How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 212

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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 (212)

The launch ceremony ended 30 minutes later.

Now it was time for the celebration banquet to be held at the Imperial Palace.

Creeak— Thoom—

[Waaaaaaah…]

The massive cheering sound created by 100,000 people gradually faded behind us.

My friends had expressions as if they had just completed some great undertaking.

Before I could even catch my breath, Ulrike patted my back and shouted.

“Hurry! Hurry and run!”

“…”

“Haha, it’s almost time now. If we just do makeup, all the time will be gone.”

Cheringen said with a laugh.

I could understand why they were acting like this.

In 30 minutes, it would be time for the theater performance.

Our club was selected as the top team on Arts Festival day and got the opportunity to perform at the Imperial Palace. That was today.

“It’s fine. I already did it before coming up, so there’s plenty of time.”

Since theatrical makeup was burdensome, I had it done the same way I used to stand in front of cameras in the 21st century, so Cheringen seemed unaware of what I had done.

Anyway, this was the last opportunity to gain favorability points today.

‘Actually, I thought I’d need to do this much to reach 10,000 points.’

10,000 what.

It’s 50,000 points now.

I thought while continuing to push away the favorability windows that kept appearing before my eyes.

‘Since it’s come to this, let’s aim for 100,000.’

Let’s just go for it. This system keeps bringing up favorability windows in front of me, and being flustered is only good for once or twice—now it’s just enjoyable…

Out of the 100,000 people who attended the launch ceremony, exactly 10,000 would remain as theater audience members, so I need to gain the remaining 50,000 favorability points from these 10,000 people.

I just need to raise 5 points per person. From -5 to 0 points, that is.

‘Once I finish this, I’ll be free.’

Since I just finished the proposal, I won’t see similar proposals for a while. This thing won’t display real-time favorability windows after the celebration banquet ends either.

‘Speaking of which…’

I dismissed the favorability window and looked at Elias.

Elias, who should have been excited like Ulrike, was calmly lost in thought.

The reason was clear.

The cheering sounds coming from those who didn’t take the pro-Emperor line were not ordinary.

This was Elias’s first official public appearance since he solved the contaminated mosquito incident in Meppen at the Federal Committee last October. He had confirmed his accumulated support to the Emperor and Crown Prince, so he couldn’t feel at ease.

When our eyes met, Elias smiled faintly.

It wasn’t his usual undignified, playful smile.

I nodded my head in response and looked forward again.

After crossing one hallway, a servant approached us.

“Excuse me. Lord Ascanien.”

Knowing we needed to move to the waiting room, Ulrike said with a smile.

“I’m looking forward to it! Your Rosalind looked so real that I wanted to see it again, I’m excited~”

“Me too.”

Heike Einsiedel said indifferently as always.

At those words, I looked at Narke. He began to smile mischievously while looking back and forth between me and my friends.

“It’s a secret.”

When I made that request to Narke, he nodded his head.

He’s someone who keeps promises well.

The moment I turned around with relief, I heard an unwelcome notification sound again.

Ding—!

〈 Chapter 6. Act Righteously and Fear No One 〉

Proposal 3: Gain +12 Eschete favorability within deadline (0/12) (167 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds)

* Route 1 — 〈 Chapter 6 Special Reward 〉

* Route 2 — 〈 Proposal 4 〉

* * *

“It’s a secret.”

Lucas said that to Narke and then turned around to follow the servant.

20 minutes later.

Now only 10 minutes remained until the theater performance began.

‘What is?’

What’s the secret?

Ulrike, who had entered the performance hall, sat in the seat assigned to Eschete with her chin propped up. The energy of ten thousand people could be felt in this three-story performance hall.

“I wish it would start quickly.”

“I know, right.”

Behind us, the expectant reactions of our school students lingered in the air.

Everyone’s reason would be the same. Because they could see Lucas’s acting once more. Although the performance was ‘As You Like It’ that they had seen before, the Rosalind they had seen previously remained in their minds and wouldn’t disappear, so just being able to see it again was already enjoyable.

‘It’s a shame cameras aren’t allowed.’

Still, I had taken one photo before, but after hearing the rumor—whether true or not—that Lucas had stormed into the photography club that had taken theater photos that day and torn up all the film, I couldn’t ask if they’d give me the theater photos from that day.

There’s no point in taking photos if I can’t give them anyway.

Finishing her thoughts, Ulrike spoke to Leo sitting next to her.

“Class president, did you see Lucas’s performance before too? You must have seen Faust, of course.”

