How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 191

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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 (191)

It was a hospital.

It wasn’t the streets of Primrose Pass, nor Marco’s Labyrinth.

As always, Wittelsbach’s magic wrapped around my core.

‘…No.’

It felt different from the magic stored in artifacts.

When I raised my head, I met eyes with the real Leo. Narke, Elias, and Fai had all gathered, and the four of them were looking at me identically.

Leo finished his healing magic and spoke quietly.

“I did everything exactly as you said, Lucas.”

The day before yesterday, I kept my promise with Leo and held a strategy meeting with him that evening.

Landing an effective hit on the Antagonist wouldn’t be easy, so I needed as much help as possible.

Leo agreed to hand over the subordinates to the Investigation Bureau and move Marco and me to the hospital while the Antagonist and his subordinates collapsed from breathing the air.

Narke said with a smile.

“Since those people were from Pleroma, they really woke up fast~ I had to rush and catch them right away, so I broke out in a cold sweat.”

“That must have been tough. Were there any problems?”

“Hahaha….”

Narke deflected the answer with laughter.

It seems there was quite a standoff there. I immediately got up from my spot.

“Good work. What about Marco Schreiber?”

“In the adjacent room.”

I went straight out and opened the door to the adjacent room.

Marco Schreiber was sleeping like he was dead.

I placed my hand on his core and completed the covenant spell I hadn’t finished reciting.

—In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

“….”

His eyelashes twitched. Marco’s eyelids slowly opened.

Marco remained still in that state for a while, then like someone who had a long dream, he raised his hand and examined it. The way he looked at it as if it were someone else’s hand made me anticipate his past 10 years.

His head slowly turned toward me.

“Jeremiah.”

“….”

“You just had a conversation with me.”

It was released.

Now Abraham’s revelation that had been cast on him no longer functioned.

The friends who had hurriedly followed looked at him blankly. From their reactions, it seemed Narke had told them everything about the Antagonist and Abraham.

Narke said with a smile.

“You succeeded.”

With his obsession to save the children, Marco’s mental strength had reached its limit, and he no longer agreed with anyone who would harm the children.

The Antagonist’s revelation ability had minimal risk no matter how much it was used. Naturally, since the main body couldn’t be found.

Even when being consumed by the labyrinth, he didn’t leave Marco’s body and asked me ‘what are you trying to do?’

For Abraham, maintaining the revelation given to Marco’s flesh was overwhelmingly advantageous no matter what I tried.

But the fact that he’s not here now means….

“You killed the Antagonist, Mr. Schreiber.”

Despite the sinister sound of those words, he nodded with a faint smile. I also meant it in a good way.

Without Marco’s body, Abraham couldn’t become the Antagonist.

If he had already created a religious order and was actively operating, he could have appeared in another body and spouted nonsense like ‘I was resurrected in a different body’ to make his followers understand, but thankfully his religious order was still in the preparation stage.

His religious order, his position, his career—everything he had carefully built over 10 years had returned to nothing.

Abraham would have to start over and work hard for another 10 years from the beginning.

“I think you remember everything you did as the ‘Antagonist.’ Is that correct?”

“…Two sets of memories coexist. Both the memories Abraham implanted in me and the memories of acting as him.”

“That’s good. Since you’ve laid the foundation, now it’s my turn to fulfill my promise. I’ll help deal with Abraham.”

Marco stared at me silently.

“Of course, I’ll be the only one meeting Abraham.”

I said that and gave him a look.

“Rest. If you rest, the Investigation Bureau will come to request an interview.”

He nodded obediently.

Even though it wasn’t his own ego, he seemed to already be well aware of the crimes committed with his body.

When I came out of the room, Leo said.

“Lucas. You’re not going somewhere again, are you? Why don’t you rest for a bit.”

“I’m going to rest.”

I meant it.

The emotions that came from Marco’s memories still remained in a corner of my heart.

The Empire’s crime from 10 years ago of letting 353 citizens die couldn’t be undone, and Marco’s children who became Pleroma would never remember their father.

Even though their father had willingly become a living corpse for 10 years for their sake.

I needed to escape from this heavy truth.

When I returned to the bed I had gotten up from earlier and caught my breath, Leo sat next to me and spoke seriously.

“What do you think he’ll do now? Having the tower he worked on for 10 years collapse would drive Abraham crazy, but Abraham has probably already built considerable influence with his original body. You know he didn’t live 24 hours a day in the ‘Antagonist’s’ body.”

“Didn’t you tell me to rest?”

“Huh? I meant don’t go running around.”

Leo answered with a gentle face as if asking what the problem was.

As expected of a model student who thinks using your brain is nothing… even though thinking consumes energy.

