How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 230

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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 (230)

Then Helene Einsiedel looked back and forth between me and Haike.

“Eschede? You’re also from the Imperial 2nd Education Institute. What brings you here…?”

“I apologize for not making an appointment in advance. We’re visiting the families and acquaintances of each team member to assess the eligibility of our Eschede team members. This must be quite surprising, but could you spare some time for an interview?”

Haike spoke with a more proper expression than expected, using an appropriate tone. It was completely unlike the usual Haike.

Helene Einsiedel frowned with a smile that seemed both amused and troubled.

“Eligibility assessment…? This must be the security clearance procedure I’ve only heard about.”

It might seem unusual to conduct this after already joining, but in fact, organizations often conduct periodic background checks even after members have joined.

I briefly checked the possibility of change, and the value was still 51.9%. Since the value hadn’t decreased, it seemed this wouldn’t cause any troublesome issues.

Helene Einsiedel’s expression was already richer than Haike’s. Her face clearly showed she was flustered and displeased.

“How did you know I was here…? More importantly, I’m not that child’s parent. Heinrich Ainsiedel is that child’s father, so you’d be better off going to him.”

“…”

Haike froze without being able to say anything. I glanced at him and answered instead.

“We plan to visit Heinrich Ainsiedel as well. And since Haike and you haven’t met directly, it’s fine.”

“…I suppose that’s true. But I don’t know much about that child. I only raised him until he was five, and after that Heinrich Ainsiedel took him and raised him.”

“That’s fine. We came to ask you about Haike Einsiedel’s childhood. Could you answer some questions for a moment?”

“…If there’s anything I know about that child.”

Helene looked around at the lake surrounded by spatial magic, realized no one was listening to our conversation at the moment, and nodded.

The questions and answers went smoothly. We asked the questions written in the security clearance procedure manual, and she told us everything she remembered.

After about 20 minutes, Haike appropriately wrapped up the conversation.

“Thank you. Since he’s already joined, we’re just going to keep this for reference, so this is enough.”

“I see. That was simple.”

Helene Einsiedel’s face was relaxed, unlike at the beginning.

Haike, who had been nervously fidgeting with the edge of the leather clipboard until it was worn, quietly asked.

“…Is there anything you’d like to say? I’ll pass it along later.”

“No.”

Helene Einsiedel answered with a smile. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, then spoke with difficulty.

“If I conveyed my words now, it would only trouble Haike unnecessarily. Since we were separated when his memories weren’t clear, he probably has no particular feelings about me now. It would be better to help that child by staying quiet.”

Silence flowed. The faint sound of insects crying could be heard from the other side of the lake.

I could see that Haike wanted to say something. I waited for him, but Haike never spoke up until the end.

Helene Einsiedel looked at the rippling surface of the lake and slowly continued speaking.

“Instead, I’d like to ask you something. Is Haike still quiet now?”

“…Are you curious?”

“Of course.”

Helene Einsiedel smiled with a face lost in memories.

“Haike was extremely quiet from childhood. He was a child who would cast magic at the sky all day long. So I remember the servants had a really hard time handling him.”

“…He was…, ahem, no, why was that?”

“He had the perfect temperament of a mage from that time. Simply being able to use magic and having passion for magic are different things. That child was ready to dedicate himself to the study of magic, both in passion and ability. To the extent that the small magic school in our estate couldn’t handle him. Oh, did that talent not show much at the Imperial 2nd Education Institute?”

“…”

Since Haike didn’t answer, I quickly responded instead.

“No, he was excellent enough there too.”

“I thought so. That’s why he entered the Imperial Palace. …I’m satisfied. I didn’t think so before, but recently I’ve been thinking it was good that I gave Haike to Heinrich Ainsiedel.”

“Weren’t you sad when you parted?”

Haike asked expressionlessly.

In a situation where Haike appeared to be Lucas rather than himself to Helene, it was quite a rude question, but I had no intention of stopping Haike.

As if proving his claim that he couldn’t feel emotions well, Haike’s eyes showed no resentment or sadness at all. It was just the feeling of wanting to know something unknown academically, nothing more.

The silence was long. I could feel the air growing heavy. Helene Einsiedel remained silent, then exhaled and spoke.

“How could I not be?”

Haike’s eyes dimmed slightly.

Unlike himself, his mother could feel emotions naturally. It was clear evidence of emotion.

