How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 176

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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 (176)

‘Are you confident you can handle my drunken rambling?’

Narke glanced at Lucas sitting in front of him.

Honestly, he was flustered.

If it were someone else, maybe, but hearing such unfamiliar words from him who usually answered everything with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ was strange.

‘So it’s already starting.’

Lucas was leaning his upper body on the table, supporting his head with his arm.

From the looks of it, he was already quite drunk. And he probably really was.

Still…

‘He’s still sane~?’

Taking Lucas’s answer as affirmative, they smiled brightly.

“Ah, thank you.”

“It’s still early but you seem to have been drinking already?”

Narke smiled and answered the person sitting next to him.

“Yes~ This is our second stop.”

“Ah, where was the first?”

“On the street.”

A languid voice that sounded unfamiliar suddenly interjected into the conversation. Narke quickly waved his hand.

“Hahaha! This friend is quite drunk. Right?”

“Mmm…”

“Haha, he’s really quite drunk~”

Lucas’s displeased expression only reinforced the fact that he was drunk.

Narke looked at Lucas and activated his ability.

[…More than that, the other side looks perfectly fine as if not a drop of alcohol touched him, so why would they want to share a table with a drunkard like me who’s using a chair as support to pretend to be human? Besides, those humans have been here the whole time, but I’ve only been sitting here for less than 10 minutes?]

‘Haha… Normally they would have just asked if they could sit together because they liked the look of us.’

Of course, even if they liked the look, people usually avoid sitting with someone soaked in alcohol, so the question would be why sit here.

Anyway, since Lucas was also a clergyman, borrowing Elias’s expression, that kind of social activity was unacceptable.

So naturally, I wouldn’t stop Lucas’s characteristic way of thinking that the other party must have some calculation.

‘So then, shall I also try reasoning like Lucas~’

[Could it be proselytizing?]

“Hic…”

“Are you alright?”

“Ah, yes. I’m fine!”

[No. Even his mind is drunk.]

At least he knows that much.

Still, his other thoughts were working fine, so it was hard to say he was heavily drunk.

Then, the blonde human sitting next to Narke cheerfully began to speak.

“I’m Oigeni Siller, and this is Ludovica Schneider. You’re a face we haven’t seen on this street recently – what’s your name?”

“Gabriel Ainzburn. You’ve been here for a long time, I take it?”

“More or less~ What about him?”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Lucas.

Lucas, who had been holding his wine glass and just spinning it around, now seemed to notice the topic as he looked back and forth between the two humans. He squinted slightly and tilted his head.

“Pretty names.”

‘Wow~’

I almost cursed. Narke smiled and lightly brushed his arm.

That was absolutely something Lucas would never say.

He deliberately said something he knew wouldn’t have worked even 500 years ago.

He was probably thinking he wanted to flip the table and leave, and sure enough, when I used insight, he was thinking exactly that.

From an observer’s perspective, it was impressive how he was creating a character concept even while knowing the lines were terrible.

‘Come to think of it, it’s not just the lines.’

Narke observed Lucas’s expression and behavior.

No matter how you looked at it, these were gestures rarely seen in the Empire. Though they were expressions easily seen on the other side of the continent.

“Haha, which one of us?”

‘They’re actually… playing along with this line~’

I had to work hard to hold back laughter, but Lucas answered nonchalantly.

“Do I have to choose? That’s difficult.”

“Never mind then. What’s your name?”

Lucas literally poured wine into his mouth and smiled with the corners of his mouth turned up.

“Does it matter?”

“…”

“More importantly, this tastes good. Have you tried it?”

“I have. But you ordered a whole bottle? It’s a bit heavy to keep drinking alone.”

“Well… I was hungry.”

They exchanged glances.

Filling one’s stomach with alcohol.

For people who lived valuing culture to some degree, whether bourgeois or noble, there could be no more absurd statement.

From his half-sprawled posture on the table and Lucas’s attire, they probably felt once again that Lucas was someone not on their level.

