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Reborn as the Doomed Heir of a Mage Dynasty (Web Novel) - Chapter 202
Chapter 202
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
What the hell is this guy planning?That was the thought flashing through Lucass mind.
The overly slick grin, dripping with mischief, only deepened his suspicion.
Since when did you care about that? Dont play by my standardsjust do it. Ill take whatever you dish out.
Alright~ Blindfold back on. Knowing Narce is at city hall and not coming for us is well, really getting on my nerves.
Elias grabbed the cloth, yanked it loose, and retied it snugly.
Luca, know what Im gonna do?
How would I? Just spit it out already.
No big deal.
Elias shot up from his seat and briefly vanished.
When his footsteps returned, Oswalds startled voice cut in.
Whats that? Is there berserk potion in there?
Oswald.
Eliass lowered voice, sharp with a shut-up vibe, cut him off.
A cold water bottle was pressed into Lucass hand. Lucas, with a what-the-hell expression, shrugged.
Whats this?
Luca. You trust me~?
?
The out-of-nowhere question made Lucas narrow his brow slightly.
No clue whats going on, but is he telling me to drink this?
Then why did Oswald mention berserk potion? Is it some sketchy-looking water?
Head aching, Lucas pressed his forehead and gripped the bottle like he was about to smash it.
No?
Sniffle
This bastard Elias, youre crying out loud? Let me see your face.
Yulia waved her hand at Lucass harsh tone.
Elias, can you tell us whats going on? Lucas must be freaking out. If you explain, well help convince him.
Lucass expression softened a bit.
Finally, a voice of reason after a while.
Unlike Leo or Elias, who could star in a novel with their eccentricities, sometimes a grounded, sensible friend like Yulia was a relief.
This thought came after enduring ten minutes of Leos murderous competitive streak. Its definitely because of that.
Lucas felt Eliass magic shift toward Yulia. Then Yulia, as if realizing something, said,
Oh, I get it.
Whats that, Yulia?
Hm, how about this?
Yulia took the bottle from Lucass hand.
The sound of drinking water rang loud in Lucass ears.
Hm.
Yulia handed the bottle back.
Now it was much lighter than before.
There, I drank some too, so its less off-putting, right?
No explanation?
Haha, I cant explain everything, so I drank it myself. Lets check the effects together.
Effects?
Catching the gist, Lucas let out a hollow laugh.
At the same time, Elias watched Lucas, anxiously tapping the table.
Cant let Lucas think too much here. Hes always avoiding losses, but today, he needs to take a hit for our big win.
Lucas probably knows, which is why hes stayed back all daythough not just staying back, since he found a way to counter Narces power, so hes already scored points. But if he calculates everything now, itll all go to shit.
Should I just snatch it and pour it down his throat?
As Elias eyed Lucas, contemplating a move thatd get him disowned, Lucas chugged the bottle in one go.
The teammates, watching anxiously without context, widened their eyes.
What, he drank it? Yulia did toowhats the plan?!
Yo, Elias, whats in there? Tell us something.
Oh.
At Eliass awe, Lucas set the bottle on the table and said,
I trust you. Happy?
.
Elias, staring dumbfounded without closing his mouth, burst out laughing. He plopped beside Lucas, slinging an arm around his shoulder as usual.
Man~ Our Lucas so decisive~
Since when am I ours?
Maybe its the pile of unknowns, but despite his slightly snappy tone, Elias leaned in, unfazed.
More importantly, Luca.
What.
Lets go on a fountain tour.
***
Guys, great work so far.
Leo clapped, drawing the teams attention.
Among the students staring blankly at Leo, Ulrike and Josefine, whose artifacts broke early and left them sidelined, looked especially grim.
If their artifacts had stayed connected, they couldve answered Leo and Narces calls for support, maybe even outpacing Team 3 to win. They were beating themselves up over it.
Reading their thoughts, Leo reassured them,
Its been a shitshow for a while. Dont sulk over the point we lostfocus on the one left.
Yeah, guys~ Its nobodys fault. Blaming ourselves only hurts us, so lets resolve to nail it from here!
