How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 229

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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 (229)

Haike looked up once at the streetlight illuminating us, let out a big sigh, and spoke.

“I told Narke and you that I wanted to live with Mother after graduation, but the possibility of that happening is close to zero. It’s just… literally just a dream.”

“…”

“I feel sorry that I’ve come to stand shoulder to shoulder with you two with my lacking abilities, but separate from that, honestly I like being in Eschede. I thought that maybe, even by chance, just once, there might be a possibility of running into Mother.”

Ever since earlier, when the topic of Mother comes up, this guy who was so quiet won’t stop talking.

Just as I was about to comfort him that he didn’t need to feel guilty about the Eschede matter, Haike muttered.

“If our Mother had been an Imperial Court mage, I could have heard news about her more easily.”

He was almost obsessively continuing to fold the empty paper bowl in half. I snatched the paper away and asked.

“So you don’t know anything about Mother at all?”

“No, I know a little. She’s a teacher at a Magic School in the Northern Capital. They said she lives in the Faculty Dormitories there.”

When I just looked at him, Haike told me more.

“It’s 10 o’clock now. At this time, she’ll be reading the Imperial Newspaper evening edition and education journals, and around midnight she’ll take a walk by the Lake in Front of the School. She’ll come out for another walk before work tomorrow, and from 7 o’clock she’ll go into morning classes. They said she doesn’t eat lunch at School but always comes out to eat.”

“…Huh? What? Why do you know all this so well?”

I thought he’d just tell me the source of his information…

Is this delusion? Or did he really hear it from somewhere?

Perhaps my reaction came across as quite flustered, as Haike shut his mouth then explained.

“I hired someone at the beginning of the year.”

“…”

When I gave an incredulous smile, Haike rolled his eyes.

“…I don’t know anything besides that.”

“…”

“…Sorry. Actually I also know Mother likes beer. Um, I know she doesn’t eat dinner well… But I really don’t know more than this. Since I tried to find out only within safe limits, I couldn’t learn much.”

‘…Well, yeah.’

For nobles, investigating someone isn’t a very difficult thing.

Though it can’t be called right, such investigations happen commonly even in the 21st century, so it’s not that surprising. Wasn’t the commercialization of background checks starting around this time period anyway?

It’s just that if that emotionless Haike went to the trouble of spending time and money to do this much, just how curious about Mother was he – that curiosity is hard to gauge.

I organized my thoughts and spoke.

“Haike. If you met Mother, would it be okay no matter what reaction she showed you?”

Would it really be okay even if Mother came out hostile?

It was a question that deviated somewhat from the flow of conversation and was slightly rude.

But I had to address it. In my opinion, it looked a bit dangerous.

No matter how much he thought it would be fine, if they met directly and things went wrong, he might get genuinely hurt. Haike’s resolve is firm, but until you actually experience something, nothing can be considered certain. People know less about themselves than they think.

Haike answered immediately without delay.

“It doesn’t matter. As you know, I don’t even properly know why I wanted to become friends with you. I already said I don’t know if it was simply that I wanted to have a friend, or if I liked you. It’s the same. I’ve already imagined the worst case countless times, and I grew up hearing from Uncle that Mother doesn’t think about me, but I’ve never particularly been hurt.”

“I see.”

“Besides, even if Mother hates me and I get hurt from witnessing that directly…”

Haike continued speaking with a calm face.

“I want that.”

“…”

“I want to be someone who can feel such emotions. Also, if Mother hates me, that means I, who was made from Mother’s blood, can also become someone who can hate someone like Mother. So, someone who can feel clearer emotions.”

I think the approach is wrong.

I think there’s no need to be so obsessed with not being able to feel emotions properly, and if that emotional deficiency doesn’t harm society, there’s no need to unconditionally try to fix yourself.

Also, Mother and Haike are separate beings. Is it healthy to seek justification for considering yourself legitimate from others? How much can legitimacy obtained from others sustain him?

“…”

My answer clearly points to the opposite of what Haike is aiming for.

