How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 178

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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 (178)

Ludovica stared at me for a while, then answered just as lightly.

“Curious? But unfortunately, I can’t tell you for free.”

“For free…? In this situation where I don’t even know how much the investment is, what am I supposed to trust to invest?”

“Your debauchery?”

I gazed at Ludovica with a smiling face.

Ludovica shrugged and leaned her upper body back.

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine.”

“No, I don’t dislike it~ But even you would think my questions are perfectly normal curiosity, right? Don’t you think so?”

I frowned while pulling up the corners of my mouth.

“We just met, so how can you make such a proposal to me? I haven’t even heard how much I need to pay as investment… do you think I can afford that money?”

“Since you’re so talented, I thought I’d make the offer. Whether you do it or not is up to you.”

Ludovica continued smoothly.

“I’ll be putting in more of my own money as capital anyway, and for the initial funding, about 50 million pel… I don’t think you can’t afford it, can you?”

500 million?

I let out a hollow laugh.

It would be a lot by itself, but it’s small for an amount they expect from me.

Especially considering this is investment money for a business involving Pleroma.

Understanding my expression, he smiled lightly.

“It’s not just your money going in. Since you seem to want to live playing around and eating well, I’m just trying to give you a position. It’s convenient and good for us too if the right person is in that position.”

“…”

“Besides…”

Ludovica took off her gloves and grabbed my hand. With a gentle gesture, pale fingers overlapped on the artery of my wrist.

“You seem to have talent in other areas too.”

“…”

My heart began to beat rapidly.

Not for the reason he expected.

He’s no different from Iza or the bishops of Freiburg.

If Pleroma is openly sensing mana while saying such things, it means they’ve noticed my qualities.

‘…Since Jeremaiah seems to know nothing, they’re being so blatant.’

Since this is a building operated by Pleroma, there was plenty of possibility that gases used in their world were in the air. Those bishops had immediately grasped my qualities too.

‘That’s fortunate.’

I did well to steer the atmosphere in this direction.

I can naturally disguise my instinctive sense of crisis as being moved.

Anyway, I gained one more piece of information.

If they’re thinking of recruiting me into Pleroma and using me to boost their performance, I can understand why he’s approaching me.

“It’s not that I won’t tell you. Instead, I’ll let you know after you go through the test.”

“Test?”

“That’s right.”

While maintaining a calm face, I couldn’t prevent my shoulders from tensing up.

These bastards… what are they trying to make me do?

“First, shall we check your passport and bank account?”

* * *

It was the most deflating sound I’d heard all week.

And it was also an absurd thing to say.

Of course, seeing how they’re openly trying to rip me off, the situation is going smoothly. Defeat comes to those who underestimate their opponents.

I leaned my arm on the chair back and asked.

“Is the bank account done now?”

“Yes.”

Forging it wasn’t difficult.

I started with the investor concept from the beginning.

Thanks to Leo ordering Bavaria’s technicians to make forged documents as quickly as possible since yesterday evening, it was already completed around midnight.

Since I haven’t been creating new identities for just a day or two, he handled such preparations smoothly.

‘There’s nothing money and status can’t do.’

This country isn’t one that handles work so quickly.

Regardless of that guy’s attitude change, I can’t help but be grateful for his consideration.

Of course, unlike last year, Nicolaus now has the power to prepare such things too.

I don’t really want to imagine it, but if something happens between Leo and me in the future, I should have the power to solve things myself.

‘Of course, that guy originally… doesn’t have the nature to betray me as I worry.’

I know. The lord-vassal relationship between him and me could be reversed right now without any problem.

I know Leo’s loyalty and trust well.

From the novel, he had no hesitation in elevating a friend who was in a lower position than himself to the top position in the Empire.

From age 17 when he entered politics with the unconscious obsession of making Elias emperor until age 27, he maintained neutrality while ignoring his own political inclinations in every moment, yet flexibly handled things so as not to appear opportunistic or without his own opinions.

And he deployed the weight he had built up over those 10 years to his hidden cards at the most decisive moment. He supported Elias’s coup.

That was possible because he had blind faith in Elias.

In other words, all those emotions I read from Leo were directed toward Elias.

I can’t be certain that the same would be directed toward me.

