[{"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-66":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},1473972,1923,"Chapter 66","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-66",66,"\u003Cp>‘I feel like I’m going to die.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t check the time, but it seemed like about three hours had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve been training for three hours straight, without a single break, and sweat was pouring down like water. Because of that, my eyes couldn’t even stay open properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually, I’d train for about three hours, but today’s training was on a different level of intensity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was too busy blocking the barrage of attacks being thrown at me to even find an opening to counterattack properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Is this bastard taking out his frustrations on me…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course not, but the thought crossed my mind naturally because the intensity of the training was so ridiculous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He, too, looked worn out from today’s insane pace, but unlike me, he hadn’t completely exhausted his stamina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I tried to get up, I ended up collapsing back onto the ground, lying flat. Leo asked in a tone that was anything but sincere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you need a little break?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only four days had passed since the day Strauch caused that damage, so I hadn’t fully recovered my stamina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pushing myself to the limit like this, it felt like I was dying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…But this isn’t the time to be complaining.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pleroma’s warning was directed at Nicolaus, and Bavaria was suffering the consequences of supporting me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I thought about that, this was nothing to endure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I braced myself on my knees and stood up, gripping my wand again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, let’s keep going.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You need to rest for the weekend. I’ll inform your homeroom teacher, so let’s have you admitted for two days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That evening, I went to the school hospital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starting the next day, Thursday, we had classes again, so I needed to get legitimate permission to skip class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I didn’t have to fake an illness to get a recommendation to rest. After training for 11 hours straight from 6 AM to 6 PM, excluding one hour for meals, I was already a walking zombie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But zombies do walk….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look at this. My brain isn’t even functioning right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wandered in my thoughts, then remembered I was in front of someone, so I composed myself and responded calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d prefer to rest in my dorm, if possible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Given your condition, it would be better to rest in the hospital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m most comfortable in my room.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, alright. Then come back on Friday, and we’ll check your condition again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good. Now I had time to reach that skill score of 4.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I left the hospital and looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fog was thick, almost as if rain was imminent, filling the path ahead. Due to the recent incidents, there were no students wandering around the campus, and not a sound came from any buildings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to believe that just yesterday, there had been a festival. It was eerily quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling what happened yesterday left a bitter taste in my mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickened my pace, trying to shake off the thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Might as well check my status while I walk.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas Rene Askanian\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Title: Sir Nicolaus\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stamina: +1.4 (+0.1) [+4.4]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mental Strength: -0.9 (+0.2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magic Power: ?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skill: +2.85 (+0.15) [+5.85]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impression: -9.9 [-6.8] [+6.61517849]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luck: +1.25 (+0.1)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Traits: Dawn 777, Divine Power, Charisma (Lv.2), Retry (Lv.1)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was 2.7 when I started.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, after 12 hours, it’s increased by 0.15.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given it’s a positive stat, I was even considering every 0.001 point. Thanks to reviving my dead stamina with medicine and training hard, it increased relatively quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I returned to the training ground after having dinner at the dormitory, Leo, who was sitting with a bag placed beside him, handed me an envelope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The investigation results came in. You asked for the list of orphanage sponsors, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was fast. Thanks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem. Let’s start training again at 30 minutes past the hour.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my request, the Wittelsbach side contacted the Prussian investigation bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought it would take a bit more time this round, but the results came in at a speed similar to when I had entrusted it to Bavaria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I flipped through the file and read through the names.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm…. There’s a name that rings a bell, but I’m not certain since they were just a minor character in the early chapters.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I want to remember for sure, I’d need to do a bit of review, but it’s already been over two months since I got here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were around 20 names of sponsors on the list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d asked them to find only those who had made regular donations within the past year, so the list was already narrowed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But it’ll still take some time to track down all 20 people.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, I clearly remembered that both Pleroma members were family and had been donating quite a large sum each time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that in mind, the list narrowed down to 4 candidates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Since they’re family, I can treat it as investigating two teams.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it’s only two teams, it’s worth meeting them personally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, I just need to figure out how to disguise myself and Narce to approach them, and if things go smoothly, I can move forward with Elias.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was reading through the list, Leo picked up his bag and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did the hospital say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, they told me to rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For how many days?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That doesn’t matter. We’re going to train anyway, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo couldn’t quite bring himself to say “that’s true” and just kept silent. He seemed deep in thought, then asked cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did I push you too hard, not giving you time to recover?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you kidding? Just keep doing what you were doing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No… I was actually concerned, so I had some medicine prepared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I already got some from the school hospital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This one works better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo pulled out a leather pouch from his bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was pretty confident. But with Wittelsbach, that’s understandable. I didn’t say much and just took the medicine he had sorted out and swallowed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Leo rummaged through his bag and pulled out a box, he spoke to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, these are from the others too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kept pulling things out of that bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I opened it, I found a bunch of miscellaneous school supplies with the school’s emblem on them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked just like the kind of prizes you’d get at school events, so I wasn’t surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along with them, there was a transparent box filled with Krapfen and Blancmange, neatly arranged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re from the people who were in the play. The snacks were probably packed by the students. They said thanks for stepping in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t in the mood to eat snacks, but I appreciated the sentiment. They must have had a hard time considering the chaos of the past few days. I should thank them on Monday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Leo pointed at the file I was holding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, you think there’s a Pleroma member on that list?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m just looking into it, nothing to lose. Narce likes to go undercover, so we’ll check out everyone who looks suspicious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, we’d have to go in disguise for this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not as Nicolaus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With everything riding on Nicolaus' every move, he has to be kept out of sight until the most decisive moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before that, it’s best to show up as someone who’s neither Lucas nor Nicolaus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo nodded at my words without further questioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm, yeah…. Narce is perfect for this. What will you disguise yourself as?