How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 244

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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 (244)

 

For a moment, I almost couldn’t hide my confusion, thinking he was asking if I ‘knew the answer.’

 

During the remaining 20 minutes, the government would try to hunt down the ‘100 people who saw the answer the terrorist presented’ like catching mice. The only remaining hope was those people numbering over a hundred.

 

Not knowing what kind of appeasement and hardline measures would be deployed in that process, I had no choice but to be wary of his question. In the first place, I had ‘seen’ the answer, but I didn’t know exactly what I should present as the answer. Due to time constraints, I would have to find that answer in the next world.

 

However, hadn’t this person never been assigned to decryption? The only people who had been listening to the decryption process were other Federal mages standing guard and committee members, so this guy must have come to ask me about something else.

 

I straightened my expression, tilted my head, and asked.

 

“What. That I’m going to die in 18 minutes? That we still haven’t found a way to dismantle it? Or maybe which group cast this curse?”

 

“18 minutes…?”

 

Richthofen’s brow furrowed.

 

I took one of his hands, spread it open, checked the mark in the center of his palm, and looked at him.

 

“The mark has already half disappeared. Both you and I have 18 minutes left, Senior. So since we’re both in this situation, I’d appreciate it if you could speak quickly.”

 

“…”

 

As if it was unbelievable, Richthofen’s eyes trembled finely.

 

But he quickly regained his composure. He released my collar that he had been unconsciously gripping and stepped back a step or two.

 

“What kind of magic is cast on this curse. You would know, wouldn’t you, junior.”

 

“I really don’t understand why everyone thinks I already know everything… I’m just making inferences as I go along.”

 

“So.”

 

What magic is cast on the curse?

 

A good topic. Isn’t it the core of this incident?

 

I looked into his yellow eyes and answered.

 

“There seem to be quite a few spells cast, but I know at least two. Senior, you seem to know about those two as well – do you have a solution?”

 

“Yes. I do.”

 

“…?!”

 

I was just asking casually?

 

It was an unexpected response.

 

He found a solution in this short time? Even if it’s only partial…

 

As I couldn’t close my mouth, Richthofen continued.

 

“It’s a method I found by researching with Catacombs knowledge as soon as the terror broke out. When it comes to magic that can increase survival chances, aren’t we stronger than the Empire? …Though it’s not very hopeful. It’s still in the conceptual stage, and wide-area casting is difficult, so we have to grab people one by one to use it. Of course… I still need to tell you about it.”

 

‘…As expected.’

 

There’s no way this person would come looking for me in that state without any reason.

 

Wide-area casting is impossible, he says.

 

That’s a bit disappointing, but constraints are fine. It’s perfect for use as an auxiliary means. I never intended to solve the problem 100% with the method he found anyway. With my current plan, even if I handle 95%, there will inevitably be a remaining 5% that can’t be resolved. It seems this method could solve that 5%.

 

Until the very end, if hearing one solution could save even one more life, how could I not welcome it?

 

But this would make the conversation long. 17 minutes wouldn’t be enough.

 

“That dismantling method – is it something that can be figured out with existing theory alone, or was it something you could grasp by experimenting on people afflicted with the curse?”

 

“Why are you asking that… We could grasp it because we experimented. We wouldn’t have gotten a feel for it just by hearing about it.”

 

“I see.”

 

I expected as much, but I had hoped otherwise – this has become a headache. If I turn back time, those afflicted with the curse will also disappear, so the Richthofen of the next world will find a solution at the same slow pace as now.

 

I can’t just throw away this advantage either.

 

‘If time runs out here and I can’t hear the solution, I’m willing to retry two or three more times. But…’

 

Still, I should try to succeed in one go.

 

Before that, just one question.

 

I grabbed my nape and asked quietly.

 

“Senior. What’s your intention in telling me this with 17 minutes left? Everyone will die in 17 minutes anyway.”