At that, Josefine, head bowed, muttered,
Nobodys fault? We got taken out early and just dragged you down.
Nah~ If were pointing fingers, I was too focused on Lucas to use my power on Yulia or Auguste. If I had, I couldve gone straight for the city hall coordinates. Same for Leo. He was doing great until Elias said that oof?
Narce rolled his eyes, looking up at Leo, whod covered his mouth.
Leo, with a disgusted expression, sighed deeply and said to the team,
Point is, one points left, so nows the real deal. Use past mistakes as stepping stones.
The students, far more determined than before, nodded.
Ulrike, taking a new artifact from Leo and putting it on, asked,
But, Narce, your head okay?
Haha, nope~
Every time Lucas blindfolded, useless info flooded Narces mind.
Like the wind blowing from the northwest, something brushing his cheek, or Oswalds magic constantly surging at him from behind.
Hundreds of these bits hit per minute, making his head spin.
Earlier, reading hundreds of building names and warp coordinates nearly broke him.
Maybe its better now~
Lucas is probably resting.
They said city hall, so theyre likely strategizing there.
Thinking that, Narce activated his ability again, only to hear a frantic shout beside him.
You okay? Narce, your nose is bleeding!
Huh? For real.
Narce grabbed something from his clutch to wipe the blood roughly.
One more use, and this happens.
Cant even use it freely anymore.
No time to dawdle. Pass out, and he might get ejected from Mimesis.
Gotta wrap this up quick~ Lets go. First berserker was a vagrant, second victim was a city hall clerk. The last ones probably tied to them too~
Right.
Both were at the same place, and the most likely theory they consumed something together.
That sparked puzzled questions from the team.
Whatd they drink? The clerk stole the vagrants water?
Why not just drink their own at city hall
Same thought. Consuming something together feels thin on evidence. But its not off the list entirely~ Heike, any other clues there?
No. Could be I missed something, but nothing for now.
Hmm
The students fell quiet.
Leo grabbed a stack of newspapers from the chair.
Knew itd come to this, so I grabbed every paper from a newsstand on the way. Ceck them.
After flipping through, the team shook their heads.
Ulrike, chin propped, muttered,
Nothing relevant. Ill read it all. Benzend Co. unveils third-gen magic-powered car, gymnasium teacher qualifications tightened, 8-24-year-old New Humans mandatory military training expanded to 100 hours annually, Corporate Alliance demands Old Humans employable age lowered from 13 to 9
Anything related?
Pentalon. City Aesthetics Department article. Illegal dumping fines up to five times higher, 1,000 plainclothes environmental officers deployed in Berlin, low-income residents earning under 1 million pel annually encouraged to relocate to capitals poorhouses, aging sewer pipe replacement, Berlin fountain and drinking station water quality checks, high-contamination-risk street vendors forcibly removed by next months 19th, liquor and tobacco taxes for citizens raised 50% until Pentalon ends
The string of seemingly useless news darkened the students faces. Then, Leo tapped the table, narrowing his brow.
Some useless stuff here too Street vendors?
Yeah. Theyre removing cheap food stalls by the 19th due to complaints about Pleroma contamination risks.
Got it. Makes sense. Pleroma could disguise as vendors during Pentalon, selling cheap food laced with contaminants.
Leo replied, lost in thought. Ulrikes eyes grew serious.
Wait, arent street vendors perfect for vagrants? Street foods way cheaper, quality aside. Plus, the government acknowledges Pleroma contamination risks.
The students eyes met.
Still murky, but clues were emerging.
Another student raised a hand, drawing attention, and said,
Guys, consider poorhouses too. City Aesthetics Departments rounding up vagrants. They couldve met at a relief kitchen set up by a poorhouse. Heard theyve been opening temporary feeding stations recently.
Not bad.
Then, Heike, listening quietly, spoke with a glint in her eyes.
Environmental officers? What if Pleroma posed as one and contacted both? Officer managements under City Aesthetics, and theyd directly encounter vagrants.
Leo leaned back, taking a deep breath, mentally sorting prior info.
Alright, possible. But without related clues, its not a strong hunch. Hold it until we find more.
