How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 285
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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 (285)
“Holy relics?”
Earlier, the Crown Prince said that jewels owned by a Habsburg branch family had been stolen, and coincidentally, only two theft incidents had occurred.
“Yeah. The last magical trace was detected on the road heading toward the German border. That’s why the Papacy entrusted this matter to me and Nicolaus, who are in Germany. Even if I hadn’t been in this country, this case would have been assigned to me as well. Haha.”
“Because of your insight ability.”
“Right. Precognitive abilities are difficult physically and the futures they read change frequently, so… Those people don’t expect that from me, but they think differently about insight abilities. They probably think that with that ability, I can find things quickly.”
“Hmm.”
“But that’s not really the case. How can I use my ability when the target isn’t right in front of me? I have to bump around just like those other people, you know.”
Narke smiled with a troubled expression. I can’t even imagine how much they must have pressured her to make the impossible possible.
“Well, that’s true. But you use it just fine on me.”
“Hahaha, that’s true. That’s only possible because it’s you, Lucas.”
“…Should I consider that an honor… By the way, is it okay for you to use your ability?”
“Huh? Oh, I’ve gotten much better. I’ve been recovering continuously since the terrorist attack, so now I’m much better than before~”
Narke smiled brightly as if telling me not to worry.
“That’s a relief. Then we can start right away. First, what kind of holy relic was lost?”
Holy relics are objects related to Jesus and the saints. For example, the Holy Cross on which Jesus was crucified, the Holy Nails used to nail Jesus to the cross, the Lance of Longinus used to pierce his side to confirm Jesus’s death, and so on. In addition, the bones and remains of saints also qualify as holy relics.
“Lignum Crucis. And even the Holy Nail.”
“…”
I let out a hollow laugh. Leo, who was standing behind me silently listening to our conversation, also sighed.
They really made a big mess. To have the core of cores stolen. I had planned to spend today just having a calm conversation with Leo until the day ended, but I got called by the Crown Prince, and as soon as I came back, I heard that the Holy Cross had been stolen.
Lignum Crucis means the wood of the cross, the Holy Cross, but usually refers to the largest fragment of the Holy Cross preserved at the Santo Toribio de Liébana Monastery among those pieces.
“You said earlier that holy relics kept by the Papacy were stolen. Why was something that should be in Spain at the Papacy?”
“Actually, it was first stolen from that monastery. The Lignum Crucis that was at the monastery was somehow discovered at the Vatican, and the Papacy decided to keep it and send it back to Santo Toribio de Liébana Monastery. On that scheduled date, it disappeared and was last detected around the Italian border checkpoint heading toward the German Empire.”
“I see. Then what about the Holy Nail? I know the most famous Holy Nail is kept at Trier Cathedral.”
“Right, that one disappeared without a sound. It’s not something lost from the Vatican, but since it’s a Catholic relic, the Papacy stepped in. They couldn’t help but get involved since similar incidents happened simultaneously.”
The scope is expanding rapidly. Trier Cathedral is a cathedral in Germany. From Spain to the Papacy to our Empire.
‘The Habsburg branch jewels were also said to have crossed into Germany.’
Then I should ask this. I finished my thoughts and asked.
“When did this happen?”
“The theft was discovered belatedly around midnight yesterday. Trier Cathedral was roughly similar. It’s been about 40 hours now. For 40 hours, church people have been investigating without sleep, but… this is all they’ve found out.”
“Didn’t they steal something like the Iron Crown of Lombardy? That crown has jewels and gold too.”
“That’s still there.”
“They stole the Holy Nail but didn’t steal the Iron Crown?”
That’s also known to be made by melting down the Holy Nail.
Of course, modern testing showed no iron content. There are opinions that either the Holy Nail was never included from the beginning, or it was replaced later. However, in any case, here it’s still believed that the Holy Nail is contained in the Iron Crown.
“That’s right. But in my personal speculation… the story about the Holy Nail being melted into it is just a rumor.”
Narke happened to say exactly the same thing. She must have tried using her insight ability on it.
Anyway, I nodded and slowly held my head.
“Narke. Actually, Leo and I just came back from meeting Abraham.”
“Ah, right. It seemed like that.”
“He also said that Habsburg jewels disappeared in the Empire and he needs to find them. I didn’t hear the detailed circumstances of the incident, but it’s quite a coincidence.”
“…Such major theft incidents happened at the same time?”
Narke stroked her chin with a troubled face.
“…The perpetrators might overlap. Rather than the same person, it would be people from the same organization, right?”
“Maybe. That’s why I asked about the Iron Crown of Lombardy earlier. If the perpetrator is the same, they seem to be collecting expensive items right now, but is there a reason not to steal that crown covered with expensive minerals? Maybe they’ve been stealing holy relics from Spain, or even if not, could that perpetrator who had the ability to infiltrate the Papacy without anyone knowing steal the Holy Nail from Trier Cathedral on the same day but couldn’t steal the Iron Crown of Lombardy?”