 

No matter how much I would turn back time, if death was right in front of us, it wouldn’t be normal to show this kind of reaction.

 

Richthofen stared at me intently and shook his head.

 

“Because you won’t leave your life with only 17 minutes remaining.”

 

“…”

 

“The you I know isn’t that kind of person. I don’t know about myself, but at least you will survive. It’s enough if only you live. At this moment, my concern isn’t my own life but the future of the group that raised me.”

 

I slowly nodded.

 

The clock now showed 16 minutes remaining.

 

“Senior. About that countermeasure.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Please summarize it in under 10 minutes, in about one page. Content that would allow research and development to begin from a state of knowing nothing about terrorism. Since I’ll be entrusting it to you, Senior, you don’t need to write background knowledge you already know – just write it so that yesterday’s you could read and understand it.”

 

And I would memorize that and deliver it to the Richthofen of the next world.

 

If I present even key keywords and ask him to create countermeasures again, it would be different.

 

Richthofen’s eyes widened at my rapid-fire speech.

 

After shamelessly saying that ‘he might not know but I would somehow survive,’ and then me actually saying strange things, it probably didn’t sink in easily.

 

I checked my watch and patted his shoulder.

 

“Please, Senior.”

 

* * *

 

15 minutes.

 

I’m glad I followed him.

 

After finishing the conversation, I ran like mad and opened my status window.

 

Let me check the retry function first. I need to see clearly where I’ll return to in 15 minutes.

 

[Retry Lv. 3]

 

― 〈Chapter 7〉 My previous checkpoint: ‘Alexander Kruger (5)’

 

― 【Chapter 7】 One-time checkpoint manual setting within 6 hours (1/3)

 

― 1 use costs 2.0 points

 

― 6.0 points until next level

 

*Held points: 40.0 points

 

*0.5 luck points until next point acquisition

 

Good.

 

‘Alexander Kruger (5)’ must refer to when I suddenly came out 56 hours ago when I was trapped in the hospital, met the Pleroma Legislator, and turned back time.

 

If I turn back time, I’ll have 56 hours of leeway.

 

Of course, even with about two and a half days of leeway, I can’t cancel the Penthalon event or stop the Imperial Newspaper live broadcast. As I thought before, if I argue such things forcefully, I’ll really end up in a mental hospital. If I say I have precognitive abilities and saw a future of being terrorized, I’ll be dragged to a government laboratory immediately.

 

It just means I’ll have time to hold strategy meetings with friends and stabilize my mind and body. That alone is sufficient.

 

‘More than that.’

 

Seeing that ‘Alexander Kruger (5)’ is the previous checkpoint, Chapter 7 didn’t start after the terrorism but started right after I got the special reward. So it must mean the new chapter window was shown to me separately later.

 

Even when it used biblical verses instead of German proverbs as chapter titles, something felt strange. This chapter title might have been help the system wanted to give me.

 

‘The Chapter 7 title was… ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you,’ wasn’t it.’

 

What comes next? What am I supposed to find out at such a tight timing? Even as far as I know, there are only three or four verses that start with exactly that phrase. Not counting verses with slight variations like ‘I verily, verily say unto you.’

 

‘…No, forget it.’

 

Since I already know what the terrorists are demanding, I don’t particularly need the system’s help at this point.

 

I opened the door to the observation deck.

 

I don’t know why I came here among all places. It’s just that the place Richthofen led me to by running like hell was close to here.

 

Looking at this place brings back memories of being here with friends two hours ago.

 

Come to think of it, some of the Eschede students must be cursed like me, but I wonder if they’re all in their right minds. I wonder if it’s okay for them to experience this at such a young age when their minds aren’t fully developed. I trust Leo contacted them well.

 

When I quickly climbed to the top floor with mana in my legs, 13 minutes remained. There was no one guarding. The surface was already covered with all kinds of clamor, and the security system had completely collapsed. Mages were wailing together with citizens, and mana fields everywhere were breaking without being managed. Mana rain falls from the sky. The length of the cross carved on my hand shortens.

