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Reborn as the Doomed Heir of a Mage Dynasty (Web Novel) - Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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The man furrowed his brow, his expression laced with confusion.I put on a smile and said something I didnt mean in the slightest.
Apologies. I came here to help you, Mr. Beck, but I guess old habits die hard.
...Habits?
Yes, from interrogating Pleroma operatives.
The lie was necessary to establish a sense of camaraderie.
Now, let me add my own thoughts to the situation.
Its unlikely my brother explicitly ordered, Verify if he can use magic.
That perfectionist wouldnt leave such a clear trail.
Instead, he probably sent a carefully worded letter, something along the lines of:
Im concerned about my brother losing control and exposing his condition. I worry his constitution might cause a magical outburst.
Whoever received that letter likely interpreted it through the lens of their own sense of justice.
Whoever took my brothers veiled suggestion must be someone who loathes Pleroma.
This person must have given orders to Jurgen Beck to confirm my magic.
Looking at Becks sharp attire, its hard to imagine he got involved in this out of financial desperation.
Most likely, hes either aligned with the person who gave the orders or acting under duress.
Shall we begin? I asked.
......
Imprisoning a student is a crime, Mr. Beck. Regardless of your intentions, you cant escape that. However...
I clasped my hands and leaned in slightly.
Id like to hear your reasons. Why did you do it? Ive heard quite a few rumors about that student, after all.
What does Lord Nicolaus think of those rumors?
Hard to say. Ive never met him, so I cant jump to conclusions.
If that student really is Pleroma, what would you do?
I met his gaze directly.
The student in question, Lucas, was sitting right in front of him as Nicolaus. What would I do?
If it were true, Id consider the potential damage and root it out early. But without definitive proof, isnt that why nothings been done for over a decade?
He stared at me for a moment, then glanced around cautiously before speaking.
The rumors are true.
......
The Askanian family knows it, too. They all say the same thing. The moment that student uses magic, Askanian is finished.
I see. So you wanted to confirm whether he could use magic or not?
......
As soon as the conversation returned to the incident, he clammed up.
I chuckled lightly.
Well, if youre unwilling to share, thats fine. Judging from what you just said, your intent was clearly to verify if he could use magic. Did you achieve anything?
......
You didnt, did you? From what I heard, the student couldnt use magic and instead triggered a fire alarm to reveal their location.
That was fake.
Was it?
I barely suppressed a laugh. Talking about this while the person in question sat right hereit was almost too much.
Of course, it was fake.
I had deliberately chosen a method that someone unable to use magic might employ.
Mr. Beck, your claims need evidence. If you want to accuse Lucas Askanian of being Pleroma, youll need solid proof.
...Evidence? Dont tell me you think that too, Lord Nicolaus?
This isnt about what I think. Investigations must follow protocol.
The locked door wasnt a threat to the student, was it? Especially since he had a way out without using magic....
Beck trailed off, uncertain.
Is that so? If he could use magic, wouldnt he have just warped out? Setting off the fire alarm seems like a strange choice, especially for someone supposedly so bold. Wouldnt he have used magic if that was an option?
......
Mr. Beck, this isnt how you gather evidence.
I leaned closer, letting a hint of pity slip into my voice.
His eyes quivered subtly.
W-What are you saying...?
What was the result of your method? Did it yield any clues, or will you simply wait for the next opportunity?
I tapped his hand lightly.
The moment Divine Power is used, your arteries will rupture. Is this really worth the risk?
Of course its worth it! Do you not recall the power he displayed as a child? If he really is Pleroma!
Then wouldnt it have been better to come up with a more effective method? Instead, you put your life on the line for this...and accomplished nothing.
......
His composure began to crumble.
Someone who took on this task for the greater good wouldnt react well to being told their life wasnt valuable.
But it was truehe had achieved nothing.
With his resolve shaken, it was time to drive the point home.
From what I can see, this didnt go as planned. Your intentions may have been noble, but the result? A failure.
......
Who cast that spell on you? Its quite sophisticated. If its someone I know, perhaps I could offer some help....
He gave me a wary look.
If you leave this room without a solution, youll die. They cant afford for you to talk.
They wouldnt do that.
Many say that, but gambling with your life is unwise.
......
I exhaled and leaned back in my chair.
Ill personally prove whether Lucas Askanian is Pleroma or not. Give me a year.
...A year?!
Too long? Still better than losing your life over this.
He glared at me, then muttered reluctantly, Six months.
Fine. That should suffice. Seems like you were under strict orders to act quickly. Your superior must be quite impatient.
...!