But regardless of what I think, Haike wants to feel richer and deeper emotions. Also, even if it’s not a healthy method, if he can gain a foundation for growth through Mother, it’s not entirely bad.

In the end, there’s no reason for me to lecture him saying ‘try to find grounds for affirming yourself within yourself,’ and since he didn’t ask for my help, there’s no reason to rashly encourage him to try hard to feel emotions.

If it weren’t for the proposal, I wouldn’t have intervened in Haike’s life in any direction. This is my intention.

However, he’s someone who could become a worse villain than Adelbert in the future, and the system used the ‘proposal’ to induce a Haike strategy to change his future.

So…

I will try meddling that I would never have done in my lifetime.

“Haike.”

Haike’s half-closed eyes turned toward me. Under the streetlight, Haike’s gray eyes were darkly sunken with a different light than usual.

“If I help you now, would you like to go see Mother?”

Haike’s eyes widened. An indescribable expectation appeared on his face then quickly disappeared. An expressionlessness close to resignation showed, and he answered in a tone as devoid of emotion as reading a language textbook.

“That’s a contract violation.”

“What if it could be done without violating it?”

“…”

He realized my voice was utterly serious. Haike’s eyes narrowed. The corner of his mouth that had risen to give a hollow laugh became distorted.

I grabbed the necklace chain inside my shirt and pulled out whichever of the two artifacts came to hand. What came out in my hand was the artifact Cheringen had given me. It didn’t matter which one I grabbed since Haike didn’t know the purpose of my artifacts.

Since I couldn’t reveal that I could use divine power and didn’t want to touch his brain, I needed to deceive him a little. I flowed a tiny amount of divine power into the hand holding the artifact.

“…What’s that?”

Haike’s eyes widened. Since the transformation magic I would cast on him needed to look like an artifact’s effect rather than my magic, from now on this needed to look like divine power coming from the artifact.

I didn’t answer that question and continued what I was saying earlier.

“If you met your Mother in my appearance.”

So, if he borrowed the divine power’s transformation magic. Even if he couldn’t go before Mother in his own appearance, if he could stand before Mother like that and have a conversation with her?

Haike looked at the white light sparkling like stars in the darkness, then raised his head.

“…”

Haike’s pupils shook.

I stared at his pale face and spoke.

“In that case, would it still be a contract violation?”

“…Of course. Even covered in divine power, it’s still me. Though…”

Haike’s voice trembled.

A faint smile appeared on his face, then became distorted again. Rather than a rejection, it was closer to being unable to choose a reaction when faced with an unexpected situation.

When I smiled at him, an inscrutable smile appeared on his face again. I could tell he didn’t know what expression to make and was copying mine.

Breath mixed into Haike’s voice, making the sound gradually fainter. A possessive coldness I’d never seen before flashed through his eyes.

“…Since no one would know that’s me, the contract would be meaningless now.”

“You understand well, Haike.”

“…”

“Decide. If you want it, I’ll help you.”

* * *

“Really, what are we doing at this hour…”

Again, School.

Riechthofen, who had come out in casual clothes with just a robe thrown over, gave a hollow laugh and shook his head.

We needed to borrow spatial magic, so we needed a skilled person present. Even now we were standing on his spatial magic.

I greeted him with a serious expression.

“It’s already 11 o’clock, thank you for helping at this late hour.”

“It would be better if you didn’t greet me so formally. You know why I say that, right?”

“Get used to it.”

“Fine. Please continue with this reckless attitude.”

Riechthofen waved his hand roughly and brought his face close to Haike.

Precisely, to Haike who was wearing my face with divine power applied.

Since Haike wanted to meet Mother, I cast magic on him to change his appearance.

Actually, going with a complete stranger’s face would be safest. Because there’s no weight attached to the name.

But if a stranger suddenly approached her and brought up talk about her child, there’s a possibility she’d cut it off immediately saying ‘I have no such child.’

Then what if he transformed into a mage from the Imperial Court?

Not bad. Still a complete stranger, but he could extract information like an interrogation.