“You don’t look like someone who goes around starving.”

“I just entered the country and there wasn’t a decent place to eat. Let’s have a drink.”

Lucas suddenly lifted the bottle and poured it into the glass Ludovica was holding.

She didn’t particularly refuse. Instead, Ludovica just swirled the half-filled wine glass.

“It’s a bit awkward to drink without even hearing your name.”

“Haha… Jeremaiah Caetani. Is that good enough?”

Lucas shrugged and spoke briefly before drinking again.

“Jeremaiah? That’s not Imperial pronunciation. England?”

“United States.”

“Oh. You’re quite fluent in Imperial? But…”

The person sitting next to Lucas stroked his chin and smiled mysteriously.

“That’s not your real name, is it?”

“Are there people who use their real names at entertainment establishments?”

“Haha, this is just a tavern though? You must have been out playing too much.”

Even at the slightly reproachful look, Lucas just smiled and tilted his head.

“What’s your real name? Even if you’re Italian-American, Caetani is a family that even produced a Pope. You should be more careful when making up aliases.”

“Doesn’t it suit me?”

“No.”

“That’s harsh.”

Lucas chuckled lightly and answered.

“My last human maternal ancestor was from that family. I took it from there.”

“Aha… So you really have clerical bloodline~? I’m not sure if this is okay~”

“Ah.”

Lucas spoke briefly and raised his eyebrows in a smile.

“Don’t say things like that.”

“…”

Narke sipped his drink while looking into the human’s eyes.

[His current family must be quite good too. Even if it’s an ancestral family, people of matching status would have married each other…]

‘Good.’

The networking aspect was perceived as Lucas intended.

But now I understand that doubt Lucas had earlier.

No matter how much of a class-based society this was, invisible hierarchies were created based on the culture people enjoyed.

Judging from the way of speaking educated among intellectuals and the bourgeois atmosphere emanating from their whole bodies, even if the other party were nobles, they wouldn’t associate with someone soaked in alcohol and entertainment using fake names.

Whether it’s prostitution, gambling, or illegal entertainment, I’m getting a strong feeling this is someone completely immersed in that lifestyle, so why did they approach me?

Simply because my family looked well-off? No. They only found that out just now.

The real question is why they approached someone like this even before knowing my family was well-off, even if it was just out of curiosity.

“Haha, I understand. I’m from a convent too.”

“Hmm…?”

Lucas, who had been holding alcohol in his mouth, let out a hollow laugh.

It was brief, but he was genuinely flustered.

‘Though a Cardinal acting like a delinquent is more shocking~’

Narke swallowed those words and watched Lucas’s expression.

Lucas quickly composed his expression and smiled.

“We’re kindred spirits then.”

“That’s right. Come to think of it, are you two friends?”

The human sitting next to Narke asked.

Narke smiled and answered.

“Yes. We’ve been close since we went to school together in the United States. We get along really well despite how we look.”

“Since school? You both look quite young… No wait. Let me guess. 19 years old?”

At those words, Lucas squinted his eyes.

“Even so, I’m not completely inconsiderate of other people’s conscience. Or were you hoping I’d be that young?”

“Hahaha! Then… 23?”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t think it’s more than that.”

Lucas snapped his fingers and smiled.

“Thanks. I’m 25.”

“Wow, I had no idea.”

‘Of course you wouldn’t~ Since I’m 18.’

I added 7 years and they believed it – is it thanks to the clothes Leo brought?

Narke was amazed at their poor judgment.

“I thought you were a student, but I guess not. What do you do for work?”

“Making diploma scraps of paper.”

“Ah, university?”

“High school. Even though they say many people go to university these days, it really doesn’t suit me.”

“Well, that can happen~ You might find what you want to do later… You don’t have to live like everyone else.”

“Of course. So, in Ludovica’s opinion, am I someone worth getting to know?”

Then the human sitting next to Lucas smiled again.

“I’d have to meet you more to know that.”

“Mm, alright.”

