How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 309
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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 (309)
The face I saw just a few days ago is right before my eyes. At the same time, it’s a face I can no longer see.
What I need to do this time is clear. I must step aside until Emmanuel becomes ‘me’. Just like when I previously assimilated with Marco Schreiber, this time too.
[Damn astral projection…]
‘…’
Emmanuel’s voice filled my head. It wasn’t difficult to steel my resolve to withdraw my consciousness and observe Emmanuel’s actions for now. The fact that Emmanuel had such thoughts inwardly made me fall silent.
Emmanuel let out a deep sigh.
“Haaaaah…”
“You just made the ground sink thousands of meters with that.”
“Really not funny.”
“Then don’t play with me.”
“…”
Emmanuel looked at Maria silently, then turned his body. Maria, regardless, leaned against Emmanuel’s side—their skulls and ribs collided, making Emmanuel unconsciously shout in an irritated voice—and smoked a cigarette. Emmanuel put down his magic cigarette in the ashtray and asked.
“How was the club today?”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have made it in Berlin. It’s too far. Of course, I can just communicate with that mirror you gave me, but…”
Maria grumbled and continued speaking.
“Some strange people came to visit. Do you know about Pleroma?”
“Is there anyone who doesn’t know that place? They dig up graves and revive people from hundreds of years ago.”
“Right. That cult apparently has many people who like the occult like me. They said they’d introduce colleagues so I could do occult activities in earnest, so let’s merge organizations.”
“…”
Emmanuel examined Maria’s complexion and grabbed both his cheeks. Then he stared directly into his eyes. Suddenly, an inexplicable anxiety welled up. I, no, Emmanuel frowned and answered.
“Just be satisfied with me. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“What satisfaction! You can’t even do astral projection. I can do it if I just have divine power.”
…Why would you need to do astral projection?! To say such things so casually, just what…
I’ve been watching for 20 years now, but I never get used to it. Instead of that thought, Emmanuel spoke different words aloud.
“I shouldn’t have introduced you to Arcane Mages… Anyway, that place is no good. Don’t go.”
Even while saying that, his heart wasn’t at ease. Outwardly he always spoke with a smile and carefree manner, but his inner thoughts weren’t particularly like that. Perhaps because he was using his discernment ability without a target, only a vague anxiety he couldn’t pinpoint washed over him.
“I have no intention of going either. It’s obvious they have no respect or anything for the occult. I can tell whether they’re just speaking carelessly to drag me in or not.”
Suddenly the breath he’d been holding was released with a gasp. Emmanuel smiled leisurely as usual and leaned back against the backrest.
“Good. I like that. That group has been getting stranger and stranger with each passing year anyway. At this rate, they might really capture and kill living people.”
“Hmm…”
“When that time comes, we’ll have to execute all those people, so let’s not associate with them carelessly.”
“…Right. We should do that.”
Maria was resting her chin on her hand, staring into space. What was she thinking about? Emmanuel looked into her eyes and asked again as if confirming.
“You won’t go, right?”
“Yeah.”
Maria has no intention of joining Pleroma. She’s not that kind of person. Gazing into Maria’s light green eyes while using his ability, Emmanuel came to that conclusion and laid his head back on the pillow.
“What exactly did those people say they wanted to take you for?”
“They want me to create a magical academic system. Specifically, based on what I know.”
“Hm? A magical academic system using the occult…?”
“The occult is also logos. They want to access the essence of the universe and the most Christ-like magic.”
Only you think that way, no one else considers the occult to be logos. Quite the opposite, if anything. Those words lingered on his lips, but he closed his eyes. The magic potion made his body drowsy. Emmanuel spoke whatever came to mind as he drifted off to sleep.
“I’ll try to succeed at astral projection. Don’t go to strange places talking about your techniques, talk to me instead.”
“Alright, I said I’m not going.”
The words came through fragmented.
When he opened his eyes again, he was on the balcony in regular clothes instead of the same pajamas from before. Maria was walking over from that direction, huffing angrily.
Crash—!
Maria, whose face had turned red from being thoroughly angry, threw her bag onto the side table. Either that travel bag or the desk, one of their wood was surely broken. Emmanuel thought this while silently watching Maria. This was the first time in his life he’d seen her return home this angry.