Of course, since he had been using healing magic on my body the whole time, he would know that I wasn’t particularly physically tired.

Elias, who had been listening with a smile, spoke to me when there was an opening.

“Right, Luca should stop running around. Sit down and read that Pope Gregory book you brought over there. We saw each other the day before yesterday, but somehow it feels like we haven’t seen each other in a really long time, doesn’t it~?”

“You’re right.”

Because I had turned back time frequently, it felt even more so to me.

“Sigh… I can’t believe only Luca gets to run around on foot. If only I wasn’t marked by Primrose Pass, I would go. Use me a little!”

“No.”

“How firm. What do I have to do to be used in Luca’s plans~”

I laughed lightly.

I would only use him when crazy actions were needed.

And that guy only talks like that, but he’s the type to dig around for things in places I don’t know about. He might be digging for something even now without my knowledge.

And….

“It’s over now. You don’t need to think about being used in my plans.”

This long, long Primrose Pass and school rampage incident would come to an end with a single person named Abraham.

Even though it might just be the beginning with Abraham.

I shook off my thoughts and looked at my friends and Fai as I spoke.

“Turn off your worries and focus on your school life too. The third exam is coming up soon anyway.”

“Are you perhaps a professor?”

“It really seems like it.”

Leo seriously added to Elias’s teasing.

I had nothing to say. I had no awareness of being a student either.

‘If I really think about it, I was a student until the end in the original world too.’

Except for high school, I spent more time at work than at school during any period of my life, so whether then or now, I didn’t have much awareness of being a student.

Anyway, after the storm had passed and an atmosphere where I could rest a bit was created, I put aside my complicated thoughts and listened to my friends’ conversation.

Of course, my friends immediately brought the conversation topic back to this.

“Luca, shouldn’t you have at least asked that person what Abraham looks like? He would know what he looks like. I support you headbutting the ground, but this time seems a bit too much~”

That was a valid thought.

But I shook my head.

“That person doesn’t know either.”

“What?! But he gave him blood and all that!”

“Right. He didn’t drink it directly. But he wouldn’t have delivered it directly either. He would have had a servant do it in the process of delivering it to Abraham.”

At my words, Narke tilted her head.

“Speculation~?”

“Marco Schreiber had mind manipulation magic cast on him. Since he saw Abraham’s face, they would have brought an Arcane Mage to erase part of his memory. Or they cast cognitive disruption magic at the time.”

This might be a bit hard for my friends to understand.

But since I can’t tell them everything, it just sounds a bit unfriendly, though from my perspective it’s not speculation but almost certain fact.

If Marco had known Abraham’s face, I should have recognized it accurately in the labyrinth.

An important person who had been using his body for 10 years, yet he can’t remember the face properly? That already means his mind has been tampered with, so there’s nothing more we can get from him.

“Well, you could ask Count Schreiber directly.”

Elias shook his head.

“When Luca comes out this confidently, there’s no need to ask. But we only know the name Abraham, so it’ll just take a long time to find him! Isn’t this the perfect time to use me~?”

Elias smiled and moved closer.

I don’t know what he’s trying to find out by acting like that. It just makes me worry about future troubles.

“Thanks, but you don’t need to step forward.”

“Why?”

“I already know who Abraham is.”

Leo’s gaze turned to me. Elias’s eyes widened.

Even Fai, who had been just munching on grass alone, looked at me sensing the atmosphere.

“You know?”

* * *

Questions poured out asking what basis I had for knowing.

There’s definitely basis. More than one or two pieces at that.

For now, I just need to watch the funeral proceedings.

I need to keep my mind at ease until I meet Abraham. Though I won’t be able to stay comfortable for long.

The next evening, an excited investigator’s voice came through the artifact.

[Count Ernst, what you said was right!]

“Right?”

[No, how should I express this… You said there would be someone who gave revelation to the professors before, right? Legislator Alexander Kruger is doing an interview with the Imperial Newspaper right now, have you seen it? He’s saying exactly the same thing as you!]

“Hmm.”

I turned up the artifact’s volume while flipping through the newspaper.

The Pleroma legislator I had threatened yesterday was enthusiastically giving an interview in the Imperial Newspaper.

[A mage who introduces himself as Abraham or Gregorius is currently causing problems throughout society. Abraham can give direct commands to people’s brains if he has their blood. With Pentalon approaching, crimes could occur taking advantage of the confusion, so citizens should be especially careful…]

‘He’s doing well.’

He really looks like he’s worried about the citizens’ welfare.

I didn’t expect much since I only saw him crying in front of me during both meetings, but even if he’s Pleroma, a legislator is still a legislator.