 

Although the decryption results weren’t announced to the public, people already know what will happen when the cross completely disappears.

 

Now, it’s time to think again.

 

‘They said they showed the answer.’

 

They ‘showed’ it. Not told, but showed. Even more than 100 people saw it. How good a clue this is needs no explanation.

 

The problem is…

 

‘Why is this bastard telling me so much?’

 

I need to prepare for this. When an enemy gives me a lot of information, I should be suspicious first.

 

There must be an intention behind giving that information.

 

As the saying goes, look before you leap – at times like this, I need to verify the information I’ve obtained.

 

I calmly traced the flow of subjugation magic. The locations where my mana exists are divided into several places.

 

Of course. I’ve subjugated as many as four people so far.

 

The target I need to find now is the Legislator who said, ‘The Pleroma leadership has decided to withdraw from Penthalon.’

 

I’ll do my best until the very end to extract and utilize every bit of information.

 

‘Now.’

 

I placed the Imperial Newspaper I had brought on a small table at one side of the observatory and stood in front of the railing.

 

I took out paper and a pen from my clutch, scribbled down this location, put my hand to my mouth and whistled sharply, and a white pigeon flew to me.

 

Even after I tied the paper to its leg, the bird just looked at me and didn’t fly away.

 

Actually, for using trained messenger birds like this, everyone carries postal palettes containing the magical power of people they frequently contact. You make the bird recognize the other person’s magical power so it flies in that direction. These pigeons are a type of magical beast bred specifically for this purpose.

 

However, there’s no way I would have Legislator Alexander Kruger’s magical power. I don’t even carry Elias and Narke’s magical power around.

 

I let my magical power flow into the pigeon. The pigeon seemed confused, just turning its head this way and that before fluttering onto my shoulder, so I pushed the pigeon away into the distance. Then the bird finally understood my intention and flew off somewhere in the estate.

 

Now I’ve set a 1/4 probability roulette in motion, so I have to hope my target gets caught.

 

I stood up from my seat and touched each finger of my left hand with my right hand. I concentrated on one direction among the magical power I had placed in other people’s bodies.

 

Then, I put force into my fist and struck down on the table in the passage.

 

Crash—!

 

Small wood fragments flew toward my face. Whether magical power got mixed in, the tabletop broke more easily than intended.

 

I’ve never done anything like breaking objects in my life, except when I had to play a delinquent role in middle school.

 

First of all, this isn’t even my property, and taking out frustration on innocent objects when you can’t even control your own emotions is the thing I hate most in the world. It’s not that I’m doing this because I failed at emotional control, but I don’t feel good about hitting this thing. Still, I have no choice since I need to deliver the biggest shock possible to my fist.

 

I took a deep breath and raised my head. Leo, who had apparently followed me and burst through the door leading to the stairs, asked with a completely uncomprehending expression.

 

“…What are you doing? Did you break this?”

 

It’s nice to see him again here.

 

Perhaps because he had 11 minutes left to live, Leo had an expression I couldn’t describe in words.

 

I just shrugged my shoulders. Then, I put force into it again and hit the side of the broken tabletop once more.

 

The sound of the table tilting and falling over was loudly audible.

 

Bang—! Thud—

 

Leo grabbed my arm with a shocked expression and cast healing magic.

 

“No…! What are you doing?! Are you really going crazy because you’re about to die soon?”

 

“No.”

 

I’m thinking perfectly clearly.

 

If I were crazy, I’d probably be lying down doing nothing by now.

 

“Then why are you doing this kind of thing? Lucas. Get a grip. I’m not trying to burden you by asking you to save our lives while looking at you, but at least you shouldn’t do things like this. If it’s that hard… I shouldn’t say this from my position, but as a friend, I’m advising you.”

