How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family Chapter 316

Chapter 316

"They intended to kill it. If Lukas hadn't kicked his hand, they would have fired more."

Heike's dry voice shattered the silence.

The gaze of the friends gathered here, excluding Lukas and Leo, turned to him. The 101st class, having returned after being admonished, was quiet. Hearing bitter words wasn't particularly a problem, but the 98th class's attempted murder wasn't sothing easily forgotten.

"I clearly understood the danger of snatching a firearm and have no objection to receiving punishnt."

Ulrike, who was listening quietly, was a bit flustered by Heike's impassive expression. She rolled her eyes and answered.

"...Yeah, we got off lightly considering that. But that's not the problem...."

"But we were taught to rescue people, so why did they try to kill it?"

Heike was neither indignant nor dumbfounded. Nor was she upset because he was admonished. He simply questioned the seniors acting differently from what they were instructed. Yulia, who was drinking tea with an expressionless face, spoke calmly.

"The state must be overlooking it. They probably thought there was no need to waste manpower given how the situation has spread. Even if we spend the sa 15 minutes, killing with firearms reduces the fatigue of our Mages so they can be mobilized for other missions, and the cost of treatnt also decreases."

"Then they could have just ordered us to kill from the start."

Heike asked calmly as if she could definitely kill if ordered to. Yulia, who was silent, smiled brightly and answered.

"They want to catch two birds with one stone."

"......."

Ulrike, understanding what she ant, covered his face and said.

"This is wrong. Don't tell those seniors have been killing people like that all this ti? Really? If this is what being an Imperial Mage is, I'd rather leave this group."

At those words, everyone seated turned their gaze to him. Ulrike thought more by himself and added.

"...But I can't just yield and quit. ...Earlier, Elías suggested training. I was thinking too complacently. Let's go borrow the Misis right now."

"We agree."

Elías answered expressionlessly and stood up.

Rescue activities are inefficient so we have to kill people; then there is no other way but to increase efficiency. Although Elías harbored different thoughts inwardly, he couldn't imdiately speak of unrealistic plans like overturning the class system in front of them. The other friends also packed their training clothes and went out of the dormitory.

However, two of them had to be dragged out by Leo's call without finishing the training, and eventually, all five had to do so.

"He was an outstanding student. He graduated with excellent grades."

4 AM.

I am at the Second Academy Record Archives with Narce. Of course, we had just finished the eting with the Eschet friends.

"Ah, and you should know this. Normally this isn't allowed, but since you are students, I'm making an exception to let you in."

My horoom professor suddenly turned around toward Narce and and cautioned. He carefully rummaged through the drawer and thrust forward a rank list from the Imperial Second Academy a few years ago.

'Hmm.'

1st place.

Adrian Askanian. Not surprising. If this person isn't 1st place, who would be?

And, 2nd place.

Albert cklenburg.

"......."

Why was a revolver placed in my hand? Unable to wash away that question, I ca to the Record Archives to obtain information on how to design the ga board before starting the work in earnest.

As I smiled silently with Narce, the professor also smiled and said.

"Albert cklenburg got along well with the student's elder brother. Both students were of such high standards that they were the only ones who could communicate with each other."

The professor brought out a group activity photo album. I see a picture of Adrian Askanian and Albert cklenburg with their arms around each other's shoulders.

'They must have gotten along well because they were the only ones who could communicate with each other....'

A good interpretation. Actually, Adrian Askanian wouldn't have been able to communicate with his peers. An outlier of any kind must learn the perspective of peers to communicate without buying resentnt from classmates, and in such cases, a friend who doesn't harbor antipathy even when speaking and acting as they are is invaluable. However, it is an important issue how far each deviated from the average at this ti. Because how they regarded each other depends on that. Flipping through the report card, I asked indirectly.

"It seems His Excellency cklenburg has a good character."

"He was a very polite and compassionate student. If there was a friend alienated in class, he would always go and take care of them, and if a fight was about to break out, he would diate. I heard he still keeps in touch with friends he beca close to that way."

That's plausible. Even if he shoots and kills people he should rescue without any guilt, that and this are issues of different dinsions. The professor, seemingly very fond of that disciple, smiled and continued.

"Good leadership, polite to everyone, courteous.... If I were to have a child, I would want to raise them to be just like this friend. Ah, of course, the student's elder brother is also a wonderful student."

"I know. I can fully empathize with why you say that."

