How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 242

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magic Family (242)

 

“It’s a curse.”

 

The forensic scientist from Bavaria said while spreading open the corpse’s palm. In the center of the player’s palm was drawn a small cross mark identical to the one that appeared on me.

 

The smell of formaldehyde and faint blood stung my nose. The Doctor of Public Security, the Minister of Magic, several mage scientists who were the minister’s subordinates, and I had warped to Bavaria’s morgue examination room to hear the autopsy results. It was 25 minutes after the suicide incident.

 

I stared at it expressionlessly, then glanced at my own hand. Sea-colored mana rippled beneath the cross mark in the center. Even though we had come to Bavaria, the traces of the curse remained.

 

‘The curse remains even after leaving the Penthalon grounds.’

 

Good information worth remembering.

 

Meanwhile, the forensic scientist moved the tip of a short rod from the exact center of the corpse’s palm toward the heart.

 

“This wound that looks like stigmata is merely surface-level. Following the flow of mana, we can see that the cursed mana has completely settled in the core.”

 

“Finding a dispelling method is the priority, but is there no way?”

 

The Minister of Magic asked with a dark expression.

 

“None so far. Just before you arrived, Minister, I quickly consulted with eight curse specialists from the Empire, but… they said it’s a curse that has never been reported in academic circles. I too have conducted autopsies for a long time and seen many who died from curses, but this is the first time I’ve seen a curse that’s more like white magic. Moreover, there’s something like a barrier surrounding it that prevents the magic from being destroyed. We currently don’t know exactly what the surrounding magic is either.”

 

“Hah…”

 

“You’ll need proof. Let me try casting a basic dispelling magic.”

 

The forensic scientist grabbed the corpse’s hand with his gloved hand and gestured to us. He meant for us to hold the arm.

 

When we lightly pressed the corpse’s arm, the forensic scientist briefly chanted an incantation and sent out his mana.

 

His mana flowed through the corpse’s arm without obstruction. However, in the process, the mana received no interference whatsoever. It simply flowed smoothly.

 

The forensic scientist spoke with a worried voice.

 

“Even though it’s a corpse, the curse cast here is still alive. Also, even if it’s the wrong type of curse, normally mana should clash and scrape away part of the curse. Yet you must have felt how my mana just slid forward smoothly as if it had been oiled.”

 

“…”

 

“…It means there’s protective magic we don’t know about, something untouchable. I don’t know how such magic exists. We can only tell that Pleroma’s technological capabilities have advanced much, much further than we expected.”

 

I stood quietly looking down at the corpse’s arm.

 

Magic that doesn’t break even when attacked from outside. Doesn’t this smell familiar somehow.

 

“…”

 

The Minister of Magic’s face grew darker. His subordinates’ faces were also completely twisted like people standing before the gates of hell.

 

Soon the minister let out a deep sigh and rubbed his forehead with his hand. The thin white gloves he wore showed no cross mark like mine. The forensic scientist also wore thin rubber gloves but his palms were clean.

 

Why? These people said they hadn’t listened to the Imperial Newspaper broadcast at the time. Both were busy giving field instructions regarding the suicide case and had no time to listen to the newspaper.

 

Here was another piece of information. Those who didn’t hear—or couldn’t understand—that voice weren’t cursed.

 

‘Hmm… should I turn back time and then make people cover their ears.’

 

Of course, it’s unrealistic.

 

I don’t know what variables might arise after turning back time or when the curse might strike, so I can’t have them cover their ears the whole time. In that case, it would be better to just cancel the event as soon as I turn back time. That was a choice I hadn’t even considered.

 

The choice of telling them to cancel the event has inevitable problems. First, I’d be locked up in a mental hospital.

 

Second, even if I’m lucky and my words get through, terrorists capable of setting up a scheme of this scale could create such problems anytime at any large event, not just Penthalon. They might cast magic on the entire capital.

 

Since we didn’t have much time, we couldn’t even properly greet the forensic scientist before moving to our next destination, the interrogation room.

 

Unlike the examination room, the interrogation room was dim and gloomy, relying on a single light. A strangely stuffy and unpleasant smell hit us.

 

At the end of the table, we could see a person tied to a chair, unconscious. His head was drooping toward the floor, and saliva dripped as he seemed to be losing consciousness with his mouth agape. He occasionally twitched his shoulders convulsively and moaned like someone dying.

 

“…Uh… uugh…”

 

“…”

 

They must have completely scrambled his brain with divine power during interrogation. After seeing a corpse, now I’m looking at someone becoming a corpse.

 

He appeared to be in his 30s but was probably around 50—a new human. According to information verbally received from the Doctor of Public Security, he was the sound director of the Imperial Newspaper. And he was the perpetrator of this [Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.] broadcast accident, the owner of that voice.

 

Less than 5 minutes after he switched the broadcast back to the scene, he was arrested with no traces of any curse on his hands, but his body’s mana showed abnormal flow, whether from anxiety or something else.