Lucas grinned and pushed his glass toward the table.

“But if you don’t tell me by today, I won’t be able to hear your answer.”

“What?”

“Since I’ve come this far, I should have some fun too.”

Lucas staggered up from his seat and put on his jacket.

Then he grabbed the neck of an unopened wine bottle.

‘Ugh~’

Right.

This is the image I was trying to project.

The two humans sitting with him maintained their smiling faces while freezing in place.

Lucas didn’t care either way and just grinned with half-glazed eyes.

“Ah, are there any gambling halls open at this hour around here?”

I could feel people at nearby tables looking our way.

His acting was so realistic that Narke had to keep using insight to tell if he was actually drunk or not.

“Haven’t you heard? All the gambling halls in the capital have been shut down.”

“Ah. This is… I was only looking forward to that, what a shame.”

“Do you have a place to stay?”

“My entry into the country is still a secret. I’ll have to go around begging for a place from now on.”

Narke read the expressions in those two humans’ eyes.

They completely saw him as a problem child.

Surprisingly, they didn’t seem particularly offended that Lucas had openly dismissed them.

“Oh my… How long will you be staying in the Empire? And you don’t even have a place to stay.”

“I can’t go back to the United States now. I’ll probably have to stay here permanently.”

“You can’t go back now?”

“Yes. There are circumstances. What table number is this?”

“You don’t need to pay. Not just gambling halls, but most of the establishments here have closed… I should be the one comforting you as a representative of the Empire.”

“What did you say?”

“They’re all closed. Even if you wait until midnight, nothing will open.”

The smile slowly faded from Lucas’s face.

At his dramatic expression, the two humans tilted their heads sympathetically.

“You really haven’t heard, have you? You’re a demihuman but you’re interested in that sort of thing?”

“They’re closed? This can’t be… Why?”

“Don’t you know about the raids? Your family seems well-off, but no one told you?”

“Hahaha…”

Lucas let out a hollow laugh with an expression that suggested he didn’t want to talk about it. Then he caught his jacket that had been slipping down from where it hung on his elbow. It was a scene that looked chaotic in many ways.

“Fine. I can’t believe it. No, but I’ll try to believe it. Thanks for the information.”

“Don’t mention it. If you need help, come to this spot tomorrow.”

The human was smiling leisurely with a face that had taken control as if they’d never been flustered. Lucas uncorked the wine bottle he was holding, tossed it on the table, and answered smoothly.

“That won’t be necessary. It was a pleasant conversation.”

* * *

I quickly finished paying and went outside.

Narke stuck close to my side.

―”How was it, Narke. What kind of people are they?”

―”Haha…”

Since Narke was deflecting with laughter, I asked again.

―”They’re not ordinary people.”

―”Right.”

At Narke’s clean answer, I slowly continued.

―”No matter how I look at it, they’re not a suitable match. There’s quite an age gap and their cultural level doesn’t match either.”

―”Haha, maybe they wanted to make a young lover?”

―”What a way of thinking… Are you really a Cardinal?”

I genuinely felt the alcohol rising and pressed my hand firmly over my mouth.

―”Having heard your conversation just now, it’s a bit surprising for me to hear such words~ Button up your shirt first!”

―”There’s another Elias here…”

―”Don’t act so disgusted. What I said earlier was just something I said. Actually, I did get the feeling they were trying to get you to do something, but as you know, my second meeting is more accurate than the first, and the third more than the second. To extract information, conversation topics related to that need to come up too.”

I wasn’t sure what “don’t act so disgusted” meant, but I didn’t bother asking.

Even though I’d burned away all the alcohol with divine power, he seemed a bit drunk too.

Just then, Narke muttered nonsense.

―”Do I need a long-term plan…”

―”What?”

―”Nothing. So, are you going back now? It’s already past 7.”

―”I should go back. Let’s stop by another place for just one drink and then head straight back.”

―”Ah, you’re not planning to order by the bottle this time, right?”

