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s pretty ordinary. Look around.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s this, though? The kid has thorns.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like a lion at a glance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo reacted strangely to my reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…….\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What am I supposed to say?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving Elias doubled over with laughter, I just walked outside. Leo shouted at my back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hold on, Lucas! I wasn’t going to say anything! You’re not the only one who drew like that, so don’t worry. Besides, we don’t even have an art subject.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mocking me….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His habit of saying whatever came to mind was showing again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias laughed even harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was true I was never strong in music or art, so it was fortunate I wasn’t in physical education.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gestured to Elias, who was now sitting at the entrance, and Leo, who had followed us out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough. Let’s do something else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s time to find Narce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a quick meal and buying Pai a snack, it was already close to 1 PM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s still plenty of time since the play is at 10 PM, but since Narce has a leading role, it’s safe to find her early, considering rehearsal time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I contemplated sending Pai again, Elias pointed to a booth just opening. It was a shooting range set up in a spacious public training ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Want to try that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about your crutches?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aha~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In response to Leo, Elias clicked his tongue as if tired of the leg situation. Then he shook his head and approached the booth, inspecting the fake gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is a Gewehr knockoff. I remember getting in trouble for using magic to lift it about 5 years ago because it was heavy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo shook his head at Elias' choice of words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The workmanship is low; it seems to be a mere toy made to look similar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I picked up the gun, Leo widened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, you’re trying too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah. It’ll just be a moment anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve got time, so it’s fine, but do you know how to handle it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I wondered if this was another jab, I recalled that Luca was 17 years old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No way.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ruling family members enlist and train every vacation from a young age, so about half the students in the 2nd Academy’s Department of Magic know how to handle old weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem is that Luca couldn’t go to the military.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s unusual for a mage from a ruling family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it’s just a toy, it’s better not to attract suspicion by doing something questionable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After deciding, I handed the gun over to Leo and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right; I don’t know. You do it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gestured to Leo and stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a grim face, Leo took the safety gear from the student in the booth and started shooting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His accuracy was pretty high, even with the old-style training he occasionally participated in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Maybe I should look for Narce.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was about to ask Pai once more, he raised his arm and pointed into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, someone turned their head to look at us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lucas! Fancy meeting you here~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce handed the gun back to the student in the booth and smiled brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pai shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Narce~!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hi, Pai~ Oh, I was supposed to buy you a snack. Let’s go get some later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I already bought him one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, really? Thanks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced at Narce's spot and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Can you do this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm? It’s fine~ No one knows.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I laughed incredulously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enjoying yourself on an exchange visit, aren’t you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, how many did you hit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I missed them all. Oh, I think I could adjust if I tried a bit more. As expected, the Knight Department kids sweep the prizes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? I guess it’s because they’ve been doing it since they were young.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right! Haha, I only held a wand all my life, but it’s so different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce laughed as she watched the crowd gather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she asked me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, you have something to say to me today, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>",2037,"2026-06-06T03:11:08.303Z",1,"novelbin.me","f46b556de56fe613a8f22ac4e559d53bf81a8fc687eb8b710aac3d6ec8b964b1","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-61","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-59",367,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-cover.jpg"]