 

Beside him stood Narke holding a wand and a Royal Mage recording the interrogation contents. The Minister of Magic spoke with worry still in his voice.

 

“It seems to have gone well.”

 

“You’ve arrived.”

 

Saying this, Narke turned around expressionlessly, then spotted me and his eyes widened.

 

He seemed not to have expected me to come here, as the confusion didn’t leave his expression. Honestly, I was a bit flustered too. I didn’t know Narke could transform a person like this with divine power. Whatever kind of person they were dealing with, whatever kind of situation it was.

 

But it wasn’t worth mentioning aloud, and just because his actual appearance differed from what I expected didn’t mean I needed to let him know. Still, Narke would have quickly read my thoughts anyway.

 

This isn’t the time to be lost in such trivial thoughts. The clock showed 30 minutes after the suicide, so 12:42. Though I can’t confirm immediately since the government cut all relay communications except for the emergency committee, outside this place must have become complete chaos.

 

“Is the investigation finished? What did he say?”

 

“Yes, it’s finished. However, there are no readable memories.”

 

“None?”

 

The minister’s brow furrowed.

 

Narke nodded and answered dryly.

 

“That’s right. It appears the memories were intentionally erased.”

 

“How is that possible? We arrested him directly from the Imperial Newspaper sound room…!”

 

“Minister, you know how this incident occurred. Just by listening to this person’s words, we all fell under a curse. A pre-calculated magic formula was activated by his speech. Erasing memories through divine power would likewise be a pre-calculated magic formula activated later.”

 

Narke answered the Minister of Magic while avoiding my eyes. My hand instinctively moved toward his. He was wearing black leather gloves now, so I couldn’t tell if he was cursed or not. Narke continued speaking with his eyes on the floor.

 

“The real problem is how they could cast magic with divine power. Either they forcibly bought off a divine mage, or… there was a divine mage among Pleroma.”

 

“…”

 

This was also good information.

 

But regardless of the information’s quality, the minister looked like he might collapse soon.

 

He fumbled inside his jacket with trembling hands and pulled out a cigarette. The process of taking out an artifact lighter and lighting it looked even more difficult.

 

I fully understand that maintaining sanity in this situation is difficult. If millions die in this terror attack, he’ll naturally be the one responsible for this incident and will be fired, and that won’t be enough—he might be shot or thrown into an underground prison.

 

How did the Emperor who killed 353 mages in Alsace-Lorraine still maintain his position?

 

The Emperor escaped responsibility by executing all the officials responsible for that incident.

 

Was it really fortunate that the Minister of Magic wasn’t cursed? He’d probably think it would be better to be cursed and die as a victim. Now the minister’s lifetime of accumulated honor and life are destined to be sacrificed to the public as offerings for the Emperor’s approval ratings. Not many people could maintain composure facing their social and physical death.

 

There’s someone right next to him who could explode and die from a curse at any moment, but I understand.

 

“I thought it was all over. If the memories… if the memories were erased… Now… Ahem.”

 

The minister, who had been muttering in a trembling voice, covered his mouth with his hand, then shook his head and now rubbed his forehead. I could see cold sweat beading on his forehead.

 

“Adrian Ascanien.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Ascanien. Having you here feels like Deputy Minister Adrian Ascanien is beside me, which gives me some peace of mind.”

 

“…”

 

His voice was no louder than the sound of an ant crawling. He seemed to have no strength left to speak loudly.

 

The only person related to the terrorism that the government arrested and who is currently alive. That was the sound director. Interrogating the sound director was the most accurate and easy way to get information about the terrorism. In short, he was the Minister of Magic’s only hope, but the plan went awry and he seemed to have lost his composure.

 

The minister continued sucking on his cigarette with trembling hands. He exhaled smoke and said.

 

“What do you think, Your Excellency?”

 

“What are you referring to?”

 

“Unlike other politicians, I have never disregarded you because of your age. Your brother Adrian Ascanien was a genius who entered the Imperial Court during his time at the 3rd Education Institute, and with such a genius existing, I’ve never found it particularly surprising that someone like you, who will soon be an adult, possesses extraordinary abilities. Moreover, you share blood with that genius.”

 

So others dismiss me because of my age.

 

Whatever the case, it was out of the blue. Since cornered humans don’t have the luxury to care how their words sound to others, instead of pointing out his words, I just looked ahead.

 

“…”

 

“You, even when everything is blocked like now, you can find answers, can’t you. I believe in your abilities.”

 

“You have too many expectations of me.”

 

I answered expressionlessly.

 

However, I didn’t say I couldn’t find the answer. Since I had already found it, I couldn’t lie.

 

Though I can’t tell this world’s Minister of Magic everything I know.

 

“No, not at all.”

 

At his completely arbitrary but firm words, I looked down at him silently. He slowly turned his head and looked at me with eyes that seemed ready to sell his soul to the devil if it meant survival.