Narke tapped near her lips with the fingers that had been supporting her chin, then smiled and looked at me.
“Then, Lucas. If according to your doubt, they ‘didn’t steal’ it?”
“The perpetrator’s purpose wouldn’t be money. Originally, Trier Cathedral doesn’t just have the Holy Nail, but also Christ’s Holy Robe and Saint Helena’s skull.”
“Right, that’s true~ The Vatican also has more things worth money.”
“So there must be a reason why only that Holy Nail and Lignum Crucis were needed, but I can’t predict that far yet. To say it’s for religious reasons, honestly… there’s no reason to take the Habsburg branch jewels.”
I said that and called Leo, who was moving around behind me.
“Leo.”
“Yeah.”
“What do you think is the reason Abraham entrusted us with the Habsburg branch jewel case? First, to mess with us. You guys should skip your main job of handling victims and just do odd jobs.”
Narke burst into laughter, covering her mouth.
“Haha, imagining this hypothesis is real makes it quite awkward~?”
Leo also let out a hollow laugh similar to Narke’s. I continued speaking while folding my fingers.
“Second, to damage our careers by throwing us an unsolvable problem that no one can handle.”
“Hmm, right. The possibilities you’ve mentioned so far are things that happen more frequently than expected.”
Leo answered as he set down teacups in front of us and sat down.
That’s right. This is mainly what they do when they want to send someone into exile. It’s a very standard method regardless of time and place.
I folded another finger and said.
“It’s not over. Third, this matter is connected to Pleroma. In other words, does the statement ‘Eschete is the right person for this case’ mean we must face Pleroma in this incident?”
The surroundings suddenly became quiet. Leo calmly nodded.
“Considering the conversation His Highness had with us earlier, the third option is most reasonable.”
“Right.”
“But you brought up this topic to try to deduce the perpetrator’s purpose… Even if the perpetrator is really Pleroma, I can’t get a sense of what their purpose is. If they needed holy relics for spiritual reasons, they would only take those, so why did they also take the jewels? Since there are parts that don’t make sense, shouldn’t we investigate wherever we can to find where the items went right now, without deciding on the perpetrator in advance?”
“…Yeah, that’s also a valid point.”
So let’s investigate in the standard way first since we have no clues.
It’s the right thing to say since we’re in a situation where just sitting and thinking only creates confusion without answers. We can change our strategy again when we catch even a small clue along the way.
Leo stared at me intently, then warped somewhere and brought back a bundle of documents.
“These are investigation records sent by the Investigation Bureau. I got a notification on my artifact earlier. Let’s check this first. The theft occurred about 3 days ago. The items are sapphire parure owned by the head of the Österreich-Este family, market value…”
Leo raised an eyebrow once after seeing that number. I pulled the paper he was holding slightly to check it.
“…”
I couldn’t help but show the same reaction as Leo.
About 50 billion won in Korean currency. Parure refers to a set of jewelry with gems like earrings, necklaces, rings, belts, tiaras, etc. As far as I know, that’s what it means. It’s inevitable when you add all that up. Moreover, considering they said it’s been passed down since the Holy Roman Empire era, some of the gems in this parure would have increased in price due to their historical value.
“Shiny stones create economies.”
“They all do.”
“What’s the owner’s name?”
“Leopold Ferdinand August Maria von Österreich-Este.”
Leopold Österreich-Este. Looking at the surname, it’s definitely a Habsburg branch family. I mulled over that name several times.
“The incident occurred when Archduke Leopold visited the Empire during the Penthalon cleanup period. It doesn’t mean the Archduke brought the parure to the Empire, but that it disappeared while he was away. It’s written here that the last magical trace was felt on the road heading toward the German Empire.”
“…As expected, the method is identical. It would be good to look for the jewels while searching for the holy relics. And strictly speaking, there’s no evidence that an Empire citizen is the perpetrator, right?”
“Right.”
Nevertheless, since there’s a high possibility of that, they’re stepping forward like this. They probably didn’t want to be criticized more since they’ve already shown many disappointing moves in international society recently.
It’s good to have a friend who helps organize the direction of thinking. I clapped my hands lightly and looked around at my friends as I spoke.
“Good. Then we should start with auction markets in the standard way. Both the jewels and, as you know, when it comes to holy relics, everyone swarms like bees trying to get something.”
“I’m already checking sales lists through documents. But most places that can distribute such holy relics without damage are illegal membership auction houses, so I don’t think anything will be caught with the ledgers I can obtain.”
Narke said with an ambiguous smile.
That would be the case. When such theft incidents occur, the Investigation Bureau always checks auctions first, so what kind of person would put such stolen goods up for public auction?