“Do you know what those bastards told me to do? Make drugs that can brainwash people! There’s no such thing, and even if I could make it, I’d never make it.”
Maria began using the speech pattern she used when at the Austrian Imperial Palace. It was probably the speech pattern she used when talking to those ‘strange’ people earlier. Since there was no word that Maria would come to Bavaria, only one cup of tea was prepared. Emmanuel offered the teacup to her and asked.
“Was today when you were supposed to talk with Pleroma’s leadership? Did they openly demand that?”
“Of course not. They spoke indirectly, but how could I not understand that!”
Maria drank it all in two gulps, as if the tea wasn’t even hot. She wiped her mouth with her hand and continued speaking in an angry voice.
“It hurts my pride, but… I did tell them what I expect from the occult for now. Even for me, wrong is wrong. I have to do something to get these leech-like bastards off me.”
“…I don’t know what happened, but you did well. So what’s this travel bag about?”
“Documents I had at my house and moved to the Berlin base. You keep them, and if anything happens, burn them well. I need to disband Hermitici Gesellschaft or something, this won’t do…”
Emmanuel offered his cigarette to Maria and said.
“You gathered ten people, and you’re going to disband that? It’s the gathering you wanted to continue.”
“The safety of those ten people is more important. Those Pleroma whatever-they-are will chase even the people in that gathering just because they’re connected to me. They’re the kind who would revive you even if you died and were buried to extract what’s in your head.”
“To that extent? No matter what, you’re royalty…”
“They’re that kind of people. They’ll chase you to the ends of the earth if necessary.”
“Hmm… are there many people who would go that far? Why do you think so?”
“Because I saw it directly. They proudly introduced someone saying this person rebelled against their organization… Maybe I should create a magic formula that completely destroys astral bodies to prevent resurrection and cast it on every grave. Ah, then would they try to take bone powder instead?”
I don’t know what they introduced, but it must have been quite disgusting. Maria shrugged with heavy sarcasm. She looked up at the sky and sighed, then took out artifacts from her pocket and gave them to Emmanuel. Unfamiliar metal chunks fell onto the desk.
“Don’t stay with me anymore either. I won’t come here. Be careful for a while too…”
“Then can we only contact each other by letter?”
“I gave you that artifact mirror. We can confirm each other’s faces with that.”
“…”
A vague anxiety surged up.
Whether she goes or not doesn’t matter. The age when I hoped to play with friends all day long passed so long ago I can’t even remember it, and she’s Austrian so we have to be apart often anyway.
I know. I know, but for some reason I can’t shake off this instinctive ominousness. My hands and feet started tingling. My neck stiffened and wouldn’t move.
[No. What are you doing, you idiot…]
It should be me doing this, yet a strange thought flashed through my mind as if it were a different me from myself. My heart beats rapidly.
“I’m leaving. If anyone contacts you about blood or magic formulas, kick them out!”
Unlike when she came, Maria left the hall empty-handed. No, she shouldn’t leave yet. I wanted to ask something…
[I should say that…]
The brief moment of closing my eyes feels like an eternity. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a different place.
Flutter—
[1888. 02. 26.]
[Your Highness Emmanuel Wittelsbach]
[…I heard you are my brother’s close friend. Our brother has been away for two days now. I’m contacting you to ask if my brother might be in Bavaria. There’s a family event soon and he must return by tomorrow, so if he’s with you, I’d be grateful if you could relay this message.]
[Leopold Maria Österreich-Este]
Emmanuel, who folded the letter and put it down, took out the mirror artifact from his pocket. He tapped the mirror’s surface, but there was no response from the other side.
“Maria~”
[…]
“Maria. Can’t you see?”
No matter how much I speak here, unless Maria has the mirror, I can’t communicate my intentions to Maria. We each just have two one-way transmission artifacts.
And it’s not just a day or two that we can’t contact each other. Even so, the fact that she’s not even at home was somewhat surprising, but Maria’s family doesn’t know at all that she does occult research, so during times like these when she has a lot to think about, it’s understandable that she wouldn’t stay home often. There’s nothing else to be done. Emmanuel drank tea while opening the travel bag Maria had brought.
Maria’s research materials were quite surprising. As always, such results were something that admiration came out that not just anyone could produce.
‘Though it’s a bit bewildering that the method is the occult…’
It’s good that she’s enjoying it. Emmanuel visualized the formula written in the easiest-looking material among those he’d spread out so far and tried waving his wand.
