How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 274

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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 (274)

 

“….”

 

I see a familiar diamond-shaped bottle containing dark blue liquid. Elias looked up at me with bewildered eyes.

 

“This is your….”

 

Yes. The medicine that had been destroying my core. What more is there to say.

 

I picked up the finger-length note placed on top of the medicine bottle.

 

[For my beloved younger brother’s future]

 

“….”

 

This is needed for my future, is that it? How long do you plan to use this logic? Aren’t you tired of it?

 

Elias’s face hardened after reading the note. I put down the note and unfolded the letter that Elias had examined first and set aside, reading through it.

 

[To my proud younger brother. I write this letter upon hearing news of your return.]

 

A safe beginning.

 

[I heard all about what happened before. How shocked I was to hear the news from the Empire, wondering if something had happened to you, I’ve been sending contacts everywhere since dawn, so even now as I write this letter to you, my surprise hasn’t faded and my hands are trembling. Do you know how startled I was that you might die so meaninglessly in such an accident? I shouldn’t think this way, but for a moment, your recklessness felt truly bitter.]

 

Because you have to die by your hands?

 

How disgusting to hear such words from someone who would be happy if I disappeared on my own.

 

[But you did well.]

 

In the next line, dark green letters written with emphasis catch my eye.

 

[I’m truly proud that my younger brother is someone who can sacrifice himself for 1.9 million citizens. You worked for continental peace knowing you could face mortal danger. Now the public will recognize your sincerity. As I mentioned before, I’m truly happy that you’ve finally reclaimed the life you should have had but couldn’t have all these years. I still can’t believe it’s like a dream that you’ve been able to reveal your true worth to the world.]

 

“….”

 

I turned the letter to the next page.

 

[However, while I’m happy, I’ve had some concerns about your external activities. As you might expect, the main problem was people trying to drive a wedge between you and me using succession rights as an excuse. When you were stable, people tried to tear me down, and when I was stable, they tried to tear you down. It’s heartbreaking, but this is reality. That’s why I often had to appease the media. That wasn’t difficult. I just had to officially send support for your new endeavors to the press. I can convey my position to the media countless times for my younger brother. But the real problem was this.]

 

The part about “I just had to officially send support for your new endeavors to the press” caught my attention.

 

Leo had entered here while I was reading the letter. However, I don’t have the luxury to acknowledge him.

 

[What if your temperament somehow malfunctions and what happened in childhood repeats at an unexpected time and place? Back then it was Anhalt, but now it’s the Empire. I’m afraid that a good and righteous child like you might get hurt again. I want you to be healthy, Luca. I’m sending in advance what I was planning to give you as a gift when you return to the Empire, along with the medicine. I hope my gift doesn’t make you feel bad.]

 

“….”

 

I shook my head and turned the letter to the next page. Only two lines were neatly written.

 

[I’m waiting only for the day we meet again after you recover healthily. Will you contact me when you return to Berlin?]

 

I have never failed to reply to my brother’s letters. Even without specifically mentioning to contact him when I return to Berlin, I would do so.

 

‘It’s like Adrian Ascanien yet unlike him.’

 

This is my conclusion.

 

There are things written that Adrian Ascanien wouldn’t mention.

 

Succession rights. At least calculationally, he’s absolutely someone who wouldn’t bring up such topics with me. That paragraph is too realistic and specific to come naturally from him. Because it’s actually somewhat sincere in parts, it’s even harder to hear from him. Meaning there was some calculation involved. A reason why he had no choice but to discuss this.

 

There are other strange points too. Adding the request for a reply, and buying train tickets to Italy without mentioning it are concerning, but it’s too sensitive to question these parts right now. While these two actions likely have actual intent, they make sense even without intent—topics sufficient for deflection—so while I’m conscious of them, I need to address more important issues first.