Especially if he knew all the facts about Luca?

“…”

I can’t read his heart, and he never reveals his true inner thoughts.

Because he himself doesn’t try to be conscious of what his true feelings are.

In the end, I know Leo well when he’s in front of Elias, but I know nothing about Leo when he’s in front of me.

In this situation, all I can do is maintain an appropriate distance until I understand the situation.

“…Can’t you hear me? Hey there.”

A gloved hand waved in front of my eyes.

I snapped back to attention and looked at Ludovica.

“What were you thinking about so deeply? And your passport isn’t here.”

I didn’t show the passport earlier. I only showed the bank account by covering the surname with magic.

To prevent them from investigating my background, I shouldn’t reveal my full name to him even if it’s an alias.

Not yet.

“I’ll show it to you when you have nothing to hide from me. You can accept this much stubbornness, right? So, then.”

I leaned toward Ludovica.

“The test isn’t over with this, is it?”

“You’re quick to catch on.”

“…”

I could tell intuitively.

The next test is the real one.

Ludovica smiled warmly and asked.

“Or was that also an intentional comment?”

Asking if it was a pickup line. As if?

Of course, since she created the situation herself, there’s no reason to just waste it. I didn’t deny it and shrugged.

Ludovica stood up and said.

“It’s already late today, so let’s go to sleep. Instead, let’s meet at dawn tomorrow.”

* * *

Around 5 AM, we warped outside the capital, then moved to school through various locations to avoid tracking.

Due to our homeroom teacher’s disappearance, our school has now lost even morning classes.

In the end, we had to do nothing but training from 7 AM to 6 PM straight.

‘But it’s not bad since evening training disappeared instead.’

I have time to find clues to rescue the homeroom professor.

At 6 PM, after training ended, Narke approached me with a smile and said.

―”Your condition isn’t bad~ Even though you poured down that much alcohol yesterday.”

“Haha….”

I responded with a light laugh.

Narke turned around and greeted our team members.

“Hey guys, thanks for doing well today too. There’s no evening training now, so see you tomorrow~”

We’d see them in a minute anyway during roll call.

Our team friends, except for Heike Einsiedel, waved with smiles and went outside.

Heike had been silently following me and Narke around since the third round started, so she’d probably leave with us when we went out.

Anyway….

‘Things are going smoothly.’

I’d thought this since the teams were first announced, but the training for the third exam preparation was incomparably smoother than during the second round.

As we came out of the Training Ground, I could see Leo and Students lined up in the Lobby.

As soon as Leo spotted me, he turned his head toward the other Students.

“Alright, all second-year third round qualifiers are here, right? Let’s check attendance and go have dinner.”

From today on, attendance would be checked at the start and end of every activity.

Leo checked his own name and called out the Students’ names in the order written on the roster as he moved toward the back.

“Auguste, Victoria.”

“Yeah.”

“Narke.”

“Mm-hmm~”

Leo glanced at me with an expressionless face, tapped my shoulder, and moved to the back row.

Magic power seeped into my shoulder.

“….”

This bastard did the handshake thing in front of the kids before too, and now he keeps being scary….

I wondered why he was letting it slide so quietly.

Narke was just letting out little chuckles.

It probably meant that other Students wouldn’t notice his strange behavior and cause problems.

Seeing the magic power with his unique ability manifested seeping in, it seemed like he was trying to confirm whether I had kept my promise.

“Haike’s here too. Alright, you can all go back now. See everyone tomorrow morning.”

Leo went back to the front and clapped his hands. As the Students scattered, some of his Friends approached Leo.

“They’re serving Bavaria food today! Let’s go quickly.”

“Really? I’m not eating today. You guys eat without me.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I have a lot to do.”

‘He would have a lot to do.’

The Student Council president election was coming up soon, and the School kept calling the Student Council because of this incident.

I walked to the Infirmary while thinking about various things.

And after opening the Infirmary door, I froze upon discovering a human sitting beside the bed.

“….”

“You’re here?”

Leo, who had been reading the notes I wrote, looked up.

“You have a lot to do?”

“The Department Head Professor told me to visit every day.”

It seemed like an excuse, but since he said so, I couldn’t say anything more. I sat down without answering.

“Did you have a good trip yesterday? I read all the notes you wrote this morning.”