No reaction appeared whatsoever.
‘Maria did it just fine though.’
Seeing that, these formulas aren’t all illusions. However, as if no one but her could use magic, all the formulas Maria created could only be used by Maria alone. At least Emmanuel himself had never succeeded in using her formulas by himself. Emmanuel glanced at the occult materials in the box. He could see three bottles containing Maria’s blood and magic potion bottles used for rituals. Even the chalk used for drawing pentagrams was here.
‘Uselessly too many materials needed.’
It might work if I mobilize all of that. Though I don’t particularly want to mobilize them.
Emmanuel continued searching through the materials after that, and discovered one rather strange notebook.
[Method for injecting new thoughts into souls that have entered the astral plane: You can gain new knowledge just by sleeping without studying!]
“…”
What… Why would you need this kind of magic when you don’t even have anything to study?
But there are brainwashing-type magical formulas here, so what’s missing? Emmanuel chuckled and carefully placed the notebook at the bottom of the box.
Then, a strange sound occurred.
Clatter―
“Hm?”
Emmanuel unfolded the mirror artifact he had put away earlier. The clothes of other new humans were visible in the mirror. Maria was with other people.
[I told you I have no business with you people.]
[There’s still a story we haven’t told you. It seems there’s been a misunderstanding…]
“Maria.”
I tried calling to him, but it seems my words still can’t be heard. Seeing that he deliberately activated the artifact to show me the situation, he must have something he wants to say…
Emmanuel expressionlessly unfolded the mirror and continued staring at the screen.
[We came to save the world, not to spread evil as Your Highness Maria thinks.]
[So what I’m saying is, you can just go around saving yourselves, so why are you telling me this…]
Salvation… People who say things like this are all insane. These must be the Pleroma people Maria mentioned a few days ago. As soon as I thought that, I heard a sound that shouldn’t be audible.
[Crash― Thud―]
“…!”
Emmanuel bolted upright from his seat. The world on the screen tilted sharply. Soon another impact sound occurred and the artifact’s screen went half dark.
‘Right now…’
What just happened?
My mind wasn’t working. Was what I just heard real?
Don’t tell me they hit Maria’s head…
[Take him to Gregorius.]
[Bishop. If you don’t accept the negotiation terms Gregorius mentioned, he won’t use his ability.]
[Then accept them.]
[You’re really going to let Gregorius have his way because of research that we don’t even know is real magic or not?!]
[At least this person has an ability that can be used like magic. Besides, we can’t do without Gregorius’s brainwashing ability anyway! We’ll have to accept it eventually…]
[No! Didn’t we approach Beatrix Osterreicheste to avoid borrowing Gregorius’s ability? Gregorius is an ambitious person. He’s just not showing his true colors because he hasn’t been with us long, but he’ll betray our organization at any time.]
[Once we get the brainwashing magical formulas from this Osterreicheste, kill Gregorius. Isn’t that simple enough?]
“…”
My head was growing cold.
They did this to find Maria’s techniques. The conversation he had when he came to see me without notice a few days ago flashed through my mind.
The reason Maria showed me the artifact was because he wanted me to come find him. I put the documents I had spread out into my travel bag and ran to my room. I need to leave immediately. Leave and…
My hand stopped while taking out my jacket.
Leave and go where? Where is that place now? Austria? Berlin? From the artifact, I could now only hear the sound of clothes rustling against each other, not voices. The place the mirror reflected quickly changed to a dark room. They warped somewhere. This made Maria’s location even more of a mystery.
When I opened and closed my eyes again, I was at the Investigation Bureau.
“Warp magical power was detected around the building Your Highness mentioned. Let’s move to Prussia with us now. People from Osterreicheste will also come here soon, would you like to move together then?”
“It was detected?”
The employee seemed to notice I wasn’t thinking clearly and checked my complexion before answering.
“Yes. It was possible thanks to your quick report. The Prussian Investigation Bureau has opened a portal now, so let’s go over immediately.”
I can see hope. I don’t know who this person called Gregorius is, but I must find him before he brainwashes Maria. No, maybe even after that, since Maria developed formulas, it might be possible to reverse it…
I took a deep breath and checked the artifact. There was still no change. Like that, I followed the investigator and moved to Prussia.