His eyes widened, and his fists clenched as he stared directly at me.
I let out a dry chuckle.
As I thought....
He doesnt disappoint.
Even after making a mistake, failing to realize it means he can only repeat the same behavior.
Always so overzealous.
He likely believes that replacing the informant with Narce was his decision, convinced I wouldnt notice his bold moves.
This time, however, blocking someones speech with Divine Power suggests hes learned a little.
Professor Stefan Traut is said to be quite the worrier. Seems the rumors are true.
H-How did you?
Beck blinked rapidly, clearly thrown off balance.
Whether it was a lack of adaptability or simply panic taking over, his reaction was revealing.
Again, he practically confirmed my words.
But theres a slight problem here.
***
Ding! < Chapter 5. Good Things Take Time (1) >
Proposal 2: Make the optimal choice. (0/1) (0 hours, 9 minutes, 59 seconds)
- Route 1 < Proposal 3 >
- Route 2 < Chapter 6. Not All That Glitters Is Gold >
...This is nostalgic.
It had been a while since the system presented an optimal choice. And the obnoxiously titled Route 2 was as grating as I remembered.
From experience, I knew the optimal choice only appeared when the matter had significant long-term consequences. Clearly, this situation qualified./p>
That tracks. If my brother realizes his current play is a dead-end, hell inevitably try another move.
The spy must remain within my grasp.
Both my brother and Traut need to believe theyre in control. That way, I dont end up doing double the work.
Time to guide things in the right direction.
I needed to lead him toward the outcome I desired, one that conveniently aligned with his own interests.
I hear many things from my position, I said smoothly. Im aware of how much effort Professor Traut puts into his work. But
Beck watched me warily, still unable to relax.
Its surprising. Did he really order something like this?
......
Given your understanding of Askanians inner workings... wasnt that professor once supported by Askanian? This is starting to make sense now.
Thats... not... Are we really going this far over something like this?
His earlier fear of punishment had already shaken him enough to reveal his namealbeit a fake one.
Still, his visibly altered demeanor confirmed that the threat of punishment was the perfect pressure point.
Absolutely. While your intentions may be understandable, your actions constitute a crime. Especially since we need to identify the person behind this plan.
I tapped the desk lightly as if in thought. Beck bit his lip nervously, unable to hide his unease.
He should be unsettled.
To agree to be used as a pawn by Traut requires an uncommon level of loyalty.
Hard to believe, isnt it? Do you think Askanian is aware of Professor Trauts independent actions? If this escalates, even Askanian might consider disciplinary measures.
It was me.
......
When I stared at him, he quickly averted his gaze.
I never said the professor ordered me. I acted based on what Id heard and planned this myself.
Can you say that with certainty? I pressed, my tone serious.
The magic on the labs back door was removed by the maintenance team, but the spell on the front door remains intact since the incident was reported. Its only a matter of time before we trace the magical signature.
I understand. Its not a lie. The professor has been a great help to me in the past. But if he were suddenly accused, hed be blindsided. Id prefer to avoid naming him as a suspect.
I knew Traut wasnt the type to simply give vague instructions and act cautiously.
For someone as methodical as him, assigning his student to monitor me seemed sloppy. If it were me, Id take the time to oversee it directly.
I nodded and slid a blank sheet of paper across the table.
In that case, list anyone else who may have provided information or assistance. This investigation will cover everyone, so dont leave out any names.
Ah
Becks expression darkened.
Despite his reluctance, I knew hed gladly fill the page.
This lets him divert attention from Traut.
As expected, Beck stared at the paper for a moment, then looked back at me, a faint glint of triumph in his eyes.
I gestured toward the pen, smiling.
Soon enough, Beck began writing names without hesitation.
He must think Im off-track.
Let him think that.
My goal was to uncover everyone involved in my brothers schemes.
His exaggerated reaction to the mention of professor had already given me enough to work with.
Now, I had a list of like-minded individuals aligned with Trauts ideology.
Theyre likely under my brothers influence as well.
These names could prove useful in the future.
After pushing the list toward me, Beck asked with a resolute expression, Youll really look into this within six months?
The mistake people like him make is assuming their sense of justice is absolute, never doubting it.
Right now, hes throwing everything away in pursuit of one question: Is Lucas Askanian Pleroma or not?
Ironically, leaving Lucas alone would do far more to suppress Pleroma than their futile attempts to confirm it.
But I wasnt about to lie.
I gave him a polite, measured smile and replied, Of course. I give you my word.
Ding! Congratulations!
Proposal 2: Make the optimal choice. Completed!
Route 1 < Proposal 3 > has been locked in.
