How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 262

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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 (262)

 

‘…What.’

 

Leo couldn’t believe what he had just seen.

 

He felt his blood run cold.

 

The sound of a blade piercing and withdrawing from human flesh was surprisingly dull. Lucas’s eyes widened. This was the first time he had directly witnessed him fall into such shock. Leo’s gaze, which had been directed at Lucas’s face, quickly dropped to his neck.

 

Not all of the carotid artery had been severed. Perhaps a fifth? Or maybe a bit more than that. But if more had been cut, blood should have gushed out like a fountain. At least that’s what theory dictated. Since that hadn’t happened yet, there was a chance of survival.

 

The thought didn’t last long. When he came to his senses, Leo had already gritted his teeth and thrust out his wand.

 

Kwang—!

 

The Archbishop’s blue mana clashed with Leo’s sky-blue mana.

 

The New Human’s body had somehow changed to that of an Old Human. The saying about looking in a mirror wasn’t false. That must be the Archbishop that Lucas had been seeing all along.

 

“Come out!”

 

Beyond the curtain of light that made it hard to see clearly, the Archbishop smiled and ignored Leo’s shout, turning his head toward Lucas. The two were having a conversation. No, it was closer to the Archbishop’s one-sided monologue.

 

‘What the hell….’

 

Kwagwang— Kwagwang—!

 

Leo’s and the other mages’ attacks struck his barrier and scattered.

 

How could anyone even conceive of stabbing someone’s neck and using that mana to escape? Certainly, it was worthy of being evaluated as skilled in crisis situations, but he was troublesome in that he freely thought up and used unprecedented methods. We have far too little information about him. In such cases, naturally, it would be advantageous to postpone for another time.

 

Due to the shock, light flashed making it hard to see, but the back of the dais was about 50 meters away.

 

‘About five steps forward.’

 

Just as he calculated that and was about to stamp his foot, Leo fell into shock once again.

 

“…?!”

 

Lucas was definitely not in his right mind either. Leo couldn’t understand what he had just witnessed. Only the speculation remained that Lucas had committed the same act he had almost done with Julia in that courtyard.

 

However, the confusion was brief. With the time that had passed, he could quickly grasp what Lucas intended.

 

‘No.’

 

He understood his goal well enough, but in a situation where excessive bleeding was expected, he shouldn’t move any further. Using magic here, or doing that….

 

—…within the one who grants abilities… exists.

 

“Stop! Lucas!”

 

The moment he shouted loudly, the Archbishop’s body shook with a thud. He could see him collapse to the floor starting from his knees.

 

Subjugation magic. Though faint, that’s what it sounded like. The Archbishop’s current reaction was also a familiar scene he had often witnessed in himself.

 

Perhaps because Lucas couldn’t focus on control, a tearing shock struck Leo’s core as well.

 

Kwaaaang—! Thud—

 

It sounded like pouring rain. The Archbishop’s blue barrier shattered completely.

 

Leo, who had moved to their front, covered his face with his arm. While blocking the barrier, the spot where the Archbishop and Lucas had been was now empty.

 

Leo immediately looked up at the ceiling.

 

Creak—… Rumble— Bang—….

 

The place where he stood began to shake as if it were made entirely of illusions.

 

‘….’

 

Leo’s face hardened stiffly. Judging by the timing, this space was clearly being maintained by receiving the Archbishop’s mana in real time.

 

And Lucas had just caused problems with the Archbishop’s core.

 

‘…So you won’t let us go just like that.’

 

He didn’t know how far the Archbishop would go to win, but even in this situation, his determination to grab the enemy’s ankles and render them unable to recover, or at least postpone their return for a long time, was clearly felt.

 

The problem was….

 

If the Archbishop’s core was damaged, this spatial magic would soon collapse. The Archbishop would try to withdraw his mana to avoid death.

 

“Everyone rendezvous with Baden!”

 

“Move!”

 

At Leo’s shout, his temporary aide yelled toward the mages. Leo grabbed the collar of the brainwashed Archbishop’s subordinate standing nearby. Before coming here, they had captured someone who had been monitoring them under the Archbishop’s orders, and Narke had rewired his brain. As Leo dragged him toward the bloodstained dais, the subordinate under the brainwashing spell made a dying sound and then warped to the coordinates where his master had presumably moved.

 

Thud—

 

The subordinate fell face-first to the ground.

 

Cold water touched his eyes and cheeks. Leo opened his eyes, which he had squeezed shut due to the wind. A blizzard was raging, making the world completely white.

 

Bloody water flowed to his feet. The blood was melting the snow as if devouring it. Leo thrust his staff without hesitation.

 

Kwang—….

 

The sound of tearing air was crushed in his ears.