 

The biggest problem is this. If I drink the medicine, I can’t function as a mage. If he had said this and sent medicine before taking the third exam, I could understand it as meaning to disappear on my own, but my current situation has me bound to the Imperial Court, so I can’t drink the medicine. Even if I wanted to drink it of my own will, blocking my magic power with my own hands in a way that interferes with my duties would be a contract violation. We’ve come too far and it’s too late for such words. Yet that Adrian Ascanien says such simple-minded things?

 

“….”

 

It feels like insurance.

 

Insurance to attack me and elevate himself.

 

Am I being oversensitive to think that way? I read through the letter once more. It’s a warm letter that clearly shows a brother’s affection. If anyone other than Adrian Ascanien had sent this letter, I would have sincerely accepted the writer’s concern.

 

But Adrian Ascanien isn’t someone who would sit quietly without weapons or insurance, just saying things like ‘I’m happy my younger brother returned.’ His next move must be embedded here.

 

‘For now, I’ll put the items back and seal them.’

 

Since there are numerous possibilities, finding his planned next move won’t be easy. As Leo said yesterday, judging after the fact seems fine too.

 

Leo closed the box for me and said.

 

“I’ll have it examined as soon as we arrive in Bavaria.”

 

“Yes, thank you.”

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“There’s no reason I wouldn’t be okay. What can this alone do.”

 

I answered calmly, but it didn’t seem to resonate with Elias.

 

“Hey~”

 

“Ah! Go away.”

 

“Luca now has four medals~ How many Grand Crosses!”

 

Right now Elias is clinging to my back and shouting. I don’t mean following behind. He’s literally clinging.

 

Ulrike, who was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine with Haike, looked at me and asked with a laugh.

 

“Wow… Isn’t it heavy? Why are you carrying him around?”

 

“I’m not carrying him, he’s clinging to me. It’s not like he’s a leech….”

 

“That’s mean!”

 

“Then get off!”

 

“Ah~ this is comfortable.”

 

What’s comfortable about it? Since I’m not supporting Elias, he’s putting tremendous strength in his legs right now.

 

After receiving Grand Cross medals from the Saxon Allied Principalities and the Principality of Brunswick, we boarded the train to Bavaria. Elias keeps doing this every time I board a train. He seems to think I’m in a bad mood because of my brother’s gift and letter.

 

From behind—or perhaps ‘from above’ would be more accurate—he grabbed my face and turned my head the other way, saying.

 

“Come, Luca. Let’s go. Moving to drink.”

 

“You said you wouldn’t drink.”

 

“I take it back. I need to fill my blood with alcohol.”

 

I wanted to argue about drinking more after already drinking so much, but knowing my mouth would hurt, I didn’t. My mental strength was precious. I moved with him attached.

 

“Come to think of it, where’s Narke?”

 

“Still sleeping. Can’t help it since he’s not feeling well. Two drinks of anything, please.”

 

Elias said as he sat at the table.

 

“Actually, his health hasn’t been good since before the terror attack.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“Didn’t you notice? He’s too good at acting too~ Anyway, drama club members are.”

 

“He’s not in drama club. And why bring up drama club suddenly?”

 

“There’s just something like that. You guys have something like that.”

 

Elias made strange comments then took a sip of his drink. Then he pushed the glass toward me.

 

“He must have been under a lot of stress. Narke also knew someone was targeting us and Penthalon. He was always on guard, and now the tension has been released.”

 

“….”

 

I swirled the glass Elias had sipped and passed to me, then quietly asked.

 

“How did you know his condition wasn’t good from before?”

 

“Nobody told me. Don’t you know my observation skills~ I’m sharp when I’m sharp!”

 

“No.”

 

“I’m being serious! From my perspective, he was subtly off for several days before the opening. Then he overused his abilities during the opening, so. It exploded.”

 

“Hmm….”

 

I understand that Narke’s fatigue is more serious than usual. During the third exam, he used his abilities for a long time like during the opening, and while he did bleed then, he wasn’t tired for this long. Even considering the difference in tension and intensity of ability use compared to then, seeing him still tired five days after the opening ended, unlike my complete recovery, suggests previous events likely had an impact.

 

‘Well, but… is it okay to travel around like this? And did this guy make Narke drink knowing his health wasn’t very good….’

