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Translator: uly
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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"Yeah? I knew it! Hahaha!"
"Yeah, I came to talk about this instead of training today."
I spread the paper out on the training ground floor for easy viewing.
Leo, who had been laughing in relief, checked the contents and laughed for a different reason.
"…Doesn't this seem utterly impossible by common sense?"
"It would be by common sense. But something irrational is happening. Let me explain from now on."
Leo waved his hand at my words.
"Hold on, wait before you start talking. You know that if you go out like this, rumors will spread first, right? The school knows you've been keeping your mouth shut as usual, so there's no talk here. But outside, they only know you're starting to look somewhat human. Outsiders don't run into you constantly like school friends, so they have no time to notice you're still acting like a social misfit!"
"Is this a worry?"
"It's a worry, man."
I hadn't really acted like a social misfit…
In a situation where raising my skills was urgent, I just hadn't bothered chatting with anyone, but it must've looked that way to him.
Should I be glad about this or not?
"…Yeah. Anyway, I know that too, obviously. I wouldn't plan something like this without countermeasures. Right, you know how beast incidents have spiked this year? So the Magical Security Bureau started granting cleanup qualifications to individuals."
"That much is famous. But from what I hear, there aren't many applicants."
"Yeah, that's right."
Most mages are from the nobility.
The stronger the mana, the higher the title usually is. Mana is hereditary, and titles are already granted to ancestors.
So subjugation rewards don't incentivize skilled mages much.
Plus, magical beasts can't invade where mages live, so they're desensitized to the danger.
Taking on this kind of grunt work doesn't dramatically boost honor either, so there's even less reason to do it.
In the end, only non-mages desperate for money end up volunteering for this.
And local offices, staffed by regular townsfolk, have been secretly passing them through to handle the beasts.
That fact hasn't spread widely yet.
Then Leo, looking troubled, rummaged through the paper and spoke.
"With so few people coming to the offices, you'll stand out more. First off, are you going alone?"
"Of course. I brought up artifact craftsmen because of you."
At those words, Leo fell deep into thought before opening his mouth.
"Let's think about one realistic issue first. You can't operate under your own name. They'll check identities thoroughly since you're a student. Anyone in the capital knows your face—how do you plan to get past that?"
Yeah, fair point.
But once we actually go, this perfectly reasonable expectation will shatter.
"I already looked into it. It's not thorough at all, contrary to your guess. And of course, I've prepared a fake identity for contingencies. I've thought of everything."
"…Sorry for repeating this three times, but you know you're already famous in the Empire, right?"
"I know."
Leo stared at me like I was some crazy bastard.
"You think you can fake an identity that well? Even if you cover your face, how do you hide your eyes? Everyone in the Empire knows your eye color."
I nodded at that.
Luca's pink irises are practically nonexistent in the Empire.
More precisely, they're unique to Pleroma.
Mana color correlates with iris color, so it's similarly pinkish, representing Pleroma.
The rest of the family has pale brown or sky-blue irises, making Luca's an extreme outlier.
Even fully covered, the eye color or the mana color I use could give me away. Leo's reaction was totally understandable.
'Actually, since I have divine power traits, the mana issue is already solved.'
I can just use divine power instead of mana there.
The problem is the eyes. A simple mask won't cut it.
But I already know the method the novel protagonist used.
"Yeah, there's a way for that too. But I'll need you to help out."
"Me? Why?"
Leo's eyes widened as he asked.
* * *
I dumped the medicine Leo made into my mouth.
Leo crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"…Where do you even learn stuff like this? Even the family elders avoid it because of the side effects."
It exploits a side effect to change eye color.
The drug has a side effect of altering mana color.
It's not simple dye—it affects the core, producing a different power from your original strength. So everyone shuns it.
I answered Leo's question calmly.
"I studied it. If you know any imperial folks, tell them to consider regulating it since it could be abused for crime. Around next year."
Since I'm preempting the protagonist's job, mentioning it once isn't bad.
Of course, without making the protagonist suspicious.
"…This guy uses everything good then calls for regulation…. Anyway, did you study abroad or something? It's hard to know this much in the Empire. Or did you study magical pharmacology?"
"Something like that. Thanks for preparing the medicine."
Convenient how he makes up the story himself.
Leo smiled at my greeting, which was meant to change the subject.
"Thanks?"
"Yeah."
I looked at Leo, shifting my gaze from the medicine.
There must be a reason he went from skeptical to that expression suddenly.
I gave him a look that said spit it out if you have something to say, and Leo got to the point.
"If you're thankful, grant me one request."
"What."
"I'll handle commissioning the artifact myself. In return, I go with you. Don't worry about my share—take it all."
'What's this guy saying….'
I shrugged.
"I don't mind, but why's this a request? It's a waste of time."
"No need to worry about my time. I just don't trust your skills yet."
"You saw me the last week, but taking down a beast isn't that hard. I'll start safe with low-grade ones."
"Not hard for you even at mid-grade. It's not that—I'm scared you'll burn everything around you."
I inwardly agreed.
Sure, from a powerhouse like Leo's view, my handling wouldn't satisfy. Now that I've learned control, I won't raze everything to ash.
And one more person isn't bad.
"Yeah, works for me."
And so, the next day, we headed straight to the office we'd scouted.
Leo grimaced and edged away from me.