“But what’s important isn’t my feelings and desires, but the child’s future, isn’t it? If I were Haike, I wouldn’t have wanted to grow up with me, who had neither the wealth nor ability to let him study at the Empire’s best school.”

“…”

“On the other hand, Heinrich Ainsiedel is much more socially successful than I am. The world he sees is broader and has more possibilities than the world I could show Haike. A parent who can help their child achieve whatever they want is better than a parent who can’t let their child walk the path they desire. So what should I have done?”

“…”

Haike still had no emotion on his face, only moving his lips. Unlike his expression, his voice seemed choked up. I couldn’t tell exactly what thoughts were causing this.

“I often regretted it, but when I heard he was selected for the Imperial Palace, all such regrets disappeared cleanly. My choice wasn’t wrong. The wish I had then, for that child to freely display his talents, came true, didn’t it?”

“…”

“I’ve kept scrapbooks of all the newspapers that child appeared in. Hahaha… I don’t know how such a child came from my blood.”

“Don’t you want to see him directly?”

“I did see him. I attended the launch ceremony. Oh, that’s not a contract violation, right? Since I didn’t directly encounter that child.”

“You came to the launch ceremony.”

Ignoring Helene’s defensive attitude, Haike, caught by the previous statement, murmured as if dreaming.

“If you could go back 13 years and change your choice, would you do so?”

“You mean would I have raised him myself instead of giving him to Heinrich? I didn’t know Mr. Ascanien was quite curious.”

I wondered if she meant to stop the rude questions, but Helene Einsiedel didn’t seem to have that intention and just kept smiling.

“…That’s quite troubling to think about. But I couldn’t do that.”

“Why?”

“As I said before, I don’t have the ability to properly raise a child with such potential. Someone destined for greatness should play in big waters, not be raised in a small vessel. If I had raised Haike, that child couldn’t have gone to the Imperial Palace as he did now. Even with skills more than enough for the Imperial Academy, he would have been studying at an ordinary high school.”

“…”

“Wouldn’t that be doing wrong by my own child?”

Haike didn’t answer. Wind came rolling from the lake. The sound of willow leaves fluttering and hitting each other in the wind sounded like rain.

“…I don’t think he would think that way.”

Haike’s voice was cracking. Helene Einsiedel stared at him intently, then nodded.

“I hope that’s the case.”

Helene Einsiedel looked at the distant clock tower and said.

“Well, I should go now. I need to prepare for tomorrow.”

Instead of Haike, who just stood there without answering, I said goodbye to her.

“Thank you for today. You must not tell anyone about today’s events.”

“Of course. If it became known that I was with people who know Haike, it would only cause unnecessary trouble.”

Saying that, Helene Einsiedel stood still in place.

“This might not be appropriate to say, but it was enjoyable. It’s the first time in 13 years I’ve talked about Haike again.”

She smiled and extended her hand to me. After briefly shaking hands with her, Helene offered a handshake to Haike.

Haike looked at that hand and slowly took it. Helene Einsiedel shook hands lightly, then drew her wand from her waist, broke the spatial magic, and disappeared.

Haike quietly looked at the spot where she had disappeared.

He stood there for a long time without his legs even hurting, then turned around to look at me. My face that he was wearing still showed no emotion.

“Are you okay?”

Haike nodded.

We retraced the path Helene had taken and went back to Richthofen.

Richthofen, who had been playing with a small unknown dog on the opposite walking path—fortunately in human form—saw us and stood up.

“You’re back. Did the conversation go well?”

Haike, who had been silent the whole time, finally answered.

“Yes. Thank you for helping today.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Richthofen pointed at me and said.

“I owed this junior a favor anyway, and it didn’t feel like someone else’s business. Let me know if you need help in the future.”

“Yes.”

Since Richthofen was also someone adopted into a family, they seemed to have common ground.

He was from a declining lower noble family but was adopted into a Junker family due to his high magical power.

We returned to the dormitory again.

Richthofen went to his room, while Haike and I went to Haike’s room.

It was more like I followed along because Haike wouldn’t let go and kept holding onto my sleeve.

I was worried that if there was another person in the room, they might wonder why the two of us came in together, but fortunately Cheringen, Haike’s roommate, wasn’t here.

Haike sat me down on the sofa in his room, brought out two bottles of beer from somewhere, and plopped down next to me. No one opened their mouth, so the room was quiet. I received a beer from the dazed-eyed Haike, held it, and fell into thought.