 

“It’s a misunderstanding. I’ll explain later, so wait.”

 

“Later?”

 

Leo said quietly.

 

“Where do we have a ‘later’?”

 

“The people here don’t have one. But at least you and I do, right?”

 

Leo looked at me silently and shook his head.

 

“I think you’re misunderstanding something, Lucas. ‘I’ don’t have one.”

 

“What?”

 

“The me of the next time…”

 

Leo moved his lips and then closed his mouth. He rubbed his face with his hand and muttered.

 

“…I guess I’ve become sensitive. Can you pretend you didn’t hear that?”

 

“…”

 

He definitely looks confused. Where would you find a human who wouldn’t be sensitive 10 minutes before death? I nodded.

 

At that moment, voices came through both my and Leo’s artifacts simultaneously.

 

[Your Excellency Ascanien! Where are you? The Minister is looking for you!]

 

It’s a Ministry of Magic Civil Servant. Since I didn’t want to hear about work with 10 minutes left to live, I tapped my artifact to cut the connection. However, a new contact came immediately.

 

[Have you seen the Imperial Newspaper? You must see it! In the Imperial Newspaper right now…!]

 

As the urgent voice continued, Leo, who frowned slightly, unfolded the Imperial Newspaper that had fallen to the floor.

 

As soon as he read the title, shock spread across Leo’s face. It was a rare reaction to see from Leo.

 

“What could it be…”

 

[Pleroma has just sent an official position to the government for the first time! There’s never been anything like this in the past 13 years!]

 

“…?!”

 

Before the words even finished, Leo held out the newspaper to me.

 

Since voice use was prohibited, only text was moving in the Imperial Newspaper. The large title written in blackletter font reported one of the most shocking facts I’d seen in this terrorist incident.

 

[[Breaking News] Pleroma Announces First Official Position in 13 Years]

 

“What…”

 

I read down the article starting from the parts that caught my eye.

 

[…Pleroma has expressed its position through its first official spokesperson. The Pleroma leadership spokesperson, who introduced herself as ‘Therese Gebauer,’ said, “All current events are unrelated to the Pleroma leadership’s decisions,” and “The Pleroma leadership has always wished for the Empire’s well-being and Penthalon’s success, and already issued orders to all dioceses to cease Penthalon-related activities a week ago.” She also reported that 53 Pleroma clergy and laypeople have been harmed by terrorist attacks. The Pleroma leadership stated it will firmly confront terrorists who threaten the precious lives of Imperial citizens and the continent, and expressed willingness to gladly assist the Imperial Government if desired.]

 

“…”

 

They’ll help?

 

The government?

 

In the space for photo materials, there was a picture of a person made entirely of black smoke from head to toe. It was truly black. The face, neck, and hands were all crushed as if made of living Vitriol.

 

While this could be their self-directed drama, if it’s true, I can feel to the bone just how big this situation is that even the Pleroma leadership would say they’ll ‘join hands with the Empire to check the terrorists.’

 

I was trying to confirm once more whether Legislator Alexander Kruger’s previous statement was truthful, and I’m grateful they came out this far.

 

I ignored the urgent voice saying I needed to understand the intent of this report, removed the artifact from my ear and dropped it on the floor. Then, this time I clasped both hands tightly and twisted them. Whatever the Imperial Newspaper does, I’ve already called the Legislator, so I need to finish the confirmation.

 

Perhaps because he had experience being attacked in the core like this by me, Leo flinched his shoulders.

 

“I’m not attacking your core.”

 

“I know… Wait, core? Don’t tell me what you’ve been doing with your fists this whole time is…”

 

Right. Now he seems to understand.

 

The sound of someone breathing heavily and running up the stairs could be heard.

 

Through the open door, I could see the familiar Legislator’s face.

 

I had been punching this person’s core all this time. The Legislator, with a pale face, staggered while gripping the doorframe and looked around. His face was completely messed up from the core attacks and the terrorism, but strangely, a thread-like hope could be felt in his eyes.

