How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 109

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magic Family (109)

“Uuugh….”

I looked down at my opponent who still seemed to have no capacity to listen to my words.

At that moment, something warm trickled down from inside my nose.

I instinctively felt disgusted for a moment, but I could immediately realize what it was.

‘The curse magic is similar to before.’

I wiped the blood with the back of my hand and smiled.

If it’s just a nosebleed after using this much mana, that’s fine.

I don’t know what principle causes the bleeding, but as long as this doesn’t burst in my brain or heart, it’s worth trying a bit more.

When I grabbed his collar and lifted him up, his eyes, still lost in pain and unfocused, turned toward the blood on my hand.

“I thought for a moment that you might not be Pleroma… but you’re definitely not human.”

Strauchi, who had been fine even with mana-mixed blood, looked different to me now.

Anyway….

‘I should start the interrogation soon.’

When I calculated before, I thought I could use magic about four or five times.

Back then I gathered it all at once, but now I can’t.

I used it once now, so let’s say I have four chances left.

Of those, I need to use two portions to dismantle Antagonist’s spatial magic.

But right now I need to save even that.

The fortunate thing is that if Antagonist doesn’t want the spatial magic destroyed, he can’t actively pour attacks on me either.

I lifted Antagonist up and then kicked the chair away.

“W-wait!”

Wait for what.

I filled my hand gripping his collar with divine power and slammed his head into the floor with my full weight.

Thud― Crash―!

“Gah…!”

When I can’t use mana properly, I need to move cost-effectively.

With this much impact, he should be separated from the space Antagonist was in.

―Enter through the narrow gate.

His pupils suddenly dilated wide.

Success.

Seeing that mental manipulation magic took effect, the double spatial magic was definitely broken.

“Double spatial magic, the magic you were using. Do you guys call it that too?”

“….”

He slowly nodded his head.

“Right, you would have spent time figuring out what more to extract rather than thinking of new names. How far has this technique spread?”

Antagonist didn’t answer.

It is an ambiguous question though.

I let out a light breath and changed the question.

“Is this a technique that only circulates within the Osnabrück Diocese?”

That’s unlikely, but let’s expand step by step.

The moment I thought that, I doubted my eyes.

He nodded to this question.

‘…It hasn’t spread outside Osnabrück?’

It’s been a whole week though?

Then it means the Bishop of Osnabrück is either only looking at achievements, or betraying the organization….

It’s probably the former with high probability.

“Can your master gather all humans belonging to the Osnabrück Diocese?”

He nodded.

If the master is the diocesan Bishop, does that mean all the diocese believers can gather in one place on one day when the Bishop calls?

What an impressive hierarchy. It really is a cult.

I smiled and put strength into the hand gripping his collar.

Time-wise, this is about the end.

“Your master’s name?”

“…Ain….”

“Name.”

I asked again but Antagonist repeated the same words.

Ain is an article corresponding to the English “A”.

Seeing him give the same answer, it seemed like it wasn’t used as an article but that was the entire name.

Suddenly, figures in priest robes warped in front of my eyes.

They wore crosses around their necks along with Pleroma’s emblem.

I had no intention of resisting since going back like this would be a waste of points, but my vision turned black before I could even lift my head.

* * *

How much time had passed? I opened my eyes feeling a soft sensation again this time.

Someone was standing with their back turned in the distance.

‘…Eli?’

No, that’s not right.

The color was white like Elias’s, but even though this person had their hair tied up, the ends reached their waist.

As I blinked to focus, he turned around sharply.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

He smiled softly, curving his eyes.

“I heard Count is looking for me. So, do you have something to say?”

“….”

It’s a face that’s hard to forget once you see it.

To say it’s because he’s handsome would be too subjective a standard, but even excluding that, it was true.

I couldn’t feel any human-like atmosphere from his face.

I called up his status window.

Ainsiedel

Favorability -10

Title: A _

Stamina: +9.5

Mental Power: +6

Mana: ?