‘Hmm.’

It’s past midnight now.

The proposal will end at noon today.

Still not giving me affection points… well, it’s disappointing but let’s call it done.

I did my best, but that doesn’t mean the other person has an obligation to reciprocate my efforts. Naturally, I wasn’t disappointed or angry at Haike for not giving me affection points.

If we’re talking about the real problem, it’s not Haike who won’t give me affection points, but this system that semi-forcibly makes me obtain other people’s emotions.

More than that…

I examined my face. More precisely, Haike who had my face.

Since there’s no expression, I can’t tell if this guy is in an okay state right now. Since the Antagonist has the possibility of walking the worst future, Haike’s condition after receiving an unforgettable shock is more important than the proposal. I wonder if this won’t cause him to go astray.

‘If I see signs of that, I’ll have to turn back time immediately.’

I checked the change possibility window.

The change possibility had risen by 2%p to 53.9%p. It feels like yesterday when it started from 0, but it’s already passed halfway.

‘Seeing that the value rose compared to before meeting Mother… I can relax for now.’

Though I’ll keep a close eye on whether anything happens to him.

I thought that while looking at Haike. As I poked his cheek with my finger without much thought, wondering if this is how my face looks to others, Haike turned his head.

“…Huh?”

“What are you thinking about.”

“You play pranks like this too?”

Haike finally smiled faintly.

I usually don’t, but it was fascinating to have my face right next to me.

He took the artifact from his neck and handed it to me, so I undid the magic cast on him.

Haike looked down at his hands and said.

“Mother was different from me.”

“Right.”

“We look alike though. From now on, when I’m curious about Mother, I’ll have to look in a mirror.”

Haike saying something like this?

However, he didn’t seem to have said it as a joke. Anyway, he doesn’t seem heartbroken about Mother being different from him.

“Thank you.”

Haike said quietly.

“Thanks to you, I saw Mother up close when I thought I’d never see her again. I even had a conversation with her. I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life.”

“…Yeah. Are you feeling okay?”

“I don’t know what to say. If you ask whether my heart became completely at ease without leaving any resentment, that’s not it. After seeing her in person, I wonder if I would have been a little different if I had grown up under Mother.”

I personally agree. While it’s true that he feels genuine emotions remarkably less than other people and seems to have learned emotions, in my view, Haike isn’t someone who can’t feel emotions at all.

To express exactly what I felt, he’s still immature. It’s as if he’s stuck in a childhood state, unable to learn what he should have learned at the right time.

If Uncle hadn’t seen Haike as a money-making tool but had truly tried to raise him properly, or if Mother had raised him, whether through treatment or trying to help him form appropriate friendships, Haike might have been able to have an emotional state similar to others as he wished by now.

It’s late, but if the environment is created even now, Haike ten years from now might be the way he wants to be.

“To be honest.”

Haike said in a voice that was clearer than before.

“I know. People hate someone like me who seems to have a screw loose somewhere. People think I don’t know this, but not feeling emotions well and having poor cognitive ability are different problems. How could I not know how others think of me?”

“…”

At least the Eschete team members don’t think of him that way.

But not everyone is like us. Just as Philip’s group looked down on and bullied Luca, there must have been a group in Class 1 that disliked Haike.

Of course, while he lacks emotional expression, Haike isn’t that soft-natured—he says he dislikes what he dislikes without considering the atmosphere at all—and since he has good grades and receives the professors’ trust, it wouldn’t have been easy to bully him. Unlike Luca who was openly bullied, I know Haike wasn’t.

Still, the person involved can’t help but know how he’s being received.

“I’m not angry at those people. In a group where standards exist, those outside the standard become rule breakers. Even if each person can’t choose their own conditions and was just naturally born that way, from the moment that human takes their first breath in this world, they become a sinner. Since such humans deserve to be judged by the group’s power, the reason people freely hate someone like me who doesn’t converge to the average is theoretically understandable enough.”

He understands it? No matter what thoughts one has intuitively, that doesn’t become a legitimate basis for trampling on others.

Being numb to this is precisely possible because he doesn’t feel emotions well.

“So I’m not afraid of being hated. My wanting to have emotions isn’t just because others see me as strange. What I fear… I wonder if I can even use the word ‘fear.’ This was the only thing I was curious about. Really, was there another possibility for me too?”