"…Stay back a bit. It sounded weird just hearing about it, but seeing it in person is worse. What are you, a thief…."
"You think I like dressing like this?"
I adjusted my mask and snapped back curtly at Leo's complaint. Unlike the neat Leo, I was wrapped head to toe in pitch-black robes and a hood.
Leo scanned me with a dubious look and sighed.
"At least the irises changed properly."
Only my now bright blue eyes sparkled in the darkness, contrasting my original pink.
A common color, hard to identify someone by.
Leo cast a spell to prevent voices from leaking, then spoke quietly.
"Remember. You're just my personally hired attendant. If they ask about your getup, say you're a traveler from the Papal States recently—no, keep your mouth shut. Got it?"
"Got it. What about titles? A lower-status person can't call you by name openly in front of others."
"Hmm… Skip unnecessary titles. Omit as much as possible."
After a long walk to the forest outskirts, a wooden building with damaged outer walls came into view.
Leo frowned and shone his wand's light around.
"Did we get lost? This should be the way."
"Nah, we're in the right place."
I recalled the protagonist harshly criticizing it as a 'building on the verge of collapse.'
Among all I'd seen, this looked the most like a ruin, so it had to be it.
I naturally knocked on the door.
After a long wait with no response, Leo tilted his head.
"No reaction. No one home?"
"Nope, someone's there."
I knocked harder.
Then, the small window in the door's center snapped open irritably.
A pair of annoyed eyes glared at me.
"What?"
"Came to clean."
Bang—!
Leo flinched at the loud slam of the window.
Having faced door rejection for the first time, Leo gaped in disbelief.
"What the…!"
"Wait."
No need to panic. They did the same to the protagonist.
Then, the door swung wide open.
The fierce glare from before was gone, replaced by a beaming face.
The man held out a worn notebook.
"Didn't expect anyone coming to work this late. Write your name here."
"I brought ID, no need?"
At my question, he shrugged as if surprised.
"You have it? Show me then. But you know, if we demand that stuff, no one'd hunt the beasts. If they say they'll do it, we're grateful and let 'em in."
Leo spoke up with a pitying look.
"I heard they're short-staffed here. Looks like it."
"Not short—we got none. Last week, everyone knocking was just lost folks. But…"
The manager eyed us up and down, then laughed resignedly.
"You've got spirit. Looks like you came without weapons—use ours and return 'em tomorrow morning."
"Oh, we have our own."
"Huh?"
As the manager stared confusedly, Leo drew his wand from his belt.
"We're not planning to stay long today, so no need for swords."
"…Mages?"
The manager's eyes widened.
Leo answered with a puzzled expression.
"Yes, mages. Only mages qualify to handle beasts in the first place…"
The manager, who hadn't seemed to hear, bowed deeply, face drained white.
"Sorry! We've never had real mages here, so I…!"
"No, we're fine. But… non-mages come here?"
"...."
"Please explain what's going on. We know it could threaten the teacher's safety, so we won't tell anyone."
"W-Well, usually…"
Of course, he couldn't continue.
I tilted my head and whispered in Leo's ear.
"Trusting a noble's word so easily? Didn't notice his speech change?"
"…I realized after saying it, so don't mock me."
Leo gave a hollow laugh and shoved me aside.
Unless headquarters changes, this issue won't fix. Reporting it anywhere just brings hassle. Better cut it short.
I spoke up instead of Leo, who was choosing words.
"We understand the situation. Let's wrap this up here. We came after reading about increased beast sightings. We want to go in, but heard we need permission."
"Ah, yes. S-So both of you are mages?"
"Yes."
At Leo's reply, the manager hurriedly checked the notebook and looked at me confusedly.
No way they'd turn us away now, but my all-black-robed, masked figure looked suspicious to anyone.
"This one…"
"I'm from the Papal States. Currently serving…"
"As my attendant. Hahaha! He's traveling the Empire!"
Leo, anticipating my words, shoved me back and answered hastily.
"I see. We're deeply grateful you came in person. Heading out right now?"
"Yes."
"Then take this mana stone. Barrier won't let you in without it."
"Yes, thank you."
After pleasantries, we left the building.
After a long walk inside the barrier, I burst out laughing.
"Why'd you rush like that? How'd you know what I'd say?"
"Didn't expect you to say anything proper…"
He muttered, his face darkened.
Exhausted before even meeting a beast.
"Wait."
Then, amid the gentle breeze, an off smell mixed in.
I stopped and looked around.
"Blood."
"Hm? I don't smell it."
Without answering, I turned toward it.
Leo, sensing something, threw up a thick barrier in front of me and followed.
The further we went, the louder the sound of something scraping busily.
"…!"
Crunch—crunch crunch—!
"Oh dear."
I stopped abruptly and looked down.
Purple-tainted rats were devouring each other.
No, they were too distorted to call rats anymore.
Pus and blood mixed into an indescribable stench.
"…Damn…"
Leo pinched his nose and backed away, stomach turning.
"They'd eat people too…. Not just one or two. A nest nearby?"
"Looks like it. And most are primed to rampage."
"Yeah."
"They'll come for us soon."
"…Yeah, freaking hell…"
Leo squeezed his eyes shut, sighed deeply, and swung his wand. It morphed into a sword of proper length.
"Don't complain too much. Starting with these is a welcome."
Smiling, I drew my wand.
They'd already scented humans—red dots flickered from all directions.