Skill: +7

Impression: +1

Luck: +5

Traits: Charm (Lv.5), A _ (Lv.8), Permanence (Lv.10)

‘Ainsiedel.’

This guy is the master of the Antagonist I met earlier.

For the diocesan Bishop to come personally after saying ‘I should bring someone worth knowing’ – where else can you find such luck?

‘And… favorability is -10?’

This is interesting.

Even looking through the status window, there’s only a surname and no first name.

Ainsiedel is a Prussian noble surname.

I sat up and spoke.

“You must have seen everything through your subordinate.”

“Haha! You’re quite suspicious. I’m glad you’re someone who lives up to that reputation.”

Ainsiedel sat on the edge of the bed and continued speaking.

“I didn’t see it directly myself, but I did hear about it. So, what did you want to tell me that you called for me? Since Count called, I cleared my busy schedule and came from far away… I’d be quite disappointed if it’s nothing special.”

“What do you plan to do with me?”

“I’ll have to make it as the Count said.”

Right, there’s no better method than that.

I examined his features one by one and asked.

“How?”

“Didn’t Bern tell you? That kid is smart, so he surely would have tried to make you that way.”

Who is this Bern he’s talking about like this.

When I remained silent, he shook his head from side to side. In an instant, his hand shot toward my neck.

Crash―!

“….”

“How’s that, it’s what the Count did to my subordinate earlier.”

He muttered in a languid tone.

Regardless, I had to worry about my head that had fallen from the bed and hit the floor.

As expected of Pleroma, they start with unreasonable acts first.

I looked straight into his eyes and said.

“Who is Bern.”

“Hahaha!”

He laughed so hard his uvula was visible.

At that moment, I was certain.

I haven’t had a proper conversation with him yet, but I understand.

This bastard is someone who doesn’t respond to common sense.

The people I’ve met so far at least had something called common sense.

But this guy was Pleroma itself as the world thinks of it.

‘A diocesan bishop would belong to Pleroma’s leadership, and to reach that level, you probably have to be this kind of madman.’

He laughed madly then looked straight at me and said.

“We haven’t even introduced ourselves, have we? I’m Ain.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen someone ask to be called by a shortened surname.”

When I sneered, Ainsiedel tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.

“Your surname is Ainsiedel.”

“Well, how did you know that was a surname?”

He stroked his chin as if interested, then put strength into the hand pressing my neck.

“That’s right, this is how it should be. If the one who killed Bern didn’t have this level of extraordinariness, that wouldn’t do.”

“….”

Now I understand.

I thought without taking my gaze off his eyes.

He’s talking about Werner Strauch right now.

“I didn’t kill him.”

“No, you killed him.”

“Well, there’s no problem seeing it that way.”

It’s true that I drove him to the brink of death.

Even after I answered that way, the smile still didn’t disappear from Ainsiedel’s face.

The fact that I killed him is clearly obvious to him now.

He’s now picturing what comes next.

He couldn’t be this calm otherwise.

“What will you do? It seems the Count never thought that Pleroma members might also have family and friends?”

“And you don’t know that those Werner Strauch tried to kill were someone’s family and friends?”

He didn’t answer and just smiled.

“That kid could have lived eternally. What will you do? Hmm? Should I make you into Bern because of this?”

“….”

He really is insane.

From deviating from our conversation to rambling about his own thoughts, it’s already hopeless.

As I looked at him with contemptuous eyes, he grinned and patted my shoulder.

“Just kidding.”

He suddenly stood up and muttered.

“We have plenty of time… so let’s get to know each other slowly.”

“Do we have to?”

“We’ll be seeing each other for a long time. I like you, Count.”

If favorability is -10, that’s the worst of the worst, yet there are humans who express it like this – the world really is vast.

But he won’t get to know me.

Because now I know how I need to move.

I called up the retry window.

Then I took in Ainsiedel’s appearance with my eyes and muttered.

“Return.”

* * *

“…Legislator Strauchi was based in Osnabrück. This is a contract made with the diocesan Pleroma there.”