“…”

“If Mother had raised me instead of Uncle, how would I be living in a world where I feel everything I can’t feel? I was curious about just that one thing. Like the wizards in fairy tales, if I had the ability to turn back time, I think I would probably go back to when I was five years old.”

Haike said with a small smile.

“Since that’s not possible, I wondered how about living with Mother at least later on… That’s what I was curious about.”

“I see.”

“But not now.”

Not now?

I was the one shocked instead and looked at him.

Haike looked down at the carpet and apologized.

“Sorry, Lucas.”

“…Why? What are you sorry about.”

“I know how uncomfortable it is when a friend you haven’t been close with for long brings up family matters on their own. At least that’s what my private teacher taught me. Originally we should have just had fun, but because I brought up such stories to you, you couldn’t even rest until midnight helping me.”

What is this about now?

I deliberately hardened my expression.

“You don’t need to be sorry. I helped because I wanted to help.”

“…”

“And if I disliked such conversations, I would have said so directly. I was actually grateful that you trusted me and shared your story with me.”

“That’s like you.”

Haike answered with a slight smile. His gaze was still on the carpet.

“I was happy today thanks to you. No, I’m happy even now.”

“…Yeah, then that’s a relief. I was worried about what would happen if you got hurt meeting Mother.”

“No, when I said I’m happy now, it’s not because I met Mother.”

Haike, who had been looking only at the floor, raised his head to look at me.

There was stubbornness melted in his eyes. The moment I felt puzzled, my vision flashed white.

Ding—!

Affection +6

Congratulations!

‘Proposal 3: Eschete affection +12 within deadline (13/12)’ Success!

‘Route 1 — 【 Chapter 6 Special Reward 】’ confirmed.

My breath naturally stopped.

What am I looking at.

No matter how many times I looked, the window that appeared was talking about Haike’s affection.

“I’m grateful that you helped me thinking of me.”

“…”

“I’m happy that there’s someone who made an effort for me. I don’t know how this will sound to you, but even this is a first for me.”

Haike continued speaking with determined eyes and a precise voice.

“Thank you. This time it’s sincere.”

“…”

Right.

I can tell it’s really sincere. Who would declare such words like this? At his characteristic way of expression, the tension that had entered my body completely released.

I looked at him and smiled.

“I’m grateful too.”

It wasn’t simply because he helped me achieve my proposal.

Haike smiled following me, then turned his gaze back to the carpet and said.

“I think I don’t need to see Mother anymore.”

“Why?”

At my question, Haike smiled gently.

“You’re here.”

“…”

Did I become a mother?

That was my first thought, but thinking about it carefully, that’s probably not it. It’s just that he cuts off his words according to his nature, so interpreting it, I think it might mean something like this.

Now he felt genuine emotions to the extent that he didn’t need to confirm his legitimacy through his mother.

When Haike said he ‘wanted to live with his mother,’ in other words, it meant he wanted to be with someone he could have emotional exchanges with. Since he had no real friends or family, it was natural for him to have such wishes.

In the end, I had created the environment that Haike had been longing for.

‘…I didn’t intend this.’

Surprisingly, as soon as that environment was prepared, Haike felt truly grateful to me. To think that I became the cause of him feeling real emotions, my feelings became complicated and subtle.

Anyway, good things are good things. I checked my survival possibility once more just in case, but fortunately the value hadn’t dropped.

Just yesterday and today, the change possibility increased by a total of 5%p thanks to Haike, so I could view it positively.

Haike suddenly seemed to remember something and added.

“You know I don’t mean I started disliking mother, right?”

“I know.”

I understand it means he’s not obsessed enough to make it his life’s greatest wish.

As I was about to wrap up the conversation, Haike asked.

“Want to hang out until Julia comes?”

“Mm, sorry. I have something to do at dawn so I need to go.”

“I see.”

Haike nodded with no particular expression and smiled.

“Today was fun.”

“Yeah, me too.”

I smiled and said goodbye, left his room, and knocked on the room directly across.

It was Narke and Elias’ room. Fortunately, instead of sleeping, they were still playing around with each other, so I was able to comfortably receive Narke’s help and warp to the manor.

And so, at 5 AM that dawn.

I, who had been playing with Fai on the bed, got up and looked at the window by my bedside.

Though we parted saying ‘see you tomorrow,’ that archbishop didn’t come even as dawn was ending. I broke the space magic but there were no notes or missing items at home. The latter could be excused since I met him directly, even put on the ring and returned, so there was no need for that anymore, but not coming to see me was quite surprising.