“I saw it.”

Leo, who had been looking disinterested the whole time, answered simply this time as well.

‘How blunt.’

Whenever Lucas is mentioned, he becomes cold as if he’s a different person.

“How was it? Doesn’t he act really well? He really looked like Rosalind…”

“First time seeing a Rosalind over 180cm tall.”

At Leo’s sarcasm, Ulrike gave an awkward smile while inwardly worrying about the fate of their team activities.

Then, all the lights in the audience seating went out. Now the performance hall was nothing but darkness.

‘Gasp.’

I’m nervous.

Ulrike suppressed her desire to immediately grab Julia next to her and rattle off her expectations, and looked around as composedly as she could—in her opinion.

Elias was always quiet in the Imperial Palace except when playing with Lucas, so today was the same, and Julia and Narke at least had expectant faces.

And Leo had maintained a cold expression since earlier.

That was natural since he didn’t like Lucas.

‘Still, we’re on the same team now~ he could be a little friendlier.’

His temperament couldn’t be helped, and he didn’t seem to hold Pleroma ideology either. Moreover, hadn’t they said that even his temperament had improved now?

Yet he still disapproved like that.

‘When it’s over, I should give proper responses so Lucas doesn’t get hurt.’

Then, light shone on the curtain. The imperial crest appeared briefly and disappeared.

Now it was really starting. The small whispers heard here and there completely stopped.

Tension could be felt even in the silence.

The curtain began to rise without lighting coming on.

Then, someone’s voice was heard.

[Adam.]

“…?!”

Ulrike’s eyes widened.

‘Wait a minute.’

Did I hear wrong? This is Orlando’s line, the male protagonist.

But the voice that just reached my ears was Lucas’s.

Thud—

The lights turned on, and pink eyes sparkled beneath them.

‘Huh?!’

This time it wasn’t Rosalind. He was on stage for Orlando’s turn.

‘Wait, he was playing the female protagonist until last time, and now he’s taking on the male protagonist?’

Did he memorize two scripts? Why isn’t he doing Rosalind again?

Ulrike thought this while fixing her gaze on Lucas’s hair.

The role was one thing, but there was something else surprising right now.

His hair was ashen gold.

Though such dark blonde hair was common throughout this country, seeing a friend who lived with black hair every day come with changed hair felt fresh.

Lucas, who had been looking somewhere other than the actor playing the servant beside him or the audience, opened his mouth.

[As I remember, Father said in his will that he would leave me 1,000 crowns. Father asked my brother Oliver to raise me well. If he wanted to receive blessings, that is.]

While Ulrike’s mind was filled with confusion, Lucas’s clear voice rang out.

[But who could have known? That this would be the beginning of my misfortune.]

Lucas, standing at an appropriate distance from the student playing the servant, now looked toward the audience and raised his voice. The force in his gestures created subtly irritated movements.

[My brother sent little brother Jequis to university, and I hear little brother’s grades are quite excellent. Meanwhile, my brother keeps me tied to home like a country bumpkin. To be more precise, he’s neglecting me by leaving me abandoned at home. Is this proper treatment for a gentleman of family like myself?]

Orlando, who had been looking at the audience, turned back to look at the servant as he finished speaking.

He spoke as if muttering with his eyes cast down.

[I am no different from a bull locked in a stable. You must know that the horses my elder brother rides receive better treatment than I do. They eat well and are glossy, and he even hired expensive riders to tame them. But I, who am supposedly his brother…!]

What about me?

Despite having seen this performance once before, Ulrike focused all her attention on Orlando.

The words that had started as muttering and gradually grown more agitated stopped, and his gaze turned back to us. The strength drained from his gestures that had been confronting the servant as if unable to contain his resentment.

He spoke in an emotionless voice that was neither angry nor sad.

[I only grow in body under my brother with nothing at all. Even livestock that rummage through garbage cans receive better benefits than this.]

‘Oh.’

Orlando’s chilling voice and gaze seemed to pierce through her body, making Ulrike unconsciously shiver and straighten up from her forward-leaning position.

Ulrike suppressed her desire to applaud. Perhaps because she had seen another Orlando’s performance before, she felt a sense of exhilaration.

‘When the first-year underclassman did this part last time, it was in a very angry tone.’

Like Lucas’s Orlando, it was a form where emotions continuously deepened without pausing in between.

She had thought it was good then too, but seeing this changed her mind.

By placing the emphasis earlier than before and drawing out the gathered attention once with calm words, Orlando’s emotions came across even more richly. Not just resentment and sorrow, but even a sense of revenge that made one anticipate future actions could be felt. Even though there hadn’t been a single line of such content yet.