“Then why are you reading them again?”

“I wondered if I misunderstood and investigated wrong. That person called Ludovica Schneider, that’s a fake name. The Prosecution said there’s no testimony or records about such a person in Primrose Pass. The Hotel you went to also has a Human male as the business owner.”

That was natural. The same went for the business being under someone else’s name.

You shouldn’t think that correct information would be recorded.

Even in the 21st century, people frequently moved their family registers to Someone’s House because of taxes, so would this era and these criminal groups be any different?

“It seems like that person called Ludovica Schneider had her guard down a lot thanks to your acting. Anyway, since we discovered Pleroma that even received Vitriol, you can step back now and leave the investigation to the Imperial Court and government.”

“….”

Setting aside the credit going to them….

There was no guarantee the investigation would be successful.

The Imperial Court would try the method anyone could think of, namely using Arcane Mages to intervene in Ludovica’s mind.

“You know. If it was something that could be solved that way, I wouldn’t have stepped forward either.”

“….”

“Today I have to go to the Legislators. Let’s pin our hopes on this.”

I pulled out a letter tucked among the pile of documents Leo brought and waved it.

I had requested additional interrogation of the two prosecutors I found before, and identified the Legislators who had discussed Primrose Pass with them.

“Ludovica Schneider has no intention of giving me information anyway. I need to obtain new information myself.”

“Your image got established too clearly.”

That’s right.

There were good points but also bad points.

Ludovica was thinking there was no point explaining various things to a playboy.

Moreover, their initially calculated needs—money and connections—had become largely meaningless now. Since they were trying to solve things through revelations, it couldn’t be helped.

I needed to find new needs so I could meet the Antagonist.

Thinking that, I snapped my fingers.

The black hair covering my eyes turned bright. My eyes probably turned blue too.

Leo smiled with an indecipherable meaning and said.

“I still can’t get used to it. It’s already been half a year.”

“That’s understandable.”

“It looks like Narke already detoxified the alcohol, and your health isn’t bad either. I’ll be going now. Having a lot to do is actually true.”

Leo got up from his seat.

I briefly said goodbye and saw him out.

And I recalled something I’d only been thinking about since the teleportation incident yesterday.

‘Should I try raising it now?’

The retry trait level, that is.

Since the current situation wasn’t very safe, I needed to invest a little and try raising it.

I opened the window and checked the contents.

[Retry Lv. 1]

― 【Chapter 6】 Move to my most recent checkpoint

― 1 use: 2.0 points

― 2.0 points until next level

* Points held: 19.0 points

* 0.6 luck points until next point acquisition

’19 points.’

This should be enough.

Let’s raise the level a bit.

The moment I thought that, the text in front of me changed.

[Retry Lv. 2]

― 【Chapter 6】 My most recent checkpoint: ‘501st Teleportation Spell’

― 1 use: 2.0 points

― 4.0 points until next level

* Points held: 17.0 points

* 0.6 luck points until next point acquisition

“…!”

It showed where the most recent checkpoint was.

Just in case, I raised the level once more.

[Retry Lv. 3]

― 【Chapter 6】 My previous checkpoint: ‘Room 501 Warp Magic’

― 【Chapter 6】 One-time manual checkpoint setting within 6 hours (0/3)

― 2.0 points per use

― 6.0 points until next level

* Current points: 13.0 points

* 0.6 luck points until next point acquisition

I can directly choose the point to return to?

It’s disappointing that there are only three chances within this chapter, but since I don’t use it often anyway, it’s useful.

‘This is insane…’

I should have done this earlier.

Of course, I didn’t have enough points last year, so it couldn’t be helped.

Then, Narke warped into the hospital room.

“Oh, it looks like Leo just came and went~ I came to tell you to go to Parliament now, are you ready?”

“Yeah.”

I handed the letter to Narke and said.

[Rudolph Tirpitz]

[Alexander Kruger]

“Read it. These are the Federal Committee legislators who had conversations with those prosecutors about Primrose Pass.”

“Ah, there aren’t many this time either~ It won’t be burdensome. Well, let’s go.”

I changed into Nicolaus’s formal wear and with Narke’s help, warped into the Federal Commission Building via the checkpoint.

