Chapter 31 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At 8 p.m., Leo headed to the school infirmary to find Elias, who hadn't shown up in the classroom all day.
He already knew the room number from the note Elias had tied to a bird's leg and sent.
Leo got permission at the desk and opened the door to the room at the end of the hallway.
Creak—
"Long time no see, Leo."
As soon as he opened the door, a lazy greeting floated out.
Elias, propped up against the bed, lifted the wine glass he'd been holding to his lips in salute.
Leo looked down at him and let out a small sigh.
"Why'd you do it?"
"Which part? The broken leg? Or the first-year thing?"
"Both, but the second one first."
"If it were you, would you just sit there after hearing that?"
"…I'd tell the professor."
"Ah, that's so you. Feels like home. Shame, but I can't be that noble gentleman."
Elias grinned and took a sip of wine.
"But right off the bat with the scolding? We haven't seen each other in months—shouldn't you greet me properly?"
"Welcome back. Sending letters every other day, I thought you were right here the whole time."
Even at Leo's snarky reply, Elias just chuckled. Leo nudged the empty wine box on the floor with his shoe tip.
"And what's with this booze?"
"Tell them it's water with 7% alcohol. Can't even call it booze."
"Sigh…"
"Want a glass? It's the aperitif they serve with school food—no issue there."
"Got work to do. You drink up."
Elias snapped his fingers as if to say good point, then downed more wine.
Leo shook his head and sat in the chair by the bed.
"Any punishment?"
"Nope. You can tell just by me being here. I threw a fit about needing to be admitted from the shock. They let me off easy."
"That's not true."
At Leo's curt words, Elias shut his mouth.
"Sharp as ever. But it's true I didn't get punished. What I heard wasn't the usual level. Came here to get some magical medical treatment, that's all."
"Good thing you dodged punishment at least. How long till you heal?"
"It's bad enough that even with magical medicine, it'll take over two months. If the caster's someone like Wittelsbach, maybe less."
"…When did it happen…?"
Elias gulped down wine and pointed at Leo with his chin.
"The day you went off with your kingdom army mage instead of Mephen with me. Feel guilty now? Gonna stick with me?"
Leo squinted and clamped his mouth shut.
Elias giggled and poured more wine. Leo asked,
"No lies. Answer seriously."
"It's true. Went to the restricted area yesterday. Advanced one."
"..."
Leo wore an expression like he was beyond saving.
Elias, half-reclining, thrust his wine glass forward like a pointer and sat up.
"Hey, don't you trust my skills~? My evaluation scores suck compared to yours, but my mana's way better!"
"Then why'd you come back hurt?! Make it consistent!"
"There was some pig contaminated there. Crazy fast too. Tried dodging and fell."
"Wild boar, huh."
"Yeah."
Leo pinched his brow, face etched with frustration, stood, and turned away.
Then he sighed deeply and sat back down.
"Why not magic on the wild boar?"
"Poisoned by the contaminated air. Made me super drowsy."
"You cast fine when you fell."
"Gotta survive somehow. Broke one leg and lived—pretty cheap deal."
Leo glanced at Elias's left leg and the crutches by the bed, lips pressing together in dismay. He bowed his head and murmured, voice laced with relief.
"Yeah, but you're alive. That's what matters."
"Didn't expect the real talk from you."
Elias grinned.
"Knows it makes me wanna take it back, huh? Anyway, why wait till now for magical medicine?"
"No money."
"What royal lacks cash? You joking?!"
Leo rubbed his increasingly throbbing forehead and continued.
"I'll contact Mother. She was asking when you'd visit anyway."
"Great. She's busy—schedule it a month out."
"With your injury, she'd make time anytime?"
Elias shook his head.
"Nah, some kids need to see me like this. So, how helpful was that mage you hired that you ditched me for?"
"Helpful… well, didn't really think that way. She suggested going."
"What?"
"She said let's go."
"…You go just 'cause someone says so?"
Elias asked, incredulous.
Leo shrugged, equally baffled.
"What do you take me for? Anyway, speaking of—time to head out."
"Already? Stay longer."
Leo shook his head at that.
"No, you need to go too. Warp in that state?"
* * *
"Fancy. Strategy room?"
"Yeah."
"Whoa."
Elias, who'd warped to the meeting spot, whistled as he scanned the walls plastered with maps and notes. Wine glass full in hand.