 

I thought Leo would frown first in this situation, but even Leo had a slightly surprised expression, perhaps feeling the alien hope in the Legislator’s eyes.

 

I understood why there was a light of hope in the Legislator’s eyes. Rather than harboring resentment about getting his core beaten three times, he clearly interpreted it as ‘Ernst calling him means he has the intention to solve this terrorist problem.’

 

I greeted him briefly while looking at him.

 

“Nice to see you, Legislator.”

 

The Legislator looked around with a bewildered expression while clutching his core with one hand.

 

He pointed at me with his other hand and tilted his head.

 

“By any chance, is His Excellency Ernst in this area? The contact said it was this way…”

 

“No. Please remove your gloves.”

 

“We must solve this curse technique as quickly as possible! Did you really not see His Excellency Ernst…!”

 

I looked at him expressionlessly. The Legislator, who had been looking at me with suspicious eyes, stopped right where he was.

 

Soon his eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

 

“…Wa, wa, wait. Su, surely. Surely…?!”

 

He shook his head and stepped backward.

 

Leo snapped his fingers. Plant stems flew from somewhere, grabbed the Legislator’s arm and pulled off his gloves.

 

Due to the shock of realizing I was Ernst, the Legislator didn’t care at all how far the plants grew and just stared at me with widened eyes.

 

“Gasp…! No, no, His Excellency Ernst is…!”

 

“Mm.”

 

On his palm, the same mark as mine is drawn.

 

Pleroma’s announcement is not false, and the statement the Legislator made to me in the already vanished time is also not false.

 

When the Legislator was just pointing with a face that looked like he might faint soon, unable to even speak, Leo pulled the Legislator toward him and knocked him unconscious by striking his nape with practiced skill. I could tell from the time we fought with clubs in the Catacombs, but it seems he learned too many things to improve his combat magic skills.

 

Leo laid the unconscious Legislator on the floor and asked.

 

“Did you get everything now?”

 

“No, not yet.”

 

Leo seemed to know I was in the middle of gathering information.

 

Right on time, it’s coming. I approached the railing and reached out toward the messenger bird flying with something clutched in its grip. The moment the bird dropped the paper, I caught it with my magical power.

 

Incomprehensible word combinations and formulas scribbled with a fountain pen entered my sight.

 

Good.

 

Even the countermeasures sent by Richthofen are ready.

 

Now I just need to memorize this and take it to the next world, and it’s over.

 

I read it silently and asked Leo.

 

“5 minutes left. Why didn’t you bring Elias and Narke? Julia and Haike and Ulri… Luise too.”

 

I wanted to see them one last time. I’d see them when I went back anyway, though.

 

“Where would I have the mental capacity for that? Besides, I came here to hear your reasoning and plan. I couldn’t listen if the other friends were here.”

 

Leo looked around and sighed.

 

“…In the end, all the time passed before I could even ask. And you don’t seem to have any intention of telling me this time either.”

 

“Don’t worry. When I turn back time this time, I’ll tell you all everything before I go. I can’t do it without your help.”

 

Leo’s face twisted slightly before returning to normal.

 

Though he was trying to act calm, he seemed to feel once again that this incident was serious enough for me to need our friends’ help.

 

I read the paper Richthofen sent from beginning to end three times, put the paper in my pocket, and looked at Leo.

 

“3 minutes left. Any last words?”

 

“…”

 

Leo couldn’t open his mouth for a while, then spoke expressionlessly.

 

“Next time, let’s definitely go to Bavaria.”

 

Has this become an obsession for Leo? I didn’t expect him to say this again.

 

To go to Bavaria, we couldn’t die at the opening, and even if we survived avoiding the curse, with 1.37 million people dead, there wouldn’t be talk of going to Bavaria…

 

In the end, this was also saying we should successfully resolve this terrorism. That’s what I wanted.