I said with a playful smile. The professor also nodded with a smile, perhaps not thinking my intention was bad. Then, discovering a new docunt, he showed it to .

"This student also had the best volunteer activity record in the school. Right... I rember he led the class students to volunteer at the almshouse every vacation."

"I like that such a good person is my direct senior."

"Haha. Right. Since the student resembles student Adrian a lot in many ways...."

The professor, who observed my face by slightly lifting my bangs, grinned and patted my shoulder.

"Student Albert will also have new feelings working with a student like his one and only friend."

The professor's words were like a declaration.

You are just marked, marked, and marked again. Every ti Albert cklenburg sees your face, he will think of Adrian Askanian and do to you what he wanted to do to your brother.

'Funny....'

I'm not mocking; I'm genuinely laughing. Wouldn't anyone in my situation do the sa? I expect most would react like .

It was no coincidence that he handed the revolver before turning back ti.

There were many people to make do it besides , and if he had to make soone do it, I expected he would make Leo, a leader like himself, do it. Usually, if one intends to suppress the spirit, isn't breaking the head of an organization first the answer? Besides, Leo openly made him uncomfortable, so the possibility was even greater.

Despite that, why specifically? If the reason was picking soone who looked like they couldn't shoot, there was no reason for to be caught particularly in terms of impression, and choosing Ulrike or Heike, who are easy to bully, would be best for him.

Ultimately, this hypothesis gained strength after returning from the dawn investigation.

He perceives not as Lukas Askanian, but as Adrian Askanian's younger brother. He would have been wary of feeling the wall he experienced with Adrian Askanian from , and the instinct of school days accumulated for over 10 years since the Third Academy days would have told him to suppress this another Askanian early. The second Askanian who started showing signs of following the first's life path after resolving the Pentalon terror.

"What are your thoughts. Are they still the sa?"

After moving our luggage to the official residence guided this morning, we gathered in front of the 98th class residence imdiately as expected. cklenburg approached and asked.

"Yes."

cklenburg nodded with an expression that said he knew it would be so, unlike yesterday, and gestured to the vice-leader to handle it. I opened my mouth before he turned around.

"However, I know well with what intention Your Excellency intends to give teachings to the 101st class."

cklenburg slowly turned his head to . With a gentle face, yet laughing as if dumbfounded, he answered.

"It doesn't seem to resonate much from my view, so what do you think about this?"

"I will prove it to Your Excellency."

"......."

Even though I haven't talked about the main point yet, his eyes narrowed slightly and the corners of his mouth twisted. Since it was montary, no one seed to place great significance on it, but the aning that change in facial muscles brought to was clear.

'Hmm, right. ...It must have been satisfying words.'

It would have been more helpful for self-efficacy if the person saying they would definitely prove it to you was Adrian Askanian, not Lukas Askanian, but anyway, the person he inwardly intends to suppress right here is .

"I want to prove it. Please allow the 101st class to handle all Berserker reports assigned to the 98th class A team today."

"......."

A transparent request.

The will to prevent the 98th class from using firearms is clearly revealed, and the will thinking 'if we do well today, they will allow us not to use firearms' is also revealed.

It's correct that I spoke knowing clearly how it would be read. Now that I know what his reverse scale is, and until the foundation of foundational work is completed, he must be winning.

In other words, there is no way they will grant the 'proof'.

Instead, being conceited, they might think it's okay to instill hope in us. How naive would a junior asking to let them prove his choice is right look? They will naturally refuse even if they see our proof.

Despite my bombshell request, my friends were looking only forward without any reaction. It was natural since it was a matter discussed with all six at dawn.

"Do as you please."

cklenburg's answer, heard after a long ti, was simple. He left the place leaving his colleagues behind.

I don't know how much ti has passed. Judging by the shortened shadows, it was already noon. For now, cklenburg was excluded from disciplining today as well, and the 98th class vice-leader took charge of everything.

"Stand up."

The 98th class vice-leader, who had taken and worn the artifact hanging on my ear, handed the communication artifact. He probably told to stand up because the 101st class dispatch signal was heard through my artifact.

Thud—

I stomped my foot, greeted them, turned around, and ran.

"Luka!"

Friends waiting at the residence main gate grabbed . I roughly wiped sweat with the towel they handed and shook off the dirt on my clothes.

"...Are you okay?"

Ulrike has been asking this question since the eting at dawn.