If I did that, I might seriously die.

―”Cleaner than I expected~ You really just came to show your face today.”

Even though I said that, the Antagonist seemed to have expected something.

Of course, that’s how it is ‘today,’ but not tomorrow. I’ll continue making appearances like today, but I need to start taking action soon.

―”I’ll come back. At 2 AM.”

* * *

I warped to the infirmary with Narke’s help.

Elias, who had been lying on my bed playing with Fai, jumped up.

Leo seemed to have been called elsewhere, having many things to do.

“Ah, you’re back. Our Jerry~”

“Think of a different nickname.”

“Alright, Jerome~ Your voice is already shot. Don’t drink like that in my room too.”

Of all things, here’s someone making nicknames out of aliases.

I thought he only shortened names ending in S, but apparently not.

“So, how was it?”

“Nothing much happened today.”

There were two people who approached me, but since I can’t know their exact purpose, it’s too early to consider it meaningful.

Instead, I seemed to have properly caught the attention of the people in that tavern.

After all, someone with such hopeless appearance who doesn’t even know that Primrose Pass was raided would naturally draw attention.

I just hope they spread some rumors.

“I’m going out again at 2 though. How’s school?”

“Roll call is at 11. But you don’t need to worry about it. Leo extended your hospitalization period.”

Really?

That’s good.

I was going to have to look into that, but since my problem is already solved, now Narke just needs to make an excuse.

I looked at Narke. Elias was also looking at him.

Narke smiled and pointed to himself.

“Ah, I’m the only one who needs to figure it out~?”

* * *

―”You’re thinking of leaving Fai behind.”

―”Haha, I’ve done that often~ If someone comes, I can just warp back immediately, so it’s fine.”

At 2 AM, we moved to Primrose Pass like before.

I brought the bottle in one hand to my mouth.

Having consumed only alcohol all day, I really feel like I’m going to throw up now.

But I need to have it with me right now.

―”You’re going to start?”

―”Yeah.”

Crash—!

I kicked the ground with my foot.

The magic hanging over the street broke ridiculously easily. The ground that had been dirt just moments ago had turned to marble.

‘It wouldn’t have been like this originally, but maybe the defenses weakened after the raid, or something.’

Narke seemed to think the same, just chuckling and shaking his head.

But if it’s this sloppy, it’s actually not good for me.

I shouldn’t just make myself known to Primrose Pass customers.

It would work much better to make myself known to the owners or caretakers.

That’s why I came, but what’s the point if there’s no one watching?

The moment I thought that, light came rushing from behind.

Crash—!

“Who is it? This drunkard.”

It’s magic.

Someone cast magic from behind.

I tried to get up by pressing against the floor, but someone kicked my back with their foot.

‘As expected.’

There are some here.

Right. There’s no way there wouldn’t be guards.

Looking around the floor, Narke was already pinned down by another guard.

Someone pulled a wand from my waist.

“What, a Human?”

“Do you know where you’ve entered?”

“Isn’t this someone from the Investigation Bureau? Check carefully.”

Someone began pressing down on my back again with fierce force.

‘What should I do.’

This is a good opportunity.

I couldn’t do it at the tavern earlier because there were too many watching eyes, but using mental manipulation magic on these people shouldn’t be difficult.

It would be good to make them stop the violence at an appropriate point and have them take me to their superior. Just as I thought that and relaxed my body, a sharp voice was heard.

“Stop!”

The three people holding us instantly stopped their actions and turned their heads.

“…Priest?”

Priest?

The voice I heard earlier was that of a Human woman.

‘A priest sets foot in Primrose Pass?’

No.

Lucky me. I didn’t expect to catch one so soon.

This isn’t an ordinary Catholic priest.

What affiliation would a priest who sets foot here have?

“We meet again here, Mr. Jeremaiah.”

The white light illuminating the floor stung my eyes.

But I could tell who it was well enough from the voice.

The person who had sat next to me earlier extended a hand to me.

“I told you we were closed.”

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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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