However, since there was the option below, I didn’t bother using that plan.

‘Transform into an Eschede team member.’

Similarly, rather than dealing with a complete stranger who happens to be a royal mage, it’s much more natural and easier to get many answers when dealing with your own child’s friends. And if we’re going to transform into Eschete, it’s better to borrow my face as the vice-captain.

I looked at Haike’s pink eyes and said to Riechthofen.

“But right now, Haike and I look exactly the same, yet you recognize us well.”

I even deliberately sprayed perfume on Haike.

Riechthofen stared at me intently, then pointed to my earlobe and tapped his own nose tip. It seemed he meant he could sense the artifact’s magic power.

When my expression became subtle, Riechthofen immediately said.

“It’s fine. Normally there’s no way to tell. So, then. Where should we go?”

“Northern part of the capital. We’re going to the faculty dormitories of the only magic boarding school there.”

“Ah, there. What are you going there for? It’s quite prestigious so security will be tight.”

To that question, this time Haike answered instead of me.

“We’re going to see my mother. At this time, we should go to the lake in front of it.”

“…”

Riechthofen tilted his head and took a breath. Then he lifted his robe to check the thin casual clothes he was wearing.

“I have a feeling we shouldn’t go in such shabby attire.”

Riechthofen wouldn’t have any occasion to appear before Haike’s mother, but still, out of courtesy, he couldn’t go looking like he just woke up.

Riechthofen went back to his room to change clothes and came out. Then as soon as he saw me, he said.

“So this is why junior Ainsiedel was wearing Ascanien’s face right now.”

He seemed to know that Haike was someone adopted into the direct line.

“Then what will junior Ascanien transform into? It doesn’t seem like you’d send him alone.”

“I’ll borrow Senior’s face for a bit.”

“Ah, mine?”

I roughly pulled out the necklace from inside my clothes, pretended to activate the artifact, and activated my divine power.

Riechthofen also had black hair so I didn’t particularly feel any change from my perspective, but apparently my face did change to look like his. A smile appeared on Riechthofen’s face.

“Hmm… Ahem. Yes. It suits you well.”

“It’s surprising that you’d lend it so readily. Thank you.”

Riechthofen nodded and spun his wand around his finger once to change it into a staff. He took our hands and warped us somewhere in Berlin.

We who had been in the brightly lit dormitory were now outside in the darkness.

The wind that had changed direction brushed against my cheek. It was a park I’d never seen before. Beyond the bushes, I could see a huge lake receiving moonlight.

Riechthofen struck his staff on the ground. As if spatial magic was cast again, the subtle ambient sounds around us instantly disappeared.

“Now, anyone walking on this path will be above the spatial magic. I sense about… six people. They all seem to be taking walks.”

As expected of a skilled person. When more precise magic than usual became necessary, this time Riechthofen spread his magic power thinly so they wouldn’t even know spatial magic had been cast.

“Now I have another favor to ask of you, Senior.”

“I told you to speak comfortably. It’s quite burdensome to hear such words from you.”

Riechthofen let out a languid laugh and spoke playfully.

I almost hit Riechthofen’s mouth but confirmed that Haike hadn’t noticed anything and spoke calmly.

“Could you check if there’s someone emitting magic power similar to Haike’s? They should be here given the time, but if they’re not here, we’ll have to look elsewhere.”

“Ah, yes. Dogs are best at finding things like this.”

Another comment I don’t know how to react to? I looked at him coldly but he didn’t care and raised his finger to the air. The magic power I felt from his core gradually diminished. Instead, he brought his fingertip close to his nose and looked around.

“Over there at the end.”

Riechthofen pointed to the opposite side of the lake with his staff.

‘Hmm.’

Good. We’re almost there.

We walked in the direction Riechthofen had pointed.

Riechthofen decided to wait on the opposite side of the lake, at the spot where we first arrived.

What we had to consider to reach this situation was this.

Exactly what kind of situation should we create to draw out conversation from Haike’s mother.

We decided to use the security clearance procedure that the captain and vice-captain of the royal mage organization conduct on their members for this situation.

