[{"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-91":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},1473997,1923,"Chapter 91","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-91",91,"\u003Cp>[This concludes the semifinal examination. We will now announce the teams advancing to the finals.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, we smoothly advanced from the round of 16 to the quarterfinals and then to the semifinals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, to be honest, the difficulty spiked noticeably in the round of 16, and we had a hard time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the end, we managed to go further than our initial goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“S-Semifinals...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Did we really make it to the semifinals? I’m pretty sure our goal was just the round of 16.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, when did we pass that point already?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce laughed carelessly as he shoved his hands into his pockets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was unclear whether he had foreseen the results of the tournament using his abilities earlier or if it was just his usual personality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You shouldn’t be thinking about me right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s that supposed to mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re the one who’s the most laid-back here. We were up against the best alchemy school in the Empire, and you didn’t seem nervous at all~!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starting from the quarterfinals, all our opponents had been from the prestigious Bavaria School of Alchemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Leo, who had been calm throughout, showed subtle signs of tension from the quarterfinals onward, likely due to the weight of our competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahhhhhh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Woooooahhh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, cheers erupted from the section where our school’s students were seated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked up at the scoreboard, and there it was—our school’s name shining brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘We made it to the finals.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That perfectionist of a brother wouldn’t tolerate being unaware of such developments. He was surely observing this, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, I had already achieved my goal of acting in direct contradiction to his plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, technically, we’d already done so by entering the round of 16.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I smiled faintly at the scoreboard, a student from Class 1 slapped my back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Man, I didn’t know you were this chill~ I’m jealous!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was about to start crying when you didn’t show up earlier...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gross.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo cringed at the exaggerated description.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I responded to the Class 1 student’s remark with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There’s no reason to be nervous.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing the places we could win and the places where victory was out of reach helped avoid disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some fields could be won through pure memorization, while others couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given that we’d crammed for this competition, it was almost impossible for us to beat the top students from the Empire’s best school in the highest-difficulty sections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Still, we made it to the finals....’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luck was undeniably on our side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that we had advanced with a mere 0.5-point lead over the other team was proof of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another 30 minutes passed, and we finally withdrew our hands from the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[This concludes the final examination.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Leo, usually composed, looked visibly nervous, as if the situation didn’t feel real to him yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By making it to the finals, our team had already secured a prize as representatives of the Imperial Second Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, the results didn’t matter much, yet it seemed impossible not to feel nervous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[We will now announce the scores for each team.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Second-year representative team from the Imperial Second Academy: Experiment Score, 28.5 points.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Second-year Team 1 from the Bavaria School of Alchemy: Experiment Score, 29 points.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[With each team receiving an additional 10 bonus points... The winning team is the Bavaria School of Alchemy’s Second-Year Team 1!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d expected a 2-point difference, but only 0.5?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We did better than I thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Though what concerns me is...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I might be the only one satisfied with this outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even reaching the semifinals was a stroke of incredible luck, but the people directly involved often fail to see that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned my gaze from the scoreboard to look at my teammates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Great work, everyone~!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s finally over!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, none of them seemed disappointed with second place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hoping for victory after just a week of preparation would have been unreasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our school’s students exchanged light greetings with the opposing team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo, looking thoughtful, muttered while gazing at our school’s name on the scoreboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the first time in this tournament’s history that an out-of-region school has earned an award.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His Majesty will be proud. Even if it’s from a Prussian school, it’s basically your accomplishment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, His Majesty expanded this competition for other reasons, so he’s probably satisfied with those outcomes and not thinking about my role in this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No way. He’s still your father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, he’ll probably be pleased.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For once, Leo responded with a student-like smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[In 10 minutes, the award ceremony will begin. All participants, please proceed to the waiting room.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we were heading toward the waiting room, a staff member approached us in a hurry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lucas and Narce, please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Follow me for a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is unacceptable. There are 10,000 people waiting because of you, sir. Let’s wrap this up quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The investigator shook his head in frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, both the arena and the lab were under restricted access.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was because the man Narce reported had remained completely silent the entire time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, there had been someone monitoring me outside our team’s lab. According to Narce, they fled the moment they saw him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said the door locked the moment you arrived?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And this gentleman confirmed Lucas was trapped inside?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The investigator turned to Narce for confirmation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, there was a lock spell on the door handle. The lab supervisor verified it as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right. We keep getting corroborating testimonies, yet staying silent like this will only make things worse. You realize how quickly the headline ‘10,000 People Delayed by One Man’ can spread?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, do you even understand what you’ve done? The person you locked up isn’t just any noble; he’s the son of the Duke of Anhalt. If Askanian hears about this, they won’t take it lightly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When reasoning failed, the investigator resorted to invoking my family name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, I knew Askanian wouldn’t care much about this incident—but that was my secret to keep. The man sitting in front of me, however, grew visibly more anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...It wasn’t me...