Anyway, people don’t know that guy is Pleroma. The trust that position gives is an asset. That’s why I had to borrow not only Nicolaus’s mouth but also a federal legislator’s mouth to announce it nationwide.

[He can change his name and appearance and appear at any time. Two hours ago, former Vice Minister Marco Schreiber revealed that he had lived under Abraham’s control for 10 years. You should report anyone making unreasonable demands for blood, and if strangers try to start conversations, you should avoid the situation as much as possible.]

Marco’s article was also published at 6 PM.

I had said there was no need to announce it urgently, and actually I wanted to watch public opinion more and then release it considering Marco’s mental strength and image, but his will was firm.

It would be to break Abraham’s hand as quickly as possible, even by a day.

I read the Imperial Newspaper while rummaging through the newsstand. I needed to reference other newspapers too.

“Oh, are you a priest?”

I hit the artifact to turn off the sound at the shop owner’s words.

Since the shop owner looked very confused seeing me hit my ear with my fist, I quickly changed my expression and smiled.

“Yes, that’s right~”

“Which parish?”

“Not here, but America. I’m American.”

“Ah~ Now that you mention it, you do have that kind of feeling.”

What kind of feeling…

I smiled roughly and changed the topic.

“By the way, this is quite the hot topic. It hasn’t been long since it was announced.”

“Abraham? That’s understandable. That kind of unique ability is the first in the Empire’s history. Probably doesn’t exist in other countries either.”

That’s right.

Abraham’s ability is one that has never been reported in the Empire before.

When interrogating the professors before, the reason the Royal Mage who was with us couldn’t easily accept my reasoning was because of this.

I read through the front pages of various newspapers as my eyes fell on them.

[Crown Prince Elizabeth Hohenzollern ‘Will Directly Supervise Primrose Pass Investigation Scene’]

[Under ‘Abraham’s’ Control for 10 Years… Legislator Marco Schreiber’s Shocking Revelation]

[Who is Abraham—New Human Supremacist and Cult Leader?]

[Is ‘Abraham’s’ Superpower, the Ability to Control Human Brains, Real?]

[Former Magic Ministry Vice Minister Marco Schreiber, ‘Controlled for 10 Years by Mage with Unidentified Ability’]

[Primrose Pass ‘Chairman’, Former Magic Ministry Vice Minister Marco Schreiber? The Real Mastermind Was Someone Else]

So, it’s natural that people are this afraid.

Thanks to that, articles keep pouring out.

Even if he uses other identities, Abraham won’t be able to operate like before anymore.

Of course, there were considerable opinions that Marco might be lying.

I bought a newspaper and read a suitable article.

[All organization members caught at Primrose Pass were Pleroma, and they testified that he was indeed the chairman who managed all Primrose Pass establishments and provided funding. One of the organization members said Schreiber’s former vice minister’s claim was ‘just a trick to avoid punishment.’]

It was a perfectly reasonable suspicion.

At least at this stage.

And what’s important to me now isn’t this.

Because there would be someone who came looking for me.

I walked unsteadily with a bottle of alcohol in one hand and reading the newspaper with the other.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long to get caught.

“You can’t go in!”

Someone blocked my way.

The gazes of people gathered in small groups on this street turned to me.

That was understandable.

This was in front of Primrose Pass, and now was right after an emergency investigation team was formed due to the Marco and Abraham incident.

A detective from the Investigation Bureau looked closely at my face with cognitive disruption magic cast on it and frowned.

“Aren’t you a priest? What brings you here?”

“Hey! No time to ask about that stuff. Come in!”

Another detective shouted from inside the police line.

The detective gestured roughly at me and turned around.

“Please go back. You can’t enter here for the time being.”

I can’t throw a tantrum when they say no.

I hadn’t come here to enter this place anyway.

As I nodded and turned around, my eyes met with someone holding a bundle of papers in one hand.

Lemon-colored hair, and golden eyes.

From his clothing and what he held, he was clearly connected to the investigation. Among them, that tall new human who seemed to be in quite a high position approached me with interested eyes.

“What brings you here?”

“I came to watch the investigation. But the atmosphere isn’t quite right.”

“Haha, same situation. I thought the same thing.”

“Really~?”

“Really. Why did you come to watch the investigation?”

He asked with a proper smile.

“Because there would be someone who came looking for me.”

“Hmm? Hahaha.”

“What are you laughing about. You’re here for the same reason.”

No answer came.

I slowly turned my head and looked at the face of the one standing beside me.

“Isn’t that right? Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Golden eyes, the same as Adelbert’s, gleamed brightly.

I corrected my words without taking my eyes off those deep irises.

“No, Abraham.”

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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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