As he finished, another student, scanning the paper, looked at the team and said,
Then, aging pipe replacement Vagrants arent pipe technicians. Liquor taxes Any chance they bought tainted booze from a black market?
Those seem unlikely. Next was the fountain article, right? Fountains feel promising, what do you think?
Same. This rounds looking winnable!
It really was.
All plausible theories.
Connections between the vagrant and the City Aesthetics clerk were piling up.
Now, just verify evidence for the theories.
Yeah, worth considering. Next
Uh, hold on.
Narce clutched his head.
All five pairs of eyes around the table turned to him.
Lucas is drinking something.
Drinking? During the exam?
Yeah. Elias just made him chug it.
Elias?
Made him?
Leo raised an eyebrow. Those two words shouldnt go together. A bad feeling crawled up his spine.
Whatd he drink?
Lucas doesnt know. Thinks its just water. Ugh, hes grossed out.
Waters waterwhats just water?
.
Narce didnt answer Leos question for a long time.
Finally, pale-faced, Narce let out a hollow laugh and managed to speak.
Fountain water
.
Silence fell.
No one processed it right away.
Leo, quicker than the others, shouted,
What?!
What the hell, Narce? Youre saying Lucas is drinking fountain water? You read that right?
Ulrike asked, dumbfounded.
Narce didnt answer, just clutched his head. Heike Ainsidel, face darkening, asked,
Narce, so theyre drinking it to check if fountain water caused the berserk?
Probably? At least, thats Eliass intent.
Lucas alone?
Maybe with Yulia
The other teammates, completely floored, shook their heads.
What are those guys? Their thinking is fucking wild. This isnt just crazyits next-level.
Team 3s nothing but lunatics
Shouldve known when they said theyd blindfold for the exam
Narce, suppressing nausea, forced a smile and spoke.
Guys, wanna think a bit more?
About what?
We dont have info on the second berserker or victim. We need that to pick from the possibilities we discussed.
The students nodded.
Team 3 has that info. So, what do we do now?
Meet Team 3.
Right. Since theyre hitting fountains to prove one of our theories
Narce flashed a bright smile at the team.
His teammates, anticipating his next words, slowly curled their lips.
Might as well grab Team 3s info while were at it. What do you think, Leo?
Not bad. But we cant obsess over it like before.
Sweet! Then, Lucas and one other. Be nice to nab them.
One other? Isnt Lucas enough?
Cant use mental magic on Lucas.
The students gaped, nodding, assuming Lucass high level made magic ineffective.
Its true its tough, but thats not why Narce avoids mental magic on Lucas.
He got really messed up when hit with mental magic.
Exam or not, enemy or not, hes a friend first.
If I didnt know, fine, but I cant stoop to exploiting a friends trauma for a win.
With the goal set, the students rose, energized.
Alright. Where are they now?
Three blocks below Alexanderplatz, at a park. But, guys.
Hold on.
Narce and Leo spoke simultaneously.
Narce met Leos eyes.
They were about to say the same thing. Narce, reading it, nodded for Leo to go first. Leo acknowledged with a glance and said,
We never knew where Team 3 was going. They didnt share any info with Lucas.
Right.
But this time, we know where they are and what theyre drinking. Why feed Lucas something now? For the first and second points, Team 3 wouldve given it to someone else. Doesnt that seem off?
Yeah.
The students, just now realizing, looked at Leo and Narce with complex expressions. To their silent question, Narce confirmed,
Yup. They didnt let us know for nothing. Its Eliass trap. Their goals obviously to lure us. Whats the lure for, you think?
Narce muttered, chin propped.
If we stay sharp, its not a bad move. With no info on the second berserker and our theories hard to verify, we dont have many options.
So?
Lets follow them.
***
At the same time, three Team 3 members stood before a park fountain.
Are you fucking kidding?
Lucass hand instinctively went to the back of his head.
Elias swatted it away.
No, Luca. Dont take off the blindfold or puke~
You think I can keep it down?!
Hah
A deep sigh from Yula came beside him.
She was feeling the same as Lucas.