 

“You know what I’m saying. I believe in what you’ve shown us so far. So even if it’s something trivial, please tell me right now, in as much detail as possible, what you’ve deduced about this terrorism.”

 

* * *

 

[Why won’t you let us out?! Please let us out!]

 

[What is this! When there’s not enough time to explain what this is, what? Aaah!]

 

The sound of something burning could be heard. They must be collecting and burning Imperial Newspapers to prevent secondary accidents.

 

From the artifact placed on the strategy room table, the cries of new humans and humans trapped in Brandenburg New National Park flowed endlessly. The sound of people wailing was layered like background music.

 

The government announced that among the 2.31 million people at this event venue, 1.37 million were cursed. Those wails must be coming from people like me who had something appear on their hands.

 

As soon as marks appeared on their palms, the government hastily sent people gathered at Brandenburg New National Park outside the checkpoints. But the curses couldn’t possibly disappear, and eventually they all returned to the national park and were trapped.

 

Currently, the Imperial Newspaper only repeated like a parrot that they were looking for a solution.

 

‘Anyway.’

 

Now that I’ve secured the second piece of information, the first piece of information I must obtain is also becoming clear.

 

This means I’ve now found the answer to ‘why the player had no choice but to commit suicide.’

 

Then, there’s something else we need to examine now.

 

The player who died by suicide and the Imperial Newspaper Sound Director.

 

What do they have in common?

 

The Special Task Force was also focusing on that, and the question that just came up is one the Special Task Force voiced.

 

I looked down at the materials they had organized and said.

 

“They both spoke with trembling voices. That’s the common point.”

 

“….”

 

“It might sound like I’m joking. But you all know what my opinion is.”

 

This time I glanced at Leo sitting in this place, then looked around at the Special Task Force members scattered throughout the scene with less than half remaining.

 

The Minister of Magic was in a panic and couldn’t think properly about anything, but the others would have gotten a sufficient grasp of it.

 

“Both people were under a curse spell from the culprit. We could confirm traces of curse magic on the player’s corpse. And the Imperial Newspaper Sound Director currently has clean hands without any traces, but you said the mana flow around his core was a flow that couldn’t occur naturally.”

 

“Yes, that’s correct.”

 

A doctor who came from Bavaria at the Magic Department’s request to participate in the Special Task Force nodded.

 

“And the player said ‘I can’t do something like this’ three times right before dying and then committed suicide. Up to this point, everyone’s speculation matches my thoughts.”

 

“….”

 

“The player and sound director were both probably threatened by the terrorist. ‘If you recite Revelation Chapter 7 Verse 10, the curse spell will spread to those who hear your recitation. If you recite the verse and spread the magic to everyone, the curse spell on your body will be lifted, but if you don’t, you alone will die…’ Something like that would be similar.”

 

In other words, the player clearly knew about the problems that would arise if he said certain phrases.

 

He was saying ‘I cannot do the act of casting curse spells on everyone here and surviving alone.’

 

If he disobeyed, the curse spell’s effects would spread and kill him alone anyway, so he either planned to commit suicide in front of everyone to resist the terrorist and raise the nation’s vigilance, or perhaps the culprit gave him a time limit and said ‘if you don’t speak within this time, the curse spell will transfer to everyone as is,’ so he took his own life before that.

 

The dead cannot speak, so we cannot know the exact circumstances.

 

“In other words, the player and sound director were tools used as hosts and triggers of sorts.”

 

A high-ranking civil servant from the Magic Department nodded at my words.

 

“…Yes. I heard you well. Everyone would have no objections. The problem is that the player’s sacrifice became meaningless. Why this mark is in the shape of a stigmata too… It’s truly a headache-inducing matter.”

 

“The most important thing would be the fact that we still haven’t found a way to dispel it.”

 

When people are cornered too much, they seem to keep trying to achieve mental victories. When I pointed out reality, everyone’s gazes turned to me.

 

So far, the Special Task Force had tried dozens of methods. From crossing borders to check the magic’s effective range, to pumping drugs into cores until near death.

 

But they all failed.

 

“Isn’t discovering a dispelling method more important to all of you right now than the fact that the player and sound director were threatened?”

 

It’s true. Knowing exactly what threats the player and sound director received is useful information for me, who has the authority to make everything as if it never happened and retry, but it’s not important information for these people who just have to die helplessly.

 

I raised my right hand with the glove removed and said.

 

“You know that if this curse spell actually activates, everyone dies at that moment.”

 

“…I know. But why hasn’t it exploded yet? It was actually a situation where they could have made everyone explode immediately.”

 

The Minister of Magic’s brain must truly be frozen solid. He continued smoking cigarettes with trembling hands while taking deep breaths.

 

The reason the terrorist is holding onto our lives and once again doing nothing.

 

Why would that be?

 

There isn’t much time left until retry execution now. I did obtain both pieces of information I initially planned to gather, but if I can obtain this last piece of information, the picture I want will be completed cleanly.

 

I looked at him and said quietly.

 

“They must want something from us, Minister.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————