“Then we’ll need to do undercover investigation. Did you make a request to investigative agencies?”
“Not yet. The Papacy doesn’t trust this country’s investigative agencies. I’m trying to persuade them to notify them, but I’m not sure how it will turn out.”
“…”
They’re probably thinking about the possibility that the Imperial Government might become an accomplice to plunder the relics, or that spies are hidden in investigative agencies to destroy evidence and make the case unsolvable. Logically, this is the only possible explanation.
“Since we’re going in ourselves and we’re not multiple people, there are limits to undercover investigation, and we don’t even know the names of truly private places.”
“Elias would be different.”
At my quietly spoken words, Narke’s eyes widened. I can see Leo’s expression souring. Narke burst into laughter.
“Ah~ Right. I’ll call him over.”
Five minutes later, Elias arrived at my room with a grinning face.
“Guys! Why were you all here without me!”
“Elias. Do you happen to know anything about secret auction houses?”
“Auctions?! Is that why you called me? Of course! I’m an expert! Ask me anything!”
Elias raised his voice excitedly and spoke energetically, seeming thrilled that we were all gathered together.
‘That’s just bragging…’
“Don’t brag.”
Leo voiced my exact thoughts. Because of that, I could see Narke trying to hold back laughter.
“That’s too harsh! Well, I don’t know everything. But I do know a few auction houses run by dilettante clubs.”
“How do you know? Didn’t you definitely go to school with me?”
Leo asked with a darkened expression.
“You only study after school, so you wouldn’t know. Anyway, I haven’t actually been inside most of them either! But why auction houses?”
“…”
We exchanged glances. Narke began to explain.
“Sacred relics were stolen, and there’s a high possibility they’re in the Empire. We need to find them before they’re lost forever.”
“What? Like saint bones and such? How did that happen…?”
“We lost the Lignum Crucis and sacred oil. That’s what puzzles us too. We couldn’t find any trace of whoever took them.”
At Narke’s words, Elias looked around at us.
“Oh my… no wonder you guys seemed a bit quiet.”
“You’re probably just being loud.”
“Anyway! This isn’t the time for me to be shouting like this. What kind of club auction houses should I tell you about?”
At Elias’s question, I thought for a moment and answered.
“Hmm… Skip clubs that are too Human-oriented.”
“Religious related?”
“Yeah. There’s no point getting involved. Let’s also exclude game-focused clubs for now. Stories might come up, but it’s enough to check them after we’ve looked everywhere else and found nothing. We need to prioritize clubs dealing with artifacts and antiques, or gems. Even if they seem ambiguous, tell us everything you know.”
“Hmm, then there’s Zeitruze Schatzguild. I remember it being in Berlin, and it’s the largest-scale precious goods auction club I know of. It’s thoroughly anonymous membership-based, so it’s perfect.”
“The largest scale.”
“They deal with a lot of artifacts and gems, so maybe it’s already been investigated? Surprisingly, many politicians are members there.”
“We have to do that investigation ourselves. Any other places?”
At my words, Elias rolled his eyes and slapped the sofa with his hand.
“You guys are doing it?! Why?! …There’s also a place called the Heritage Protection League… Hmm, I don’t think much jewelry comes up there. It’s mainly artifacts and antiques.”
Why indeed. Since we’re affiliated with the Papacy, there’s no choice. The Papacy also prioritized German people due to travel time, so it’s hard to complain.
“Are there others?”
“Hermitische Gesellschaft, this is a sizable place specializing in the occult, and religious antiques come up frequently. I heard many people join regardless of whether they’re Human or Newkind.”
A Hermetic society, perhaps.
Three places should be enough for now. Narke was also looking at my notes and me, nodding slightly. I closed my pen cap and checked the time. It was 8 PM.
“Good, thanks. Would it be okay to go at this hour?”
“Now is the perfect time!”
Elias said with gleaming eyes.
Looking at that, it seems like he wants us to take him along too. I smiled and held out the paper.
“Really? Could you write down the locations?”
* * *
He can’t come with us.
Elias can only be brought along when we need someone to act completely reckless. But at this point, I’m starting to envy Elias who gets to stay home.
―”Good thing Elias didn’t come out~”
Narke smiled with a soul-drained expression.
We’re currently sitting in a dark bar wearing masks. This is the third time approaching a table at the time Elias told us, to the table he directed us to.
In the previous two attempts, we just got rejected. We faced all sorts of questioning, and although we handled every question well with insight abilities and quick thinking, they seemed to have their own way of distinguishing the ‘real deal.’ Despite answering correctly multiple times while even acting, an atmosphere developed where we were suspected of being spies from other clubs, so we wrapped up the situation and came outside.
This is the last group.