Lucas, sensing something rising inside, muttered,
Elias. You said any methods fine, right? This is your method?
Kinda! Not the whole thing yet.
Right But no matter how you spin it, theres no way youd pull something this insane. Im thinking this isnt fountain water
Whoa, stop! No thinking~
Elias clamped Lucass mouth shut. Even through the blindfold, Lucass furrowed brow was visible. Elias, unfazed, laughed and said,
Lets recite coordinates again. Start from A~
.
Youre memorizing, right? How far are you? Nah, dont answer. I bet youre at D, so its probably safe to talk. Listen up, Luca.
Elias lowered his voice.
You cant think at all. Leos always said you and I think alike, and I kinda agree. If you think even for a second, youll figure out my plan. So, even if your stomachs churning, bear it. Imagine soaking sauerkraut in cola instead. Narcell be so grossed out, he wont peek again.
Elias, you got a grudge against me or what? Get to the point.
Keep memorizing coordinates. First, Team 1s looking for this info. The victim Oswald and Florian found was a City Aesthetics clerk, same as the berserker. Havent heard their info yet, right?
Yeah.
Ill run through it quick. Forties, New Human, navy checkered jacket, deodorant smell, gum wrapper, business card, fountain pen, finger-sized perfume bottle, five folded fine notices, palm-sized notebook. It was raining, so the jacket was soaked where he collapsed. Notebook was empty, fines werent issued to anyone yet. American fountain pen, dark navy ink, pale pink perfumeprobably dont need that much detail, right?
Lucas didnt answer. He was still reciting coordinates.
Now, second. Luca, you nailed Faust and Rosalinds acting. Especially Rosalindblew me away. So different from you, yet you spoke like the real deal~
.
Eliass voice grew more serious.
Luca, from now on, when you meet Team 1, say and do things youd *never* do.
***
Memorizing coordinates again~
Uh, Narce
As Narce turned off his Insight and stood, Josefine, with him, turned with a worried look.
Your eyes are all bloodshot. You okay?
Call it burst capillaries, be precise
Narce gave a hollow laugh, slowly blinking.
Now he was getting drowsy.
Cant let that happen.
Narce slapped his cheek and touched his artifact.
Ulrike, Hilde. You there?
[Yup.]
Leo, Heike?
[Were here too.]
No big deal.
We predicted Team 3s path and arrived at their likely destinations. Two teams to other fountains, one to a drinking station.
Split into three, so ones bound to hit.
The goals to nab a Team 3 member, but they probably wont let us.
Elias lured us here on purpose.
Hes got a plan.
Gotta figure it out and play along.
Avoiding its not our strategyengaging is the key.
Thinking that, Narce hid behind a tree, holding his breath.
Soon, two people warped to the fountain.
Elias and Lucas.
Josefine whispered.
Yup.
As expected, Elias and Lucas hit another fountain.
Checking every fountain to find which water caused the berserk, it seems.
Narce, whats the move? Close combat to warp them outs best, right?
.
Narce put a finger to his lips, turning toward the fountain.
His breath smelled metallic. Blood trickled down his throat.
But the effect was clear.
Hahaha Its an illusion. Fake.
What?!
Lets go. No need to face an illusion. Stayings a waste of time.
As he said it, the illusion vanished.
Someone confirmed it was fake, so the ability couldnt hold. Narce smiled, tapping his ear.
Ulrike, Hilde.
[Yeah?]
Augustes tracking our movements. Might be there. Like before, they could be planning to stall us. Shake them and move past.
[Lucas and Elias are right here. Those are fake?]
Yup. Fake.
[Theyre not disappearing.]
Thats just suspicion.
Narce, using his ability, knows theyre fake, but the others without Insight are stuck at doubt.
[Guess well just bail. No point engaging and wasting time. Were heading to the poorhouse to investigate.]
[Yeah, Leo and Heike, get out quick too. This is just to scatter our focus! Theyre stalling us to hunt clues themselves, like before.]
At the same time, Leo and Heike, overhearing, watched Lucas and Elias by the fountain beyond the trees.
Fake, huh.