 

Anyway, when we return, I think I should ask Bavaria for another treatment. Elias, perhaps thinking of Narke in his own way, said this.

 

“When we go, we’ll soak in Baden hot springs. Let’s dip Narke too.”

 

“What do you mean dip…. Just you and Narke go.”

 

“Why?! You need a change of mood.”

 

“I’ve had enough so far.”

 

At my answer, Elias grabbed my face and examined it for a while, then grinned and patted my back.

 

“You really seem okay~”

 

“Yes. I told you I’m fine.”

 

He was indeed constantly worried about my brother. Whatever my brother does, I’m fine because I have these people. I’m not saying this vaguely.

 

So, I spent the whole day with Elias clinging to me and could only shake him off when we arrived in Bavaria.

 

My friends, who had been lounging in comfortable clothes on the train, hurriedly changed into formal wear and went outside only 30 minutes before arriving in Bavaria.

 

As we entered Munich Residenz and were having a brief reception before dinner, the King entered the banquet hall with the Grand Duke of Baden.

 

“King Hildegard of Bavaria and Grand Duke Wilhelmine of Baden have arrived.”

 

At the servant’s voice, everyone in the banquet hall turned their gaze to the entrance. The King spotted Leo and approached us. He smiled at Leo and asked.

 

“Did you rest well?”

 

“Yes, King. And Grand Duke of Baden. Thanks to both of you, we were able to stay comfortably.”

 

“Good.”

 

The King nodded and looked at me. I greeted him first before he could say anything.

 

“It’s an honor to see you again here, Your Majesty.”

 

“Mm.”

 

The King smiled and nodded. Now that I look at him, his expression resembles Leo when he’s being mischievous. Meeting Nicolaus this way seems to feel fresh to him. The King looked at the medal on my jacket and said.

 

“It seems you received the Prince’s gift well.”

 

At those words, Ulrike, who was nearby, looked at us with puzzled eyes.

 

Medals are given in the King’s name, and Leo only acted as a proxy while the King was away, so calling it the Prince’s gift was problematic. At least to a third party. Ulrike probably couldn’t even be sure if we were talking about the medal right now.

 

“Yes. I am deeply grateful to Your Majesty as well.”

 

“It’s all Your Excellency’s achievement. Let’s dine together later.”

 

“Is it alright for you to dine?”

 

I heard there was an Ash Wednesday ceremony today. Fasting is the principle on the day of the ceremony. The King nodded slightly and answered.

 

“Due to the chaos from the terrorism not being settled yet, the Papacy postponed all liturgies. We have returned now so we have leisure, but the Papal clergy haven’t been able to return there yet. There’s no need to strictly follow that date, but since we had already postponed our ceremony by a day, we decided to match the Papacy’s schedule.”

 

“I see.”

 

Well, since it’s a ceremony with strong symbolism, if they’re going to postpone it anyway, it would be better to hold it on Sunday. Originally, they couldn’t hold the ceremony on Wednesday this time due to scheduling. The King of Bavaria had been in Prussia since I received the medal in Bavaria, and could only return today, Thursday.

 

Deliberately matching the schedule seems to be a show of friendship toward the Papacy that helped with this terrorism. I wonder if it’s even possible to show friendship through such trivial things, but considering the power struggle between Catholics and Protestants within the Empire, it’s entirely possible. Prussia, a Protestant nation, is wary of Catholic countries like Bavaria joining forces with the Papacy. Prussia implemented Catholic suppression policies in our history too, and while there were various reasons for that, one was to diminish the Papacy’s influence.

 

“Instead, we plan to participate in Mass afterward. Will you join us?”

 

“Yes, I will.”

 

Indeed, seeing them postpone the ash ceremony and participate in a weekday Mass shows this is closer to diplomatic behavior.

 

Since meeting the King and joining his official schedule was already my planned agenda for today, there was no reason to refuse. The King now looked at Elias and said.

 

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you here.”

