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Translator: uly
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family (3)
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'Leonard Wittelsbach.'
The man who had the greatest impact on the protagonist's victory, deeply entangled in Luca's story as well.
Born into a family renowned for generations in magical medicine, Leo succeeds in turning his brother's poison into a core enhancer.
The ingredients are surprisingly simple, but since I can't rely on the family, I'll need to build connections in the academy to obtain the herbs.
'The protagonist and Luca are the same age as him, too.'
I jotted down below it the story of Leo that I remembered.
By the time I'd filled up an entire notebook, I checked the clock. There was still more than half a day until departure.
'Time to look for the next thing to do.'
Just setting a proper target earlier had gotten me to 1/3 done, so anything even slightly helpful to me now had a good chance of passing muster.
'It'd be nice to rack up some points.'
Improving stamina or impression right now wouldn't be appropriate.
The best option before leaving is to test something from the skills category I can access.
I headed out of the room to find the library, memorizing the house layout along the way.
The hushed conversations and soft laughter that had been drifting over suddenly cut off. The servants who'd been going about their chores in the hallway froze stiff against the walls.
The ostracism Luca faced in the novel was now hitting me full force.
'Experiencing it firsthand is something else.'
It didn't bother me, though.
They were avoiding Luca, not the real me.
Savoring the novel experience, I reviewed the story details.
The servants weren't sucking up to Father or my brother. That alone wouldn't be reason enough to shun someone.
And my brother was so skilled at acting that most people never doubted his brotherly love.
The reason Luca became the target of avoidance was the rumors my brother had meticulously crafted over years.
He'd spread tales linking me to Pleroma for a long time.
Pleroma is a religious group that believes they can maintain immortality by absorbing others' mana through blood.
Most members are people who died long ago and reincarnated about ten years back, claiming they were revived by God's grace.
'Up to here, they're just crazy.'
To expand their influence, Pleroma kills living people and revives them.
Most attempts fail, leaving corpses, but very rarely, a body comes back to life with its mind wiped.
These revived bodies and Pleroma members absorb others' mana to sustain their flesh, and to minimize damage from direct mana absorption, they consume blood mixed with mana. A thoroughly creepy bunch.
My brother had painstakingly created incidents from petty controversies to outright murders, letting people's imaginations run wild about my sanity.
In the end, he succeeded in spreading the scandal without dirtying his own mouth.
The falsehood spread across the nation in an instant, and my brother put on an Oscar-worthy performance protecting Luca from the imperial investigators and press who stormed the estate.
That was nearly ten years ago.
For a decade, he relentlessly layered lies, sending his brother's image straight to hell.
All while polishing his own virtuous persona.
In the end, he fooled Father, the entire nation—even Luca himself. The servants were no exception.
'Better this way.'
If they're going to victimize me so openly, all the better.
It doesn't mean they won't care what I do, but it's far preferable to them meddling in everything.
Even as I turned corners and descended stairs, every servant reacted the same way.
Some even let out fearful sneers as a defense mechanism.
The eerie sensation of my presence floating detached and alienated didn't fade.
With Luca's memories merged, the emotions he'd felt revived, making the servants' attitudes hit even harder.
But unlike Luca, I didn't feel impatient.
'So what?'
Should I just vanish on the spot?
The more they act like this, the more I want to shove my face right in theirs.
For now, though, I need to keep my temper in check. This isn't the time to toy with them on a whim.
After roaming the house for a while, just as my stamina started to flag, I stepped into the first-floor library.
I browsed the shelves, pulling out history books and ones on magic.
Ding—!
Chapter 1 Special Reward
Turn your knowledge into skills! Perfectly assimilate the knowledge you acquire now. (0/1)
'Hm?'
They give this too?
I'd thought about it calmly, but the situation itself wasn't one to take lightly.
I racked my brains quickly.
'That 1 means it's a one-time chance.'
I glanced at the stack of books on the desk.
I couldn't waste this on history books. I could memorize those myself.
Fields where knowledge and results don't align well, ones requiring countless practices, those are ideal.
I shoved the history books aside and spread out the magic tomes I'd selected.
'Introduction to Basic Magic Studies.'
Useless, obviously.
I can handle basics on my own.
'50 Combat Spells for Real Battle.'
Tempting, but...
I can probably find something better. I'll learn that level at school anyway.
I piled all the books in one corner of the desk and headed to the shelf where the magic books had been.
'Master Everyday Magic Pharmacology: Change Your Life with This One Thing – Easy Study.'
Knowing it probably won't change your life.
'Absolute Taboo! Curses You Must Never Use.'
With rumors already flying that I'm in a bloodsucking cult, do I need to reinforce that?
And if this passed imperial censorship to sit in this mansion, it's hardly real curse magic. Probably just a general readership book.
'Let's think a minute.'
I can learn regular magic myself.
I need something hard for me to pick up, where time and effort cost a fortune in opportunity.
Only one answer.
I moved straight to another section.
Flipping through shelf by shelf, I finally found something worthwhile.
'Research on Divine Power as Authority.'
It detailed special magic using divine power.
Divine power is mana processed into a different form, fundamentally not much different from mana.
But as 'processed mana,' users of divine power handle both divine and regular mana adeptly, while pure mana users struggle greatly with it.
'Divine power is mainly for priests, but...'
I need it now.
Especially for this.
I eyed the table of contents for mind manipulation spells.
For emergencies, I needed to learn how to manipulate minds to silence people.
These spells strain the caster's stamina and mental strength tremendously, with many restrictions, so I couldn't use them on my brother even if I learned them...
'But I can delay news of my changes reaching his ears.'
In short, it expands my room to maneuver.
Plus, mastering divine power opens doors to various derivative special magics beyond mind control.