There is a reason for asking like this. I am being called out between reports to receive ntal education. The only fortunate thing is that only I am being concentratedly attacked, but since I naturally cannot disobey orders imdiately until finishing the first foundational work anyway—if I disobey already, I'll ruin everything—it's much better for to go through it alone than for other friends to be harassed now.

"Of course I'm okay. Rather, since you guys also ended up being dispatched multiple tis, that's what I should be asking."

"What on earth are you saying, this is."

Leo answered coldly before I could finish speaking. Since it was true that I said it out of politeness, I had no intention of refuting particularly.

When we warped to the Berserker Control Center at the Command Headquarters main office with friends' help, the Mage receiving a telegram from the Police Bureau asked with a reluctant expression.

"Are you feeling unwell sowhere?"

"No."

It was worth asking. Even at a glance, my appearance wasn't ordinary. Unlike who stopped caring thinking it would naturally be bad since there was no ti to shower, Ulrike, thinking my feelings were hurt by this question, cast a sound-proofing Spell and criticized the 98th class.

"...Why do they do this imdiately after returning from dispatch. We're already drained of strength, and more...."

"They're telling us to handle the next report like shit."

Elías, standing with a cold face, cut him off.

"Because if we beco unable to endure due to exhaustion, we will use firearms as they wish."

Correct words. This is a strategy to make use weapons by wearing myself out. Whether it's the antipathy Albert cklenburg has toward or whatever, they intended to force us to use firearms from the beginning. It was like that before turning back ti too.

At least, the reason they only harass and don't conduct ntal education for the remaining six is that they need a loophole to escape in case a serious problem arises with safety at the scene because they drained all strength disciplining us.

Elías, who was stiff despite having a eting at dawn, corrected his expression and patted my back when I kept staring at him.

"Luka, get on my back!"

"Kind of you...."

Kind in a direction I don't really want. I argued for a long ti with Elías trying to pull , dispatched to the last report location, and after that, stopped by the hospital with friends exhausted from handling Berserkers three tis already.

And now it was ti to leave the seat for a while to do work. I scheduled it according to the ti when berserk reports frequently co in, and it happened to match the pre-set ti perfectly.

"Let's go."

Leo moved to Bavaria dragging even Narce to avoid suspicion. I passed the Bavaria checkpoint, disguised as Nicolaus, and quickly warped to the conference hall. Several vice-ministers and Ergency Committee officials whom I asked to attend through Leo were sitting in the conference hall. I shook hands with them one by one.

"It's been a long ti."

"Long ti no see. It's hard to see you."

The Bavarian Vice Minister of Finance said shaking hands with . Still, if I had ti, I visited in person briefly a couple of tis a week to check, but since there wasn't much ti to face them directly unless it was the Ministry of Magic or the Ergency Committee, it was worth saying so. Since it wasn't particularly an accusatory tone, I answered with a smile, found a seat, sat down, made eye contact with them, and said.

"I express my deep gratitude to everyone who took the ti to attend. From now on, I will make additional suggestions regarding the temporary plan for Bavaria's counterasures for the public."

The ti given to is 5 minutes.

Since it's a eting urgently scheduled this morning, not a scheduled eting, I don't have ti to hold these high-ranking politicians for long. Also, I don't have the leisure to drag this out further here because I also have to visit the Prussian governnt's advisory committee afterward.

"First, everyone must know that many statistics on the current status of berserk and Pleroma terror have remained private until now. It was a decision made because the concern that stimulating public anxiety could intensify the berserk phenonon was dominant."

At my words, the politicians sitting in their seats nodded lightly.

"At a ti when the situation in neighboring countries is unusual, a large-scale disappearance incident targeting Mages occurred, a state of national ergency was declared, and the people of Bavaria can no longer avoid confusion and fear due to terror acts occurring daily without signs of improvent. Accordingly, I judged that existing responses cannot calm public anxiety, and rather, partial restriction asures on information cannot suppress the berserk phenonon. I would appreciate it if you could check the analysis report sent earlier for details."

This is not simply an excuse to achieve my goal, but a statistical fact. Statistically speaking, in Prussia, where trust in the governnt is lower than in Bavaria due to hiding information and controlling the dia.

On the other hand, Bavaria is in a situation with a strong advantage in information disclosure, and currently, it is safe to say there are no elents to stimulate anxiety regardless of what statistics are disclosed. I looked around everyone and continued.

"Here, I propose expanding the scope of public disclosure regarding public dical institutions including the Bavaria National dical Center, public institutions, and the current status of berserk handling and terror preparedness."

This will be the first stepping stone for insubordination.