Being the beginning, such an attempt could have only increased the sense of disconnect, but since his voice remained consistently loud without sudden changes, such mishaps didn’t occur. He knew well where the line was to avoid going overboard.

“Now I understand why our school’s drama club came to the Imperial Palace.”

Despite it being poor manners, whispering could be heard from the back seats.

Ulrike inwardly agreed with those words and fell back into Orlando’s lines. Orlando wasn’t giving the same distinct emphasis as before, maintaining his previous tone while only making slight changes.

[They give nothing at all, yet show signs of trying to take away even what nature has given me. Far from treating me as family, they make me eat with their servants and try to raise me as vulgarly as possible, trampling and crushing my good nature. Adam, I find this sad. My spirit, which inherited Father’s character, is rebelling against this current slave-like treatment. I too can no longer endure this anymore. …Though for now, I don’t know any good way to avoid this.]

[Excuse me, my master. Your brother is coming.]

As the servant’s words began, Ulrike snapped back to attention.

It wasn’t that the student playing the servant’s acting was rough, but it was enough to pull her out of Orlando’s monologue.

Orlando gestured to the servant and pointed to the end of the stage.

[Now, Adam. Stand over there. Let’s watch how my brother humiliates me.]

Even when it was Rosalind, she had thought he was perfectly like Rosalind, and it was hard to imagine anyone but him as Rosalind, so she thought other roles wouldn’t suit him.

She was wrong.

‘Every time I watch, the role that suits him best changes.’

However, this time she felt an even more intense commanding presence for some reason. Orlando’s lines seemed to overwhelm everyone, and even the supporting roles seemed to be drawn into him. Because of this, she couldn’t focus on the others’ acting.

Only the shell of Lucas Ascanien remained, and the person I was facing now was Orlando. It felt like seeing not the role of Orlando, but a young nobleman who would flee to the Forest of Arden to escape his brother.

Ulrike kept her eyes fixed on Lucas.

Countless things she wanted to ask when she returned were arising.

* * *

Affection +95,410 achieved!

Affection +95,420 achieved!

Affection +95,430 achieved!

Theater really is the best method.

When 300 points went up at once while reciting lines, chills ran down my spine wondering what they were seeing, but since it ultimately benefited me, I could accept it positively.

Of course, now another problem had arisen.

After finishing the curtain call, I returned to the waiting room and read the white text appearing before my eyes.

Proposal 3: Eschete affection +12 within deadline (1/12) (167 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds)

‘Are they joking?’

Just when I thought I was escaping affection hell…

I need to gain 12 points of affection from six of our seven team members.

Someone did give 1 point during the play, but 11 points still remain.

12 points sounds incredibly easy, but it’s not.

‘All the team members’ affection ratings are positive.’

Even Ulrike Kleist, with whom I had little contact, is entirely positive. They’re not targets who would just throw me 1 point each based on novelty alone.

I haven’t directly checked Narke, Leo, and Elias’s affection ratings since this year began. I didn’t want to judge my close friends’ attitudes with numbers. It felt somewhat sorry too.

Besides, these three’s affection ratings must have already hit near the ceiling, so they can’t be considered for this proposal.

‘…So starting with those with lower values, I’ll target Julia and Ulrike first…’

I thought that far and felt everything go dark before my eyes.

Target? What am I doing to my friends?

No good. I’ve already gotten used to it.

I slapped my cheeks and took a deep breath.

‘Let’s just try to become closer with Julia and Ulrike, those two.’

Of course, there are problems here too.

If their affection rating is +5, the maximum I can reach should be around +7~8. If it’s currently lower than that, the maximum for one week would be +5.

It’s really a matter related to people’s hearts, so just because someone’s current affection is 0 points doesn’t mean I can extract 10 points from them.

So I’m not sure if I can extract 11 points from those two…

‘I have to try…’

I can’t help but laugh bitterly. Winning team members’ favor feels harder than winning the public’s favor.

While thinking such thoughts, I changed clothes, gave final greetings to the club members, and went outside, where familiar black masses appeared before my eyes.

“Oh.”

“Lucas! You really looked like Orlando! Really!”

Ulrike was right in front of me, clapping her hands like a seal and eyes sparkling.

My top priority target… no, the person I needed to become close with. It was surprising to encounter her so immediately, but I was also slightly amazed that there was actually a human who clapped like that.

Elias suddenly grabbed my shoulder and shouted playfully.