 

“I’ll have to make that possible.”

 

The atmosphere seemed to be getting too heavy, so I smiled and asked.

 

“But why do you want to go? You’ve been persistent about it.”

 

“Hmm… It’s nothing special, so it’s a bit awkward to say in advance.”

 

“You won’t tell me even in this situation?”

 

His stubbornness is something else.

 

The clock’s second hand indicated that less than 2 minutes and 30 seconds remained of the given time. The cross on my palm had also become almost like a dot.

 

I couldn’t delay any longer. Now it was time to go back and set everything right.

 

I looked at him and said.

 

“See you later, Leo.”

 

“…”

 

Leo just moved his lips, then nodded.

 

I opened the retry window and cast sound-blocking magic so Leo couldn’t hear, then quietly muttered.

 

“To the previous checkpoint, retry.”

 

* * *

 

I opened my eyes.

 

Sunlight was pouring in through the window on the left side of the bed.

 

I could hear the sound of the fireplace burning from across the room. On the side table, the letter Elias wrote was folded in its complete state before becoming ash, and in my hand were some unknown plants that Fai must have brought.

 

[…A crown of victory to you, leader of the fatherland— Long live His Majesty the Emperor!]

 

Cheerful music could be heard from outside the window. Just moments ago I had been listening to screams and crying pouring out from the surface, but now what I heard was music from the band doing touring performances singing the national anthem before the Penthalon opening.

 

And…

 

There was no mark of any kind on my palm.

 

‘…I’m back.’

 

Only now did all the tension in my body suddenly release and strength drained away.

 

I just stretched out my arm to unfold the last page of Elias’s letter on the side table and pressed the Fai summon button. Fai, with a mouthful of plants, fell in front of me.

 

“Chirp?!”

 

Something I think about sometimes – whenever this guy is surprised, he doesn’t speak human words but cries like his own kind. This must be a sound he makes with his voice, not shooting sentences directly into my head.

 

I held Fai in one hand and lay down. Fai shook the plants onto the bed and settled in my hand. I heard the sound of dirt falling on the bedding, but that wasn’t important right now.

 

I blinked for a while looking at the clock.

 

10 minutes had passed but I hadn’t died. No matter how much time passed, my heart function remained the same. The sun was still stabbing my eyes from above, and the international flags Elias mentioned shooting with magic were transparently reflected in the sky. This peace didn’t seem real at all, but my senses were definitely real.

 

As the sense of reality gradually returned, there was no need to delay further.

 

About two and a half days remained until the opening. Within this time, I had to find the answer the terrorist wanted and make the final plan.

 

I threw off the blanket again and stood up abruptly in front of the window. Fai in my hand looked at me with a bewildered face.

 

“Fai. Could you go to Leo and tell him to bring our friends here right away? It seems like we’ll need to lift the visitation restrictions first for three people to come.”

 

“Visitation restrictions?”

 

“Ah.”

 

I briefly forgot that Fai’s mental age was at kindergarten level.

 

I scribbled what I wanted to say to Leo on a note and placed it in front of Fai.

 

“Coming to see me here, I mean. Leo and some other guy blocked anyone from coming here.”

 

“Ah~ I know what it is now~”

 

“You understand? That’s a relief.”

 

I chuckled looking at Fai who had a somewhat proud expression for some reason.

 

I couldn’t stop here. As with the previous Grand Hotel incident, Leo’s memories came in a beat later than mine.

 

Since he didn’t have retry ability, it was normal for Leo not to have memories, but it was more like memories came in only when he encountered something related to me. So there needed to be a medium.

 

I grabbed Fai who was about to warp and continued speaking.

 

“Fai. Leo might ignore what I said because of the visitation restrictions. If that happens…”

 

“If that happens?”

 

“Tell him that after the opening ceremony ends, let’s go to Bavaria.”

—————
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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