‘What? Playing hard to get?’

Of course, this was just a momentary thought…

‘There’s no way he just wouldn’t come.’

It’s highly likely that problems arose within Pleroma. If he had gotten angry seeing me play with Haike, that guy would just come find me immediately and protest, regardless of any games.

Of course, I don’t care about their internal fights.

I got up as I was, prepared, and warped to the dormitory with Narke’s help.

After chatting appropriately with Elias and Narke and going out to the hallway, I happened to see Haike walking around with a toothbrush in his mouth. Haike also seemed to have gotten no sleep as his under-eyes were black.

“Oh, Lucas.”

“Hi. We need to leave in 20 minutes, is it okay to brush your teeth now?”

“It’s fine. But yesterday…”

“Spit it out and talk.”

“Okay.”

Haike opened the door and went into the bathroom. I followed him into the room, greeted Cheringen briefly, and waited for Haike.

‘The room is cleaner than I thought.’

Maybe because it’s a shared space with Cheringen.

While looking around like that, I discovered a box outside the window.

Items placed like that on the windowsill are usually packages sent magically from the post office.

‘It’s matches.’

A palm-sized matchbox with a paper string tied to it, and Haike’s name written on that string.

‘Was there someone who would send matches to Haike?’

Sending daily necessities isn’t that surprising, but it’s a bit surprising that the recipient is Haike. When he came out of the bathroom, I asked while keeping my gaze fixed on the matches.

“Haike. Do you smoke?”

“No.”

Then does he have a hobby of lighting scented candles.

I asked without much thought.

“Someone gave you matches as a gift.”

“Matches?”

Haike turned around with a puzzled face.

When I brought out the matchbox from outside the window, Haike tilted his head.

“What’s that? I never received anything.”

“Really? Your name is even written here.”

I pointed to Haike’s name on the paper end of the matchbox.

Since Haike just blinked with a face that didn’t understand, I immediately untied the string and examined the box.

It was an ordinary matchbox. It had product pictures drawn on it, and the product name written in decorative letters. Like matches we use in modern times, it had a large striking surface attached to one side.

Cheringen stood at the doorway and called us.

“Guys. We need to leave now.”

“Go ahead, Julia. I’ll just check this and follow right out.”

“Ah, then could Haike lock the door when you come?”

“Got it.”

Meanwhile, I flipped the matchbox over.

“Nothing particularly strange.”

“Really? Who left this? I didn’t get any notice that something was coming.”

“Hmm…”

I opened the matchbox without much thought.

“…?!”

Instantly I opened my mouth.

White matches were mixed in among the red matches.

Haike’s face turned pale. I also let out a hollow laugh.

‘…White phosphorus matches?’

The shape of the white matches was longer and cruder than the other matches, perfectly matching the old-style matches used decades ago. If they have this shape with these white heads, it’s safe to say they’re white phosphorus matches.

These are just contained in a regular matchbox? What kind of crazy person?

As the name suggests, it’s that white phosphorus we know. The phosphorus used in white phosphorus bombs.

It has high reactivity, so if not stored carefully, it easily catches fire with even slight friction. It catches fire so well that it ignites with just a light stroke on paper without applying force, and sometimes catches fire on its own by reacting with oxygen without friction. Due to safety issues, it’s not even produced currently.

Haike, with a shocked face, overturned a ceramic pencil case, quickly put the white phosphorus matches in it, and headed to the bathroom.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to throw this away. Soak it in water… then what? Will it catch fire again when the water dries? No. I’ll just throw it in the toilet.”

Haike poured out words rapidly like when taking the third exam and opened the toilet lid. I grabbed his arm.

“Wait, Haike. Don’t throw it away yet.”

“Huh?”

“Why are white phosphorus matches in a regular matchbox? Even regular matches are still in there.”

“…”

Haike understood what I meant and bit his lips.

Obviously someone deliberately put white phosphorus matches in the matchbox. There must be a reason for it.

I closed the drain valve of the sink and soaked the white phosphorus matches in water. I thoroughly wet them with my hands until the matches became unusable, then took them out and examined them.

As I fixed my gaze on the cut surface of the wood end, Haike also picked up a match. Haike quietly muttered.

“…T?”

An alphabet.

Letters that seemed carved with magic power were written on the end of the white phosphorus match.

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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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