At least we needed to buy time to resolve what Haike was curious about—whether his mother also couldn’t properly feel emotions like him, how his mother thought of him.

The security clearance procedure is simply put, a reference check for government agencies/royal use. What differs from a general reference check is that in this case, they thoroughly examine every personal detail from the moment of birth until now.

Then, now it was time to think about why I had no choice but to visit him at this late hour.

‘If I had my way, I’d just want to come during the day.’

What am I doing at nearly midnight? It’s a nuisance to the other party, and I’m pressed for time since I have to go meet the Archbishop of Freiburg soon.

But I can’t postpone it to daytime. I mustn’t.

First, if I visit the boarding school where his mother works as a teacher during the day, that becomes an official schedule for the Eschete vice-captain.

The vice-captain of the organization that ‘Haike Ainsiedel’ belongs to visited Haike’s mother at her workplace—this could adversely affect the contract between Haike’s mother and uncle. It would create excessive burden for Haike’s mother, and the burden Eschete bears would be the same.

Then couldn’t I send a letter to arrange a personal meeting.

Here too there’s the problem of leaving evidence. Of course, I could accept that much and prepare leisurely before going, couldn’t I?

‘I can’t.’

My proposal ends tomorrow at noon…

Whenever it might be, if I’m going to help Haike achieve what he wishes, let’s not dawdle and finish quickly so I can also test whether I achieve my proposal.

After walking for about 15 minutes, Haike stopped abruptly. He opened his mouth slightly and stared straight ahead expressionlessly.

Others would have wondered why he was standing there so frighteningly, but I couldn’t not know why he was acting that way.

“…”

I turned my head.

Another Haike was walking toward us from the opposite direction. Due to the shadows created by the streetlight, I couldn’t clearly see the facial features, but the other person was similar in height to Haike and was a mage with dark blonde hair like Haike.

I approached the other person on behalf of Haike, who had frozen like a faithful wife’s stone in that spot, and raised my voice.

“It’s nice to meet you. You’re Teacher Helene Einsiedel, aren’t you.”

In the distance, the mage who had been walking under the streetlight stopped at the sound of someone calling them.

I walked quickly and stood before them.

Helene Einsiedel.

Haike’s mother. She appeared to be in her late twenties, but being a new human, her actual age was probably in her forties.

She resembled Haike not only in hair color but even in facial features. Except that unlike Haike, who went around with hair that looked like he just woke up and only wet it with water without any wax or anything, she had arranged her hair without a single strand out of place.

Her attire was also much more neat than Haike, who dressed as carelessly as Elias.

“…Ascanien?”

Helene Einsiedel narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.

She wasn’t speaking to me. She was speaking to Haike behind me.

Haike snapped to attention and looked at Helene Einsiedel.

“…”

Haike’s eyes trembled.

He was now directly facing the mother he had last seen at age five and had only seen in photos since then. I couldn’t even predict what he might want to say right now.

Helene Einsiedel found that silence strange and looked back and forth between me and him. Her hand moved toward the wand at her right hip.

In the tense atmosphere of alertness, Haike slowly raised his hand and looked at his palm.

It wasn’t difficult to guess what he was trying to do. He was trying to confirm who he was.

Haike, who had been staring intently at my hand that didn’t have as many calluses as his own yet, slowly blinked. His gaze passed through me and fixed on Helene Einsiedel.

Haike, who had been walking slowly with a soulless expression, stood beside me. I could almost hear his heart beating from here.

‘…I expected this but…’

He seems quite shocked.

I would have had the same reaction if I were standing before someone I could never see in my lifetime. Also, since Haike’s wish was to see his mother even once, it’s natural.

Still, while I could lead the conversation for him, it would be troublesome if he remained silent like this. Not troublesome for me, but Haike would miss his opportunity.

However, such worry was unfounded. I seemed to have forgotten that he was strong in actual situations.

Haike smiled gently as I usually do and greeted naturally, mentioning my name.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Lucas Ascanien, vice-captain of Eschete.”

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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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