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sure, sure, of course not. You didn’t do it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conversation stalled again, and the investigator’s expression darkened further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this rate, the building might still need to be sealed even after today’s competition ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A simple matter could escalate into an international incident involving the imprisonment of a foreign noble from a ruling family, right in the heart of Bavaria. I couldn’t blame the investigator for feeling overwhelmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I lacked insight-based abilities, the look on his face suggested he was considering seeking a warrant to useDivine Power. Not that it would do any good—there weren’t any investigators here capable of wielding it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It doesn’t matter much to me if this blows up....’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real issue was Bavaria’s position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how insignificant Luca might seem, he still held a title that couldn’t be ignored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this incident were to be publicized as a foreign noble from a ruling family being detained in the middle of Bavaria’s capital, it would be Bavaria facing the fallout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s unlikely this man is the mastermind. My brother’s involvement suggests at least two or three intermediaries.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps this man was afraid of retaliation from the true culprit if he said the wrong thing. If that was the case, he might open up to someone more trustworthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone with the authority to protect his identity, for instance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the Investigation Bureau excels at protecting identities, it isn’t trusted by the public.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If we want someone more approachable... Nicolaus might work. Should I give it a shot?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, Narce lifted his head sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, that could work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pardon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was reading my thoughts again, wasn’t he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce gestured to the investigator, suggesting a private conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Picking up on the cue, the investigator instructed a colleague to watch the suspect and moved to a back room with us, locking the door behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you. I’ve got a question. Doesn’t Lord Ernst work with the Investigation Bureau?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Ernst? You mean Lord Nicolaus? No, he’s with the Royal Army. This is the Bavarian Federal Government, after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about letting him handle the interrogation? If you get a warrant for Divine Power, he could conduct it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? But he’s not part of the Bureau, and...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The investigator tilted his head, clearly uncomfortable with the idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it against regulations?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, not exactly. He could assist with the questioning, but isn’t he supposed to be guarding the Crown Prince?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it wasn’t forbidden, but summoning the Crown Prince’s escort to interrogate someone felt excessive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce and I exchanged glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we got approval, it was possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, we dashed back to the waiting room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the investigator offered to make contact himself, we decided to inform Leo and get permission directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s not like I can contact myself, right?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nicolaus couldn’t be both present and absent at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo stood as soon as he saw us enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re back? Who’s behind this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We haven’t found them yet. Leo, I’m heading to the Investigation Bureau.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo raised an eyebrow as if to ask why I hadn’t already gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—“I’m borrowing Nicolaus.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, him. Do as you like.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded and turned to leave, but Leo called out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lucas.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just in case, tell them you have my permission. I’ll back you up if needed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Need anything else from me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve done enough. See you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo gave me a puzzled look, then nodded as he figured it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly prepared myself and teleported to the Investigation Bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knock, knock—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened almost immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The investigator from earlier greeted me warmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, it’s an honor to meet you, Lord Ernst. Thank you for coming so quickly after our request.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having just seen him, his formal greeting felt oddly stiff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adjusting my altered voice, I responded, “I was informed this could escalate quickly. Where should I go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This way, please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The investigator led me down a corridor while explaining the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He refuses to talk. The only thing he’s said is his name, and even that took ten minutes after mentioning potential punishment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He handed me a file.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this the case summary?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, based on witness statements. However...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s a spell blocking Divine Power. We discovered it while inspecting him for a warrant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Where is it applied?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The arteries. We don’t yet know how to undo it. As you know, there aren’t many Divine Power mages in the kingdom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They’re pulling out all the stops.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone had gone to great lengths to prevent this interrogation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we can’t use Divine Power, is there any issue with trying other methods to make him talk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our current understanding says no. But he remains stubbornly silent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see. Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pushed open the heavy iron door and stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man from earlier sat slumped over, his head hanging low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good evening, Mr. Jürgen Edder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at me briefly before lowering his head again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not being able to use Divine Power wasn’t a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could resolve this calmly, relying on the information in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘First, let’s confirm one thing.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Jürgen Beck]Favorability +6\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Huh.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still couldn’t get used to it. Even someone involved in such shady business didn’t have a terribly negative impression of Nicolaus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that wasn’t the issue now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Or should I say, Jürgen Beck?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He visibly flinched and looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noting his expensive suit and gleaming watch chain, I spoke softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By reacting like that, you’ve just proven your last name isn’t Edder. What do you think of that?”\u003C\u002Fp>",1949,"2026-06-06T03:11:08.303Z",1,"novelbin.me","2d3a1ecab9eb25716871cc7e54c91d1a910d9ebebadf3f24c21dc246dd43ecd6","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-92","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-90",367,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-cover.jpg"]