 

Leo walked toward where the snow had cleared. Finding where the blood began wasn’t difficult. A familiar person lay collapsed there. He didn’t even think to check whether they were still alive or dead. Blindly casting healing magic on the neck, he looked beside where Lucas had fallen.

 

There were traces of another person having collapsed, and vitriol-like blood had pooled in that spot as well.

 

Creak—… Crack—

 

At the sound of something shaking, Leo looked up at the sky.

 

This coordinate was also finished. A flock of crows circled overhead.

 

The sky was collapsing.

 

* * *

 

Both the Archbishop and I, are we dead or not dead.

 

That cannot be known for certain. I neutralized his defensive magic and half-subjugated him, half-destroyed his core, and in the process, my core was also damaged.

 

However, this one thing is certain.

 

I know that this additional game will inevitably become a non-zero-sum game—specifically a positive-sum game—for him and me.

 

I won’t bother thinking about why. Right now, even breathing is difficult, and because the temperature around my face has risen sharply from being stabbed, I just want to sleep.

 

[Meeting your end in a snowy plain, how romantic.]

 

Am I seeing reality right now?

 

I’m lying with my cheek against snow melted with blood, breathing slowly. In front of me, I can see the Archbishop, collapsed in the same way. He hadn’t closed his eyes even once, which was eerie.

 

[That was quite good. My choice of warp point was excellent. Actually, this was a place I made to bring you if you liked winter, but to think it would be used like this. It was the coordinate system with the most mana stored among what I have.]

 

I’m lying here stabbed in a place he made to bring me to? So much for romantic.

 

Thinking that, the Archbishop slightly frowned and smiled.

 

[That’s too harsh. After doing such a thing to my core….]

 

“You’re not dead. You should be alive, right?”

 

Though I hadn’t opened my mouth, my words came out naturally. They were smooth words, just like before being stabbed. In reality, only the sound of wind should have come from my mouth.

 

The Archbishop, collapsed like me with one side of his head against the ground, spoke quietly.

 

[Dead? What are you talking about? This is just your dream. Of course I’m alive.]

 

I slowly closed and opened my eyes. Drowsiness kept making my eyes close. My words continued smoothly regardless.

 

“Seeing how what you’ve said so far doesn’t add up, I must have gone crazy.”

 

[You’re not particularly crazy. The hypothesis you’re thinking might be correct. This is surprisingly a game where everyone doesn’t lose….]

 

“….”

 

[The problem is that I got a result where a certain amount of gain and a certain amount of loss coexist, totaling zero, but unlike me, you might have gained something. Or is it neither gain nor loss for you? Are you thinking of buying time and converting this zero state into gain? Anyway….]

 

He smiled bitterly.

 

[The Iphigenia you’re acting creates comedy in this way.]

 

“….”

 

[I wish it were comedy for me too.]

 

Beep—

 

“Stop pretending to be pitiful.”

 

My cold voice sounds out of place.

 

Hot blood flowed down to my stomach, soaking my clothes. Blood definitely shouldn’t flow this far. No matter how uncertain it was whether this was a dream or reality, I was having far too normal a conversation with him for that. Perhaps I was thinking this way because I had gone crazy.

 

“This ending won’t be a loss for you. If it were a loss, you wouldn’t have entrusted yourself to me in the first place. Isn’t that right?”

 

My mouth spoke on its own. It seemed like my unconscious was making me speak. I retraced my thoughts once more, but I couldn’t understand what my words meant or what kind of conversation this was. I was short of oxygen.

 

[Ha….]

 

He let out a hollow laugh and reached out his hand. The platinum hair resting on his arm fluttered in the wind. His corpse-like cold hand cupped my cheek.

 

[We know each other too well. You could have been quietly rescued by your colleagues, but seeing how you deliberately held onto me, you didn’t think this was a loss either. Isn’t that right?]

 

Ah.

 

Why did I hold onto him? This much I could answer clearly even in this hazy situation where I couldn’t distinguish between dream and reality. Because even while my blood vessels were being torn, I had desperately held onto this one thing in my brain.

 

He will go into hiding.

 

However, he will not retire.

 

What kind of nonsense is this, you might think. But if it’s him, he has that ability. When he can swap bodies like Abraham—though strictly speaking, that’s different—would he just live in hiding?

 

He will infiltrate other dioceses to observe the situation, manipulate public opinion within Pleroma, and when the timing comes when he can seize victory, he will return to Freiburg. When that happens, he cannot be stopped.

 

Why?

 

His return presupposes that he has seized control of the Leadership.

 

In the previous timeline, Pleroma’s Leadership officially announced their position to the Imperial Government. Why did they do that? Because Pleroma truly worried about the welfare of the Empire’s subjects? Such unrealistic motives don’t exist.