It didn’t even take 3 minutes to get here.

As we entered the building, someone wearing a pure white robe spoke.

“You’ve arrived. I was waiting.”

An Arcane Mage from the Imperial Palace.

Seeing that the person changes every time we come, it seems the Emperor can’t rule out the possibility of these mages colluding with Nicolaus.

“Let’s start right away.”

“Yes, please come this way.”

The mage led us to the very top floor and grabbed a dusty door handle.

“It would be right to start with Legislator Rudolph Tirpitz first, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes.”

The mage opened the door.

At the front seat of the meeting room, a middle-aged mage was sitting.

That person is one of the two Federal Committee legislators who had conversations with the prosecutors about Primrose Pass.

The other one will be brought later for safety reasons.

“Hello, Legislator.”

“Ah, Count Nicolaus. The reason you suddenly asked to meet like this is…?”

“It’s nothing special.”

I said that while drawing my wand.

―Enter through the narrow gate.

“…!”

The legislator’s eyes briefly went blank before returning. He opened his mouth with confused eyes.

“Wait, Count! What is this…!”

―For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

After reciting that far, his eyes went blank.

I caught his head as he was about to collapse and looked around.

Perhaps because the magic didn’t work immediately, the mage from the Imperial Palace was looking at us with confused eyes.

On the other hand, Narke seemed to have caught on.

‘This much is…’

Pleroma.

Pleroma within the government.

To be precise, it’s Parliament, not government, but they use the terms interchangeably.

‘It was good that I called only one person first.’

“Could you please call the other legislator?”

“What? Right now…?”

“Call them right now. Even a minute faster!”

I shouted at the mage.

When I told them to bring the person even a minute faster, somehow they understood this, and amazingly, in less than a minute, the other legislator appeared before us with a confused face.

“You’ve arrived!”

“I came because you said it was an imperial command, but wait. Why is Count Nicolaus Ernst here…?”

Imperial command?

Thanks for the flexibility.

I drew my wand and quickly recited the spell.

―Enter through the narrow gate.

At that moment, the legislator’s body collapsed helplessly. I flicked my wand to catch him.

Narke, who was holding the first collapsed legislator beside me, frowned and said.

―”Both of them were Pleroma. I had a bad feeling about it.”

―”Probably both of them are high-ranking within Pleroma, like Strauchi. Or maybe a bit lower than that.”

Someone who doesn’t succumb to spells like this is at least not an ordinary priest.

In the first place, they couldn’t not give good positions to important figures playing spy roles.

The reason no favorability changes were detected when I visited the Federal Committee in October last year for the insect incident must be because these people belong to a different diocese than Strauchi.

I already knew that competition between dioceses was not at an ordinary level.

“Keurgh…”

Groaning sounds began coming from the mouth of the person who was hit with manipulation magic first.

“…!”

Anyway, what’s important right now is this.

After finishing the interrogation, I need to turn back time.

Otherwise, it would be giving Pleroma’s leadership time to defend themselves.

Earlier, I answered Leo with the nuance that ‘it would be difficult to contact the president through Ludovica using mental manipulation magic.’

How easy and refreshing is this method?

But I need to remember this.

The priest who made Gelda Asmann into Pleroma and Gelda Asmann’s brain were connected to each other. So when I cast mental manipulation magic on the priest, Gelda Asmann immediately noticed the situation.

It will be the same this time.

Especially Ludovica Schneider is a priest working closest to the oracle giver.

I can’t naively think that no safety measures are in place for him.

I looked down at the two legislators and said.

“Now, let’s finish this quickly. Who is the ‘president’ of Primrose Pass? What’s his name?”

“Keueu…”

“Gregorius… Wait, stop now…”

“Good. Where can I go to meet Gregorius?”

He shook his head frantically.

Narke quickly interpreted.

“That person doesn’t know either, Count.”

“Uaaaaaaah!”

Pueok—! Thuduk, thuk—

“Heo, heok…!”

The Royal Mage stepped back in horror.

Vitriol burst out from the body of the legislator who was hit with manipulation magic first. The parts touched by Vitriol began to corrode and fall off. The moment black mud covered the legislator’s body, he suddenly stood up from his seat.

Kwaang—!