I opened the book and crammed every bit of knowledge on divine power into my head.
Acquisition was up to me. Not fully understanding, I just started memorizing mechanically.
Ding—!
Chapter 1 Special Reward
Turn your knowledge into skills! Perfectly assimilate the knowledge you acquire now. (1/1)
'Divine Power' trait acquired!
'Perfect.'
Memorizing alone did it.
I caught my breath and smiled.
* * *
I spent the night in the library, rising at the faint bell signaling the servants' wake-up time. Glancing at the clock, it was nearly time to head to school.
"Young Master."
Right on cue, the servant I'd seen yesterday came to fetch me from the library.
I followed behind him as he led the way, lost in thought.
The academy's a good distance. Probably takes four or five days.
No spatial transfer tools, I bet. Those act on a mage's core.
Luca was born a mage, but thanks to brother's weekly core-shattering poison, he can't do mage-exclusive stuff. High chance we're taking a carriage.
After passing countless corridors and gardens, we reached the outermost part of my building, where a single carriage waited.
'As expected.'
Not surprising anymore.
I nodded roughly toward the carriage and asked,
"How many days to the capital usually?"
"Ah, I... it took me just under three days. I'm new here, so I haven't heard about your case, Young Master."
Three days is three days. What's 'my case' supposed to mean?
I hadn't expected my personal servant to be sharp anyway, so I boarded without a word.
"See you next break, Young Master. Safe travels."
The servant who'd escorted me here bid farewell.
Recalling Luca's timid nature, I just nodded slightly.
There must be more servants attending me, but aside from this one who brought me here, not a soul showed up.
If my brother's servants did this on his departure day, they'd all be fired.
'Whatever. By next time, they'll all be replaced anyway.'
I slammed the carriage window shut and leaned back into the plush seat.
The next day, I learned why he'd mentioned 'your case.'
The family-crested carriage passed through other territories without a single checkpoint, arriving at the capital's doorstep in one day.
'The family name definitely speeds things up.'
I closed the divine power book I'd brought from the library and peered out the window.
The distant curved road was jammed with carriages. Opening season plus checkpoints made it worse.
'This'll take a while.'
I opened the book again.
As I finished the last page and looked up, another astonishing sight unfolded.
Carriages that hadn't passed the fork yet peeled off in unison, as if coordinated, clearing the once-congested road beautifully.
Then, a shrill cry from a passing carriage.
"Eek...!"
A kid peering out a window spotted me and slammed theirs shut.
Why's that? The rational suspicion hit me alongside the question.
'Are they... avoiding me right now?'
The suddenly clearing road started making sense.
No reason for mage house Ascanien to use carriages. They've got warp magic.
So who's in this one?
Obviously me.
"...Hahaha!"
Now that I got it, I burst out laughing.
Not from anger, but sheer absurdity.
'This far?'
This is overkill. I'm not about to hop out, blast the road, and hold a resurrection rite.
'...'
From their view, it might seem plausible.
I shook off the thought and composed myself.
I'd known Luca was shunned nationwide, but experiencing it outside the house firsthand dwarfed the servants' reactions.
'Can't wait.'
When I drag my brother down to my old spot and climb higher than his current perch, what'll happen to them?
How will he react to his world flipped?
I closed the window and opened the book.
'Hm.'
I'd memorized every magic formula and extra divine power info.
No complaints about arriving early with nothing else to do.
Ding—!
Got the hang of it? Keep it up!
'Suggestion: Life is DIY! Find things to do.' 2/3 achieved!
A new notification popped up right on cue.
I'd suspected success since the library reward, so no surprise.
But its timing was noteworthy.
'It appeared right after mastering this book's content.'
Maybe changes beyond the rewarded trait.
'Status window.'
Lucas René Ascanien
Title: Empire's Biggest Fool
Stamina: -5
Mental Strength: -10
Mana: ?
Skills: +0.002 (+0.002)
Impression: -10
Luck: -9.998 (+0.002)
Traits: Dawn777, Divine Power
Skills ticked up, minuscule as it was.
Shockingly tiny.
'...Expected that.'
Mental and impression seem reasonably scaled, maybe out of 10 per category... Can't give a full point for one book.
I accepted it quick and dismissed the window.
More surprising was luck rising. Seems items interact.
"We've arrived."
The coachman opened the door.
A building that screamed 'school' loomed ahead, students in uniforms milling the plaza.
I grabbed my bag, stepped out, and scanned the shops around.
'Now for the next task.'
Bit random, but this should nail the last 'suggestion' item.
Time to cut my hair.
I ran a hand through it.
The waxed-back locks, now matted, fell over eyes and ears. No clue how long since the last trim.
With Father ignoring me, even personal servants avoided contact... Last cut was probably pre-enrollment, when I last saw him.
'The more they avoid me, the more I need to say what must be said, geez...'
Whatever.
Luca grew up that way; what can I do?
I'd been in the library till time was up anyway, so no real complaints.
Still, parading like this won't gather allies, so I need a normal appearance.
'Problem is, no idea where to get a cut.'
I stood still, looking around.
From when the family carriage appeared, plaza-goers started slinking away; now only two or three lingered.
One uniformed student spotted me, froze, then bolted into an alley.
'Hm.'
Not really upsetting, same as always.
Doesn't bother me.
They're avoiding Luca, not me, right?
Still... kinda annoying this time. Just this once.
I strode into the alley and grabbed a uniformed someone's shoulder.
"Hey."
"Eek!"
The owner jumped, then slowly turned. His reaction said he knew who grabbed him.
I softened my expression into a gentle smile.
He gaped like he couldn't believe this, replying in a shrinking voice.
"W-Why...?"
"Got a question."