Eberhardt is looking at me and speaking.

I touched my neck and breathed deeply.

“…Whew…”

At that moment, Leo and Richthofen both looked at me simultaneously.

“What’s wrong.”

“No, it’s nothing.”

I brushed it off roughly.

The blood that had dried on my face was gone now.

Though my vision was dizzy from the aftereffects of using my ability, the headache from the shock had disappeared completely.

Everything had returned to its original state.

I took a deep breath and said to Leo.

“You can return to your appearance now.”

“…What?”

Leo said, narrowing his eyes.

That’s a reasonable reaction. Since we hadn’t found any useful information the whole time, it would seem sudden to say this now.

‘Return to your appearance’ – meaning break the illusion on your body – means to call Narke.

The magic power surrounding Leo belongs to Narke, and Narke agreed to come to us if this breaks, judging it as a dangerous situation.

‘There is one variable though.’

Before coming here, we explained everything to Marian Baum.

And we asked her to bring someone who looks exactly like Michael Schultz to the Catacombs if he comes to the surface.

He didn’t give any answer.

That’s natural. Since we used him.

Even if he doesn’t grant our request, we can’t blame him.

So first, we need to break Leo’s illusion to see if Marian Baum granted our request.

“….”

Leo stared at me intently then snapped his fingers.

The illusion magic that had been forming him shattered, revealing Leo’s appearance.

As if they had expected it, neither Eberhardt nor Richthofen looked surprised.

I looked at Eberhardt and said.

“I’ll go.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ll cross over to that side for you. But there’s a condition.”

Eberhardt tilted his head while looking at my face.

“Except for you, everyone who comes to this place must go. Is that possible?”

“It’s impossible since Pleroma members are guarding that place.”

Hmm, right.

That’s what he’d say.

I pointed my wand at his heart and said.

“Then make it possible.”

“….”

I could feel Leo looking at me in bewilderment, but I don’t need to think up such schemes for him. Handle this much on your own.

With that thought, I continued speaking.

“I’m going there to retrieve the technology that went over to their side. I’m sure you understand without me having to explain how strong they’ll become with your technology.”

“…Retrieve it?”

Richthofen asked with a dazed expression.

Eberhardt stared at me intently before speaking.

“…If we stagger the timing, it should be fine. If you go there an hour after the Count crosses over, it should work.”

“Would have been nice if you’d said that from the start.”

I looked at Leo and said.

“Tell Narke. Tell her to grab anyone, steal their clothes, and come to where I am. And ask her to find the locations of the Diocese of Osnabrück’s cathedral and archives.”

“Got it.”

Fortunately, Leo nodded without any concern even at my rather unethical words.

I drank the potion without hesitation.

* * *

It’s that same room I saw before again.

“He said you must have an upset stomach from drinking that strong medicine in the Catacombs. I’ll prepare a full meal starting from the next meal.”

“Yes, you may go.”

I quickly dismissed the servant.

Then I unfolded the paper that had been clutched in my hand since I woke up.

It was Narke’s handwriting.

‘She’s fast.’

What was written on the paper was the illusion magic formula I had cast on Leo.

I don’t know when she figured out what I wanted and prepared this, but it worked out well.

I memorized the formula written on the paper and substituted the appearance I had seen earlier.

Untied white hair cascaded down long below my field of vision.

It’s amazing that a single illusion can change even my perception like this.

I carefully raised my hand to touch my face. I felt a face with different bone structure from the Luca I knew.

Though it’s my first time using this magic, fortunately I seemed to have memorized the formula properly, as even my voice came out differently.

Honestly, it feels disgusting, but this is the best option.

I roughly wiped away the flowing nosebleed and stood up.

Bang―!

The servant I had seen earlier opened the door with a confused expression, then looked back and forth between me and the empty bed.

“…Master? Where is His Excellency Nicolaus….”

He’s quick. Since I drew mana from my core, he must have sensed it.

I recalled the Bishop’s leisurely tone and opened my mouth.

“I sent him away.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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