 

“Haha~”

 

Elias answered cheekily with laughter. The King, already accustomed to this, didn’t scold him and greeted the others.

 

We entered the banquet hall almost immediately. In the spacious banquet hall, waiters could be seen busily moving about carrying trays with multiple wine glasses.

 

“Good thing we didn’t eat beforehand.”

 

Ulrike, who had been eyeing the fruit basket on the table, whispered beside me. It wasn’t intentionally avoiding food but rather being unable to eat due to a hangover, but I nodded anyway.

 

Once everyone was seated, the King and Grand Duke entered the banquet hall a bit late again. As soon as the King entered, everyone’s attention turned toward him and it became quiet. The King, who came to our table, looked around and smiled.

 

“Many familiar faces. Today we have gathered here to honor the achievements of those who protected the peace of our Empire and the continent. I sincerely express my gratitude to the Prussian support forces, the Bavaria-Baden allied forces, and the Papal mages who came here for the Empire’s peace. And, as you all know, there is someone many of you at this gathering have been waiting for.”

 

The King looked at me and said.

 

“Your Excellency Lucas Ascanien.”

 

“…”

 

Everyone’s gaze turned to me. I picked up my glass and stood up, first briefly thanking him for the acknowledgment and said.

 

“Since this wasn’t possible through my efforts alone, receiving such hospitality feels very awkward. Today’s safety was made possible through the strength of everyone here. It’s an honor to be with those who worked for peace. I express my gratitude for your hard work.”

 

I slightly raised my glass and said.

 

“For the peace of the continent.”

 

I got goosebumps briefly while saying this, but it couldn’t be helped. Anyway, since the King had passed the speaking opportunity to me, I had to do this much.

 

Government officials from various countries smiled and did the same as me. Only then could I sit back down.

 

As soon as I sat down, Elias naturally drank the wine in my glass and pushed it back to me. Elias seems to be continuously trying to test for poison. I was briefly shocked, but the King pretended not to see it. Since Elias doesn’t do crazy things just once or twice, he probably thought it was better to just let it slide. Only Leo, sitting next to me, looked at Elias with an incredulous expression.

 

The banquet that started at 6 PM finally ended at 8 PM.

 

After passing the time for evening prayer, we immediately moved to Theatine Church near Munich Residenz. It was the church mainly used by the royal family. An aide sat next to the King, and Narke, Elias, Leo, and I sat in the row behind. The other friends were all Protestant, so they didn’t participate and were resting for a while.

 

“But why are you here?”

 

Before the opening ceremony, I naturally asked Elias, who was sitting next to me.

 

“Huh? Just because.”

 

“What do you mean just because? Isn’t your family Protestant?”

 

“That’s true. But it’s fine~ I won’t die. Father said I could go.”

 

Elias said while patting my shoulder. Narke didn’t seem to have any particular thoughts about what anyone was doing and just smiled as usual, while Leo muttered with a face that had already given up.

 

“I’ll be grateful if you just don’t doze off. If you sleep like before, I’ll kick you out.”

 

“Hey, I won’t sleep.”

 

‘I guess everyone just gave up…’

 

Actually, Elias often did this in the novel too.

 

Since the media didn’t come this far anyway, it wouldn’t be a big problem. When we leave later, there will be media outside, but Elias can just warp out. And Elias is the type who would shamelessly make excuses that he participated in Mass to broaden his perspective as someone from a family ruling the Empire, since half the Empire’s people are Protestant and half are Catholic. Having read novels with him as the protagonist and accumulated data, I can easily picture the excuses he would make.

 

During the Liturgy of the Word, Elias indeed seemed to doze off slightly. However, knowing it wasn’t proper, he was trying his best to keep his eyes wide open. For someone who sleeps a lot, this time like a school lesson would be torture.

 

Then at some point, Elias’s eyes became clear, which was during the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

 

‘He didn’t come here to drink, did he.’