“Luca! You should have told me~?”

“It was fun. Oh, should I join the drama club too?”

Narke said with a smile. At least Elias seemed to have found some of his original playfulness.

Ulrike waited until those two finished speaking before continuing.

“So this is why you told me not to tell Narke~ Even without Rosalind, you were really cool! Even though I saw it, I want to see it again.”

“Really? Thanks.”

After smiling and saying that, I felt intense reality hit me.

Because I had unconsciously acted.

As if noticing that I was trying to gain Ulrike’s affection, I saw Narke turn her head and suppress her laughter.

‘If you’re going to laugh like that, give me affection points while laughing…’

I suppressed those words and smiled at Ulrike.

Throughout the move to the banquet hall, Ulrike kept muttering beside me.

From my position of needing to become close with her, this was a good thing.

Just before the banquet hall doors opened, Ulrike put her hand on my shoulder and said.

“Lucas. We decided to keep drinking until our celebration ends, and you’ll do that too, right?”

Perfect. To gain affection points, don’t I need to stay together continuously?

Of course, since there’s something I need to do first, becoming close with Ulrike will have to be postponed a little.

“Ah, I have somewhere to stop by for a moment.”

“Somewhere to stop by?”

“Yeah. Let’s drink after that’s finished.”

* * *

The sun had already set during the play, so now the Imperial Palace was dim and dusky like when I had come before.

Having walked to the Prince’s Palace, I spoke to the guards at the main gate.

“I’ve come to see His Highness the Crown Prince.”

They looked suspiciously at my hair once, then stared intently at my eyes before turning their bodies to the side.

“Welcome. Please enter.”

Lucas Ascanien must have told them I would be coming.

To think my eye color would be the tool to identify me – it’s absurd, but that’s not what’s important.

As before, this Prince’s Palace with its bluish aura showed not a single servant.

I looked around once at the silent palace where nothing could be felt except the sound of my boot heels, then walked toward the stairs.

My doubts wouldn’t fade.

‘To deliberately put someone from the Ainsiedel family on the team.’

Since Abraham had close ties with Pleroma, he could know that there was a mage named Ainsiedel in Pleroma.

The two Ainsiedels were likely blood relatives – though we couldn’t find evidence of this in the Ainsiedel family… in this case, like the logic used with Jeremaiah, if the human maternal side was Ainsiedel, or if they were distant relatives from a collateral line so remote that it would be awkward for them to appear in the direct line’s photo albums, then it would make sense that we couldn’t find that evidence – he might be planning to use his blood relative to threaten Ainsiedel. Ordinary humans couldn’t possibly enjoy watching their kin suffer harm because of them.

‘Since Pleroma also has emotions.’

The Legislator Pleroma I met then was a powerful example.

Also, seeing how Pleromatic Ainsiedel obsessed over Werner Strauch’s death and told me to become Strauchi, he seemed like someone with tremendous attachment to what was his.

So first, Haike, who shares blood, could be quite a good tool for blackmail.

This could only be established under the premise that Haike and Pleromatic Ainsiedel have a close relationship… but Abraham might have information I don’t know.

If not that, then second.

Heike Einsiedel’s ‘impossible to capture’ would be a sign that he would become a worse villain than Adelbert in the future, as I had previously speculated.

Abraham might know about the danger of Heike Einsiedel that I’m unaware of.

The library door was wide open.

Unlike when I came before, white muslin curtains fluttered in the wind throughout.

I knocked on the door of the adjacent room.

Creak—

The door opened by itself.

The Crown Prince, who had been reading a book, looked at me and raised his eyebrows.

Now he was wearing indoor clothing instead of the formal attire from earlier.

He looked me up and down and muttered.

“It suits you well.”

“….”

“I was thinking this earlier too, but it was a bit awkward to say it there. It’s similar to your eye color, so it suits you better than the school uniform.”

He wouldn’t bring up this topic for no reason. Seeing him evaluate it as if showing off, the Eschete clothes were definitely tailored by this bastard.

Since he was staring intently at my necktie, I pulled it off as if nothing had happened and stuffed it into my pocket.

“I see. How long will you keep me standing?”

“…Hahaha. Sit down.”

Then, a servant entered the room pulling a trolley with a tray on it.

After he set down the tea and left, the Crown Prince snapped his fingers to close the door.

“Do you like that hair color?”

“What’s there to like or dislike? It’s just a color.”

“Just a color… I used a federal flag color that had never been used before for you, but if you have no particular feelings about color, that’s unfortunate.”