 

Because Pleroma’s Leadership lacked the ability to single-handedly stop the diocese that caused this Penthalon terror attack, and only then realized that Freiburg was a diocese powerful enough to threaten the Leadership’s safety, they tried to create a temporary alliance with the Imperial Government. Having already witnessed the terror, I know, but if that Pleroma would try to join hands with the Imperial Government—even considering it was a choice made in panic—it gives me a clearer sense of what level we’re dealing with.

 

The person before my eyes now is the one who plunged Pleroma’s Leadership into anxiety. Such a person has the ability to completely seize control of the Leadership with just a little more effort. At least, that’s how I assessed his potential.

 

If so, I must prevent him from becoming any stronger than this. At least I need to buy time. This was why I half-destroyed his core, knowing he would counterattack.

 

Beep—

 

[By now your people must be ransacking my diocese like catching mice, right? Seeing how you’ve infiltrated this far, it seems you’ve lured away all my subordinates I had attached to your colleagues to other places.]

 

“You know well. And you would have moved all your materials to a place only you know, preparing for the Leadership to ransack you.”

 

The Archbishop answered with a laugh to my smiling words.

 

[Of course. But you’re thinking of interrogating my clergy to steal the techniques despite all my efforts, aren’t you?]

 

“Please call it spolia opima, if you would.”

 

[Ah, spoils of war! Hahaha! It’s nice that you even remember my writings.]

 

He closed his eyes and moved his lips.

 

[I should have installed devices in people’s heads if I knew this would happen… How is this different from having archives ransacked.]

 

“Indeed. You probably never really thought I would see through your plan and corner you this far.”

 

Beep—

 

The Archbishop only laughed at my words. Winter wind brushed past the corner of my right eye.

 

[It’s better than the Leadership messing with my subordinates’ brains, so this is good for everyone too. Yes, even if it’s used, you should be the one to use it, not hand it over to those trash like the Leadership.]

 

“Mm.”

 

Beep—

 

I slightly frowned at the buzzer sound that began to quicken.

 

The Archbishop seemed conscious of that sound too. His eyes went to the flock of gliding crows, then struck toward me.

 

[You know well that our game isn’t over yet. Isn’t it too lukewarm to decide who has victory in this game before it becomes a zero-sum game? So…]

 

“You’re using words that don’t exist in this era.”

 

[Wake up.]

 

Strength entered the Archbishop’s hand. Blue eyes flashed within his gentle smile.

 

[The strange world is looking for you.]

 

Flash—

 

Light poured into the world that had been dark due to extremely narrowed field of vision until just now. The face of an unfamiliar doctor came into view.

 

“Are you conscious?”

 

* * *

 

It doesn’t feel real.

 

I thought while looking at the Berlin scenery outside the window. It was the view from that infirmary on the top floor of Imperial Central Hospital where I had been confined by the Crown Prince and Leo before.

 

The world moved with vitality as if Penthalon had never existed. Since my last memory of Berlin was dominated by memories of Penthalon Stadium, traces of curse magic shining everywhere and people swept up in fanatical fervor without knowing the situation still remained in my head.

 

Just the absence of that mind-numbing spectacle was shocking to me. In a good way.

 

Today was about the third day, in local time, since moving from Penthalon Main Stadium to the Archbishop’s manor.

 

It was also the day I would be discharged.

 

As soon as I first woke up, I asked for the Imperial Newspaper, but was naturally refused. I admit it wasn’t a very good choice. And after that, I slept for two more days. In the end, I don’t know how the outside world has been turning until this very moment.

 

‘Hmm.’

 

Baden and Bavaria must have rescued me, but being in Prussia suggests the situation must be quite complexly entangled.

 

‘Of course, this much could be seen as Bavaria’s strategy.’

 

While I was thinking other thoughts, the attending physician assigned by the Imperial Court spoke to me with a gentle face without losing patience.

 

“The arteries and skin have been sutured. However, since it was treated with magic medicine, if you move vigorously or use magic severely, the structure of the magic power solidified in place may change. It would be best not to train for the next week.”

 

“Understood.”

 

“Now you’ll receive detailed examinations at Bavaria National Medical Center, so you can hear the rest of the explanation there. And there’s something you need to decide right now.”

 

When I looked at the doctor silently, he continued.

 

“There are meeting requests from the governments of Prussia and Anhalt. Which government would you like to meet first? Both governments have been waiting for you to fully regain consciousness.”

 

“Can I decide?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“It’s difficult to accommodate both governments’ requests right now.”

 

Difficulty appeared on the doctor’s face at my answer.

 

Naturally. Both would have sided with Prussia by now, so let’s set aside Anhalt and think. Prussia would be trying to minimize the government’s mistakes, so they wouldn’t be pleased with this situation where they can’t record my testimony in their favor as quickly as possible.

 

But both politically and personally, I have no desire to meet them right now.

 

I answered while maintaining an appropriately expressionless face.

 

“You said I need to receive detailed examinations.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I’ll go to Bavaria first.”

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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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