 

Here, they practice communion under both kinds at every Mass. Though it’s still the 19th century and not yet time for communion under both kinds to be practiced, in the post-magic era, they allowed communion under both kinds to believers again earlier than our world. Anyway, the wine they distribute isn’t much, so he probably didn’t come to drink—they often drank directly from the chalice rather than eating the host dipped in the precious blood. Though it was an unfair suspicion toward Elias, given his usual behavior, I think it was a reasonable suspicion.

 

“Drink from this, all of you. This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins.”

 

The priest’s voice flowed slowly.

 

When my turn came, I stood before the deacon holding the chalice. The deacon opened his mouth.

 

“The Blood of Christ.”

 

“Amen.”

 

At school, we always had Protestant-style communion, so doing Catholic liturgy this way felt somewhat unfamiliar. The deacon handed me the chalice containing wine.

 

Elias, whose wariness had increased since receiving Hyung’s letter, was still staring intently at me from behind. I suppressed a bitter laugh and received the chalice, bringing it to my lips. The rather tasteless wine went down my throat. At that moment, I felt something violently strike and pass through my heart.

 

“…!”

 

Wait. I opened my eyes wide at the sudden crisis. It felt like all the blood vessels in my body were being blocked.

 

Clang—

 

The silver chalice I had been holding fell to the floor and rolled away. Red wine spread across the white floor like blood.

 

An incomprehensible sound came from my mouth. It felt like someone was squeezing my heart, no, now my throat, blocking my windpipe. Was it really just a feeling? Was it actually just a feeling? My vision went black then brightened like a tunnel, making it impossible to see ahead. I instinctively grabbed my completely blocked throat.

 

Crash—

 

I had no time to maintain balance. As I fell, an unpleasant chill clung to my skin. Panicked people surrounded me shouting something, but I couldn’t hear anything.

 

‘Blood…’

 

The smell of blood. But there’s no blood, so why? The sound of my heartbeat filled my ears.

 

All the blood in my vessels was drying up and sticking together. It’s not enough. I’ll die like this. It might not matter if I die, but since it’s not me, I can’t die, not yet. I tried to get up by pressing against the ground. The dull floor hit my head. I could feel my heart drawing in all the mana from my body. Was my mana always this ridiculously insufficient? That can’t be.

 

I tasted salt. My heart lurched at the mana coming from outside, at the mana of the blood from my mouth. More blood began to flow as my teeth sank into flesh. My core fluctuated with the smell of blood mixing with my breath. Something was wrong. This was a situation I had never experienced before. Why? Suddenly, what went wrong? Was there some variable different from usual?

 

‘No way.’

 

No way.

 

A possibility that should be impossible crossed my mind. Someone’s face who would want this possibility flashed through my thoughts. No way, that’s ridiculous. But without this, neither the reason for asking for a reply nor the reason for buying the train ticket to Italy made sense. I understand the meaning of insurance. I understand why he had been holding his breath since January. No, where does truth begin and where does falsehood start? What should I believe? If this is strategy, then the opponent achieved great success by making the enemy suspicious of himself.

 

My insides are burning up.

 

This amount of mana is insufficient. More, still far from enough. Someone put their hand to my mouth.

 

Whooom—

 

Mana from someone’s hand seeped into my breath. My core was being drawn to it.

 

A little more.

 

I grabbed the hand of the person above me. Along with the sound of something breaking, someone’s scream could be heard. No. It seemed the saying that humans can exert strength they normally couldn’t just before death wasn’t empty words. Though my vision was completely shaking and I couldn’t identify anything, my hand reached their core, their mana. The worst possible scenario formed in my mind. This won’t do. This shouldn’t happen. The noise from clashing mana was loud. Another scream seemed to be heard.

 

‘No!’

 

Ding—!

 

Chapter 6 Special Reward

 

Automatic Intervention Notice: Stop

 

Whooom—

 

The moment white text appeared, my head hit something. My heart lurched to a stop and the world went black. Only Wittelsbach’s mana beat like my heart around my core, then even that sensation faded dimly.

 

Just before losing consciousness, a white light flashed.

 

Congratulations!

 

Trait ‘Extra Chapter’ unlocked!

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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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