I pressed down the legislator who was hit with manipulation magic first using magic, while releasing the manipulation magic from the other legislator’s head.

“Is it self-destruction magic? You people treat human lives like fly lives.”

“Stop, I mean stop…! Count, we don’t know anything about Gregorius either!”

Though I hadn’t given any response, he spat out words like a machine gun.

“Gregorius isn’t affiliated with Pleroma…! He only helps us…”

“In what way does he help?”

“We don’t know anything beyond the missions! You must be familiar with our ecclesiastical system, but I’m not even a Bishop, so I don’t know about that. No, even Bishops wouldn’t know. Usually they don’t even know of Gregorius’s existence.”

He was rambling quite incoherently, but with death right before his eyes, everything was spilling out.

If I cast mental manipulation magic on him again, he would die. So the Antagonist had quickly finished his calculations and decided to tell me everything.

“Then why do you know about Gregorius?”

“…”

As he hesitated, I grabbed him by the collar and opened my mouth.

—Through the Narrow Entrance…

“Th-they said there was a possibility Gregorius might defect. That Gregorius might not help Pleroma and could create a religion…! So we were just monitoring…”

“…”

For a moment, my eyes met Narke’s.

The corners of my mouth involuntarily twisted upward.

This was incredible information.

“A religion, you say.”

“Yes, yes.”

“The target?”

“I-I don’t know that much… but probably starting with the Humans in Primrose Pass…”

“Why isn’t Gregorius inside Pleroma?”

“He didn’t want to be.”

“What’s the evidence he’ll create a new religion?”

“I don’t know. That was probably discovered through the unique abilities of those in the Leadership.”

He knows nothing.

Certainly, neither here nor there are people who know much about the Chairman.

Instead, he knows well the internal flow within Pleroma regarding Gregorius.

“You still seemed to be utilizing Gregorius well. You keep someone close who’s obviously going to defect?”

“Because there’s no one else who can use such powerful mental-type magic. W-we don’t have a bad relationship with him either.”

That makes sense. I understand now.

“I see. Gregorius is the one who gives mental commands, correct? Your ‘missions’ are given through him?”

“Yes, yes. As far as I know, that’s right. But I don’t know anything more than this! I’m not part of the Primrose Pass Task Force!”

“Then that Primrose Pass Task Force must know Gregorius well?”

“I suppose so…”

He glanced at his colleague and was almost sobbing.

The Legislator next to him, crushed by my barrier, had already become unrecognizable.

Unlike the Royal Mage whose face had turned pale as a sheet from witnessing a person melt, almost ready to faint, Narke was looking down at it with a calm expression while purifying it.

For now, even for me to watch with a clear mind, it was a disturbing sight. I suppressed my churning stomach and fixed my gaze back on his face.

“I’ll ask one last thing and then finish. I’ll make sure you absolutely won’t die. Can you trust me?”

“Yes, yes!”

“Is this kind of self-destruction magic cast on everyone?”

“N-no. Only on politicians like us…”

“Are there no Bishops among the politicians? Bishops? The Primrose Pass Task Force?”

If the self-destruction magic that threatened their lives had been cast on Bishops too, then that Monsignor from Freiburg Diocese wouldn’t have so leisurely protested, asking “Why can’t you handle one Student and let things go like this?”

“Yes, yes. That’s right. Such high-ranking people wouldn’t be subject to it. The Task Force aren’t politicians, so they wouldn’t have it either… I-is this enough now?”

I understand now.

They only cast such magic on those in positions where they could easily leak secrets, yet were replaceable personnel. Bishops wouldn’t easily fall to ordinary Arcane Mages’ mental manipulation magic anyway.

“Yes. That’s enough.”

I released his collar and called up the retry window.

“30 minutes ago, retry.”

* * *

I opened my eyes in the Infirmary.

Like before, Narke warped in front of the bed.

“Oh, looks like Leo just came and went~”

“…”

“He came to say we should go to Parliament now, are you ready?”

When there was no answer, Narke waved her hand in front of me.

“Are you okay? Your condition right now is…”

“No, we don’t need to go.”

“Huh~?”

They said there was a possibility of defection.

Yet still, out of necessity, they’re using each other?

I have the answer.

“Let’s go to Primrose Pass. No need to delay any further.”

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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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