Leo, no trace of the berserkers meeting in this space.
Heike, reading the lands memories, stood and said,
Narce and the team make sense. Like you said, Elias feeding Lucass brain the fountain idea has a purpose. Theyre stalling us from finding clues. Since its fake, lets move on.
Yeah, we should hit the next coordinates. But
Leo took a deep breath.
Februarys cold winter air filled his lungs.
His sense of smell isnt exceptional, but years surrounded by plants gave him an edge in park searches.
Wet soil smell, then pine and juniper.
And
Cedarwood.
Too rich for this small park.
Might as well try. Heike, mark Lucas.
What? Thats playing into Team 3s plan!
Boom!
Blinding sky-blue magic erupted in the air.
Elias, now wielding a staff instead of a wand, raised it to block Leos attack.
Too obvious~ You cant attack like that, Leo!
Leo didnt react much, just kept swinging his wand.
No special spells or techniques.
Having already won with reckless barrages, he knew facing Elias with Lucas didnt need extra effort.
The issue was Lucas after.
Boom! Bang!
In the deafening roar shaking his body, Leo muttered, watching Elias and Lucas.
Augustes no ordinary ability user. Too damn identical, honestly cant tell.
Whats that, Leo?
Heike shouted.
Leo didnt answer. Instead, he stepped out from the tree and charged at Elias. Blue magic surged at him. Despite the roar and flash from hitting the barrier, Leo ignored it, rushing only at Elias.
Clang!
Whoa, in a hurry. Lame~
Elias blocked Leos sword, grinning.
In the distance, Lucas faced off with Heike. Leo, glancing behind Elias, locked eyes with him again and said,
That matter?
It doesnt?
Leo gave a faint smile, shaking his head.
I didnt set up Space Magic this time, Elias.
So~? Our Leos been slacking on focus since earlier.
Disappointing. You could escape right now, so why face me?
The blue eyes beyond the sword wavered.
The force on the sword grew unsteady.
Leos gaze shifted past Eliass shoulder.
Heike, with Leos unique ability, had already subdued Lucas.
Why? Whys Elias, so unlike you, wasting time here?
Dunno~
Because youre a calculated construct. Not the real thing, thinking fluidly with the situation
Scrape
Leo smiled at Elias again.
But a fake, stuck here by orders. Wrong? Honestly, this ones sloppy, Auguste.
In that moment, the Elias before him vanished.
Leo felt the lingering magic in the air dissipate, steadying himself.
As Narce said, its fake.
Called it sloppy
Its not sloppy.
Eliass so-called directional bluffing isnt bluffing.
Ill admit, what I just said was the real bluff.
Augustes ability is precise, with no gaps. Unlike when I spotted Lucass authenticity alone, Narces tip was huge this time.
But, regardless
One things certain: its the opposite.
Elias was fake, but Lucas is real.
Why?
Leo caught his breath, pressed down the grass sprouting from brick cracks with magic, and approached Heike and Lucas.
The cedarwood smell from earlier grew closer. Mixed with other herbal scentsLucass signature when in his true identity. Lucas acts like its a hassle, but with hypersensory types like Oswald and Philip at school, he cant skip it.
Anyway, Auguste wouldnt know that proof, and that proofthat this Lucas is the real Lucasis right before me.
Leo tilted his head, crouched beside the sprawled Lucas, and knelt on one knee.
Lucas.
.
No answer.
Leo lightly tugged the strap behind his head.
The annoying defense tool thatd plagued our team since the exam started came off with one gesture. A disbelieving laugh slipped out.
Then, pink eyes, tinged with amusement, met Leos gaze.
Was it funny because a friends face popped up, absurd because it worked, or smug because it went as planned? No clue.
But one thing was clear.
This isnt a coincidence.
Im standing on a well-crafted game board, and so is Lucas.
Right now, when we need Team 3s info for the final point, why am I so perfectly timed to face Lucas?
Wanna tell me why you stayed behind alone? Theres gotta be
.
A reason.
Leo flashed a polite smile to hide his calculations, looking down at his friend. Lucass lips slowly curled upward.