An elderly Human gentleman with clear eyes adjusted his mask, clasped both hands together, and asked seriously.
“It’s good that young people are interested in the occult and mysterious artifacts. As you know, a test is required to enter our club.”
“That’s fine. What’s the test?”
When Narke smiled and answered, the old man looked stern and said.
“You mustn’t speak so lightly. You must answer with a serious attitude within 3 seconds.”
3 seconds? I answered instead with a reluctant expression.
“Ah, yes… Sorry. But why do we need to go that far?”
“That’s how you can be called a true enthusiast. Now, what is the name of the golden treasure chest made by the French Lion Duke that opens when holy water and sacred blood are poured?”
“…”
“Haha, we’ll come back next time~”
Narke smiled and jumped up from her seat, grabbing my hand and pulling me along. I could hear the old man trying to stop us from behind.
It’s like this every time. The previous two times also ended with us being kicked out like this. I came out to the street, observed other people’s behavior, and muttered.
“They said enthusiasts, but they’re not enthusiasts for nothing. They live in a completely different world from us.”
“Right~ Haha.”
The plan is going awry. I didn’t expect them to be this much like real ‘enthusiasts.’ What the hell is a treasure chest made by a Lion Duke? How are holy water and sacred blood keys? Isn’t that something that only appears in legends? And what’s with that conversation style with strangers? Why do they only talk about things they know…
I suppose it’s natural since that’s how they can filter out fakes, but it’s quite troublesome. The strangely clear aura emanating from the humans themselves and that peculiar method makes me even more flustered.
“Phew… That really was a strange question. You don’t know the answer either?”
“I can guess using insight, but more questions like that will come. If only they didn’t attach that weird time limit, I could try something, but the 3-second barrier is too strong… Still, I did get the feeling that it’s a group worth infiltrating, which is disappointing.”
The barrier is strong, indeed. That makes sense.
This is the third time we’ve been rejected―including the time we almost got scammed. If we go further from here, rumors will spread, so that won’t do. This activity requires studying too.
I grabbed the shoulder of Narke, who was trudging along.
“Then let’s do this for now. We’ll get books on the occult and artifacts by tomorrow morning, study them, and then come back.”
“Ah, you want to study all night?! To blend in with dilettantes?”
“Yeah.”
“Hahaha! Got it. But… I’m really worried about what we should do if it’s not this place.”
I agree. There are no other places we can investigate besides auction houses. For now, we have no choice but to collect rumors, however small the clues might be.
So we returned to the dormitory and manor. I saw Narke off and sat back on my bed. Now I was alone in my room. I spread out the 12-year-old newspaper I bought from the junk dealer and thought while flipping through it.
‘…If I turn back time and camp out there on the day the sacred relics disappeared, I could find out who the culprit is.’
Of course, the discovery was made at midnight, but the theft probably occurred earlier. Timing that correctly is the primary problem.
Let’s say I time it well. No matter how much I turn back time, it would take about two days to get to Italy. Or I’d have to beg the Papacy to open a portal, but they wouldn’t easily agree to that at a time when the theft hasn’t happened yet. It’s also a problem how to convince people around me before the incident even breaks out, and crucially, I need to go to the hospital at that time to create documentary perfection.
So if I want to camp out, I’d have to target Trier Cathedral. The problem is, to camp out there, I’d need to convince the officials, but there’s a high chance I’d just end up looking like a madman. Since it’s true that I’m a Papal cleric, let’s say I manage to convince them well. Even if I manage to get inside, there’s a possibility that the future could change, such as the theft occurring elsewhere to avoid the Vatican and Trier Cathedral because of my presence there.
And even if I somehow succeed…
I still haven’t heard about Leo’s retry. I have my suspicions. More precisely, he probably already told me the truth a long time ago, but I failed to interpret it properly. How could I not even suspect after hearing what he said to me that day? The reason I insist on saying a final goodbye to him before turning back time also stems from that suspicion.
Of course, it might not be as serious as I expect. If so, that would be rather welcome. I’m hoping it’s nothing serious.
Whatever the case, I must hear the story from his own mouth. There’s no point in me speculating and being considerate alone. I busily resolved the hospital matter and made time today with difficulty, but starting with the Crown Prince, time began flying by. And now it’s 2 AM.
‘…Well, fine. There’s plenty of time to catch up. I’ll just bring him again tomorrow evening.’
I just had a useful idea. I looked at the newspaper article I was reading and opened the status window.
Even without retrying, don’t I have a means to get clues right now? I can’t be certain that clues will emerge. But it’s worth trying at least.
Extra Chapter
Stage 1: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, behold, the new has come
Stage 2: ―
Stage 3: ―
After staring at the stage name for a few seconds, my vision suddenly turned white.
Before my sight returned, I heard someone’s voice.
“Excuse me. Can you hear me?”
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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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