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll figure that out now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beep—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stopwatch rang as soon as I finished speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo put away the watch, got up from his seat, and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Time for training. Think you can manage that while you train?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Congratulations!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“‘Skill’ score 4 achieved” completed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Route 1 — 〈 Proposal 2 〉’ confirmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, the guy’s about to drop dead. He wouldn’t look out of place in a coffin right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias, who had come to watch, clicked his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then shouted at Leo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He faced Strauch just last week. You know that, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know. I’m already feeling a bit… sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo grimaced, covering his ears against Elias’s shouting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo’s excuse was actually true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since Bavaria joined hands with the Papal State and declared war on Pleroma, forming a three-way alliance by quickly accepting the Empire, Leo had been considerate of my stamina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was me who undid all that thoughtful behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The quicker I raise it, the better.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I’m going to do it, I should raise it as much as possible while the situation allows. Otherwise, with my focus on political matters more than battle magic, my skill development would be continuously delayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Let’s check the stats since I achieved it a day early.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas Rene Askanian\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Title: Sir Nicolaus\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stamina: +2.2 (+0.8) [+5.2]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mental Strength: -0.1 (+0.8)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magic Power: ?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skill: +4.0 (+1.15) [+7.0]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impression: -9.9 [-6.9] [+6.61523261]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luck: +1.75 (+0.5)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Traits: Dawn 777, Divine Power, Charisma (Lv.2), Retry (Lv.1)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Skill is up, but stamina is still a concern.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After ten years of neglecting my health, there’s no way it would fully recover in just two months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a relief that my final stamina score is 5.2, enough to use magic without issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Anyway, my raw skill score has now reached the average level of students here.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though these guys seem childish—well, they are—their skill levels are among the best for their age in the Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until now, I’ve been compensating for my lack of technique with magic power, but now I’ve finally caught up to their level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Elias continued to glare daggers at Leo, Leo tried to change the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, did you bring the materials?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days ago, I asked Elias to prepare materials for a disguise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he always prepared thoroughly to cause trouble, he had plenty of good materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew this from the novel, but bringing it up naturally made him excited to show me various disguise materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias opened his bag with a dramatic flair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tada~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Glasses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias held a pair of glasses in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re perfect for a scholar’s image. Try them on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The glasses Elias brought were thin, silver-framed ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the glasses I was familiar with, these didn’t have bent arms and seemed like something you’d see in a museum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, the lenses had no prescription, but the surface was so worn that my reflection in the mirror looked quite blurry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s acceptable.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here, try on these clothes too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I draped the coat Elias handed me over my shirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a fashion disaster, completely out of touch with trends and heavy with an overwhelming seasonal vibe. Even though it was November, the fur coat was too much, weighing down my shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, despite Elias and I being about the same height, the coat was quite large. It seemed he had prepared this oversized, outdated coat specifically for an uptight look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias didn’t answer my question and just shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo, who had been watching from the side, commented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You still look like Lucas. Though now you look like you’re about to hand out some illegal pamphlets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now we just need to change the color~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean I look like I’m about to hand out illegal pamphlets?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll take that to mean I look like someone promoting a cult or something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I snapped my fingers as Elias instructed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strands of hair falling into my vision turned a bright color. My eyes had probably turned blue as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, that’s not it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Suddenly, everything’s too bright. This looks a bit like Adrian Askanian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With both of them reacting this way, it seemed I couldn’t go with this look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d have to memorize a new formula.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took out the color chart I had brought and seated Leo and Elias.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If none of these work, pick a color.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some trial and error, Narce and I disguised ourselves as local newspaper reporters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any other viable occupation would have been out of reach due to age constraints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we were to be taken seriously while freely moving around at a young age, we’d have to be at least noble or a mage, but those two statuses could be burdensome for the commoner sponsors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, with the right styling, a second-year high school student could pass for someone in their twenties, making us look reasonably adult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Also, even if it turns out not to be them, we should hide our mage status to prepare for any unexpected situations.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Monday, I took the strangely excited Narce with me and caught a carriage heading north of the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had already arranged interviews with the sponsors through an intermediary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled the curtain separating us from the coachman and spoke to Narce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—“Narce.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—“Oh, it feels different hearing you speak like this, too~?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—“Yeah…. Later, while I steer the conversation, use your ability. I’ll bring up some sensitive topics, so don’t be surprised.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s the point of having a 30% persuasion boost if I don’t use it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be useful to keep the conversation from abruptly ending when I broach a topic that might offend or unsettle them, so I’ll make the most of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—“Alright, got it. By the way, that red hair is new, Lucas.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—“Does it look weird?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—“No. How should I put it? It’s not the color, but the whole look—it screams young intellectual revolutionary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, as long as it’s different, that’s good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce had dressed more neatly than I had expected, but with his hair slicked back and wearing glasses like me, his usual image didn’t immediately come to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce, gazing out the window, commented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—“I wonder which of the two is Pleroma. Your hunch seems pretty reliable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t told him how I narrowed it down to two, but he must have figured it out with his Insight ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—“Got any leads?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—“Not yet. We haven’t met them, right? I’m good at predicting once I’m in the situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case, we’d find out soon enough after meeting them, so there’s no need to rely on luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After about 30 minutes, the carriage stopped on a road at the outskirts of the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We approached the building at the address we had been given and knocked on the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is anyone home?”\u003C\u002Fp>",2412,"2026-06-06T03:11:08.303Z",1,"novelbin.me","7446a5f4c1083bdb0624ce8f63eea0d73961bf757d703c881e967956234a878f","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-67","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-65",367,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-cover.jpg"]