"Good analysis. Better than imperial records."
He turned to me, tilting his head.
"And… Lucas, right. Hey."
"Hey. We met this morning."
"Right. Thanks to you, no tardy today."
Elias, settled into a seat with Leo's help, counted the huge table and chairs.
"Big group? Underground, locked with magic, all these analyses—secret society vibes. Gonna let me in~?"
That was pure Elias style—not that he'd join just because invited.
Talks big, but won't commit till he weighs pros and cons, till his interest's piqued.
I smiled softly.
"I'm asking. How much did Leo tell you?"
"Till the part where you two got shockingly close super fast."
Before I could respond, Leo scowled like it made no sense.
"When'd I say that? I said we train after class and run a Pleroma study group till dawn. Tell it right."
"Few people you seriously train with."
Leo waved a hand in defeat.
"Lucas, ignore it. You'll get used to his bullshit."
"No issue. I like the style."
Liked it enough to read to the end.
Nearly ten years' worth, barely abridged—pretty long tale.
Anyway, not the time to reminisce.
"No need for long talk. Straight to it. As you heard, secret group to eliminate Pleroma. Want you in."
"Hmm~?"
Elias uncrossed his legs and cocked his head.
"That's surprising. Pleroma gonna handle Pleroma?"
"Speak for yourself. You really think I'm Pleroma?"
Elias smiled faintly.
"Nah."
He nodded toward Leo.
"Head says no, but you're Leo's friend. He doesn't keep just anyone close."
"Straightforward."
"That's how reliable Leo is. You've hung out, you know. Wanna offer you some sanguinaccio dolce, but… curiosity first."
Leo tsked, face ridiculous.
Fair—Elias meant blood pudding.
Leo'd call it rude, but his canon reply from the novel made me chuckle first.
Elias stared off, pondering solo.
"If you're definitely not Pleroma, how'd the rumor start? Fun one. Let's dissect. Starts with your infamous childhood incidents."
He propped his chin, tapping his temple.
"Truth aside—none properly investigated. Rethink question. What strengthened the 'you're Pleroma' claim? With shining Ascanien name, power to block scandals, manipulate opinion—how'd it escalate?"
Sharp. Protagonist material.
Seeing his novel-sharp side in person hit different.
He held up two fingers.
"Two hypotheses."
"You said I'm like you."
Leo tossed it out indifferently, not looking my way.
Before coming, I'd stopped by the training grounds, asked Leo to fetch Elias, and confirmed he sent that note.
Elias clapped.
"What, like me too? Getting Leo's friend tastes now."
"No such thing. Spill your thoughts."
"Impatient. Childhood incidents plus 'hard-to-like traits' snowballed the rumors. Or Adrian Ascanien and supporters pushed them hard."
Leo's lips parted like he'd laugh bitterly. Same for me.
No insight powers here—nailing it this easy?
Leo asked quietly.
"Why think that?"
"Classmate claims he unknowingly killed as a kid—should be image rehabbing and explaining nonstop, but parades around deathly pale? Yeah, done."
Leo asked the latter, but clueless Elias explained the former.
Polite version, anyway.
Fits Elias to say, "You think no weird rumors with that vibe?"
His villain-attack personality… but novel traits linger, making his tame talk feel off.
"Now he's transformed. No rumors, you'd live like your bro. Similar looks… you're haughtier, sharper, but Ascanien name fixes that."
"Reason for second claim?"
At my words, Elias smirked, rose slowly, and clasped hands.
"That's the one, huh."
"...."
No need to ask why.
He snatches tiny clues for wins—read it from my tone, question type.
We've barely met, so no deep read. Normal to probe personality first over prior claims.
"That's my spot. Eyes see what they know—judge world by own life. Basically. So… knew 'cause I'm the same."
Elias downed wine and grinned.
"That why they say watch your mouth? Tried fitting your story, spilled mine. You're Leo's friend—fine. Lucas, know the emperor well?"
"Eh."
"My great-uncle."
I nodded silently.
"Wondered how I guessed? Wrong question. Should be 'How'd you get so shameless, unfilial?' Answer: learned from great-uncle. His nephew love's horrifying."
Casual sneer hid it, but edge sharpened his tone's end. Elias kept smiling like nothing.
"Literally die-level horrifying."
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Read 489 more chapters ahead on NovelDex!
https://noveldex.io/series/how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-family
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━