So this bastard did have the uniform tailored that way.

I was going to not answer because it was bothersome, but fortunately the Crown Prince started speaking on his own.

“Using Eschete’s entry into the Imperial Palace as a tool to fix your reputation. Now 100,000 spectators will go home today and talk about you all day long. There should be quite a good spreading effect.”

“I see. I think so too.”

“It’s rewarding to give, so I’m pleased. So, what does your brother say about this result?”

“….”

Nothing.

Hyung sent me a three-page letter.

Other than that, he took no action whatsoever.

Perhaps understanding the meaning, the Crown Prince smiled and said.

“You must have so much to worry about. From my position of worrying about your well-being, it’s truly a regrettable situation.”

This wasn’t the time for useless small talk.

I had listened long enough.

“Why did you bring Heike Einsiedel here?”

“Aren’t you being too hasty? We’ve met after a week, so we could talk about recent developments a bit more.”

“Unfortunately, I have no recent developments worth sharing with Your Highness.”

“How hurtful.”

What are you, a child?

When I stared at him silently, he met my eyes and said.

“I thought about demoting Ulrike Kleist to 7th place and promoting Heike Einsiedel to 6th, but such score manipulation didn’t seem very courteous.”

Hmm.

He admitted it.

That he himself was the one who brought Heike Einsiedel.

“Besides, our task force advisory committee chairman really hates seeing students driven into desperate situations, so I thought it would be better for me to add one more rather than reduce by one.”

“That’s not something to say in front of the advisory committee chairman.”

“No, Count.”

He shook his head, clasped his hands together, and leaned back deeply into the sofa.

“If we form a team of six, when there’s a vacancy, we’d have to eliminate Pleroma and rescue the rampage with only five, which would be quite difficult, wouldn’t it? We should prepare for vacancies by making it seven people, so even if one drops out, we can safely handle a 4th-grade rampage.”

I shook my head and smiled.

“You speak on the premise that there will be vacancies. It sounds like Your Highness will definitely create vacancies.”

“Exactly right. Don’t you know too?”

He tapped his chin with his finger and continued.

“That his surname is the problem. ‘Ainsiedel.’ Isn’t he the Bishop of the Diocese of Pleroma Osnabrück?”

He knows about Ainsiedel.

I looked at him silently.

He observed my expressionless face and smiled.

“So you know too. Just as I couldn’t give up getting you into my hands, likewise, could I give up the opportunity to get a member of the Ainsiedel family into my hands? If he ranked 7th, increasing the quota by one is nothing.”

The Crown Prince said thoughtfully.

“This will be good bait to catch Pleroma’s Bishop of the Diocese.”

Bait.

It’s a similar thought to what I had earlier.

“I don’t want Pleroma to dominate the world, Count. In that regard, we’re on the same side.”

“You wouldn’t want them to dominate. Your Highness is thinking of creating your own religious order.”

Having nothing particular to say, he grinned and said.

“As you know, Heike Einsiedel and Pleromatic Ainsiedel have the same ability. Having the same unique ability means those two share quite similar magical power and blood as relatives. Even distant relatives could sometimes turn out similar, so setting aside useless talk…”

His eyes turned toward me with interest.

“Do you know why Pleroma keeps Bishop of the Diocese Ainsiedel?”

“….”

“It’s because of that memory-reading unique ability. That ability is Ainsiedel’s value. Do you think Pleroma would let go of a human with the exact same ability?”

He took a sip of tea and rolled the teacup bottom against the table.

“You know I have the ability to manipulate blood.”

“So.”

“Shouldn’t we utilize resources to the fullest? The ability to manipulate blood isn’t given to just anyone.”

“So you’re saying to utilize you?”

His eyes left the teacup and turned toward me.

“Yes.”

“….”

“All the achievements will be credited to you, Count. After all, you were quite suspicious about another ability user from the Einsiedel family having the same power, weren’t you? I’m curious why you’re suspicious, but I won’t ask.”

He observed me and continued speaking.

“At this rate, Heike Einsiedel will be taken by Pleroma, whether as a diocesan bishop or whatever. Whether she wants it or not, that child is destined to create destruction if left in this world. So….”

“Get to the point.”

I can roughly predict what he’s going to say next.

With his way of thinking and his abilities, there’s only one thing he would do.

His golden eyes, shining frighteningly bright in the darkness, curved slightly.

The eyes of the young child I had read from Marco’s memories overlapped with his.

“Bring me Heike Einsiedel’s blood.”

—————
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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