However, hope didn’t last long.
The newly moved location was an empty building. There was literally nothing except the building. The Prussian investigator looked around with a deeply confused face.
“This is strange. This should be the right place…”
“If this is the right place, why is there nothing here?”
“No, that is… It definitely led here. If not this place, there would be no other way…”
At those words, another Prussian investigator spoke with a serious face.
“Didn’t they refract the magical power? Almost nothing is known about Pleroma, so they might have their own advanced technology.”
“If that’s the case…”
While silently listening to their conversation, someone grabbed my back as I showed an abnormal reaction. Due to anger, my vision went white without me realizing it. Hearing words telling me to rest while they found the route again, I sat down with the investigator’s help. Since I could no longer trust them, I took back the artifact I had submitted.
Clear voices began to be heard from the artifact I was holding a little while later.
[Who are you?]
“…!”
Maria had awakened. I hurriedly unfolded the mirror. An elderly man with a kind impression sat in front of Maria and smiled.
[I am Gregorius.]
[Aren’t you someone who used to work in the German government?]
[You have an excellent memory. And you’re from Austria.]
Gregorius laughed. Maria’s tone still had an edge to it.
[Weren’t you the Vice Minister of the Magic Department? I didn’t know you would be in this territorial lord’s organization.]
[You never know how life will turn out.]
A good-natured laugh. The sound of a chair being pulled could be heard.
[Now, Archduchess Beatrix Maria. Let’s have a calm conversation for a moment.]
[…]
[I imagine you’re quite confused. You didn’t expect to be dragged to such an unfamiliar place. I was the same way at first. The organization is quite closed-off and their goals are strange, so I’m also waiting for the day I can leave.]
[Were you also dragged here?]
[Of course. What business would I have coming here after being Vice Minister of the Magic Department? Ever since I lost my children in Alsace-Lorraine, I haven’t had much desire to live long.]
[…]
[You want to go back, don’t you?]
Gregorius lowered his voice and asked carefully. It was a voice mixed with concern, as if trying to help Maria.
For a moment I held my breath. I felt a glimmer of hope but it was quickly extinguished. Since he’s in this organization anyway, he’s not someone who will help Maria. Besides, didn’t those Pleroma people say earlier that there was a ‘negotiation proposal’? Maria didn’t hear that conversation, but I who heard their conversation know. Either way, this person is also trying to entice Maria.
‘No.’
[I shouldn’t answer that.]
[Hm?]
I stared at the artifact in shock. Maria definitely couldn’t have heard that conversation, right?
Even in this situation, Maria answered calmly.
[You’re also someone of my kind.]
[My kind. You mean the same kind as Archduchess Beatrix Maria?]
[Someone who possesses techniques others don’t know about. Isn’t your goal to hear me say I want to go back? Then you’d make your next move. Besides…]
[…]
[Were you the one who drew my blood? If so, that makes you even more suspicious.]
The old man looked surprised, then quickly smiled gently.
[So you’re someone who understands the importance of blood. Good.]
[Good. What is?]
[I have absolutely no intention of harming Your Highness Maria. Using violence carelessly is unjust and wrong. Therefore, I won’t use unnecessary measures against Your Highness, but I’m not in a position where I can ignore what they’ve ordered me to do.]
[…]
[You don’t agree. Even though it was the truth.]
[What answer do you want from me in this place?]
[Could Your Highness Maria tell me what you know?]
I bolted upright from my seat. The investigators looked at me with surprised eyes, but I didn’t care.
“Your Highness Emmanuel!”
Someone grabbed me. I shook him off and retraced the path I had taken, took the portal back to the Bavaria Investigation Bureau, and headed to my manor.
Crash―!
‘In the conversation.’
There was a clue in the conversation. Earlier, those two were focusing on ‘abilities using blood’. It was worth trying. I opened my travel bag with trembling hands and searched through the numerous materials Maria had organized. The letters that I could read fine earlier weren’t readable at all now. I picked up a letter knife and struck it down on the back of my hand.
Crack―
After the illusion of the bones in the back of my hand breaking, my vision cleared slightly. Blood flowing down my hand dripped onto the paper. I continued searching through the materials, hoping the letters on the paper wouldn’t be erased by the blood staining them. The notebook with the title I had been looking for appeared.
[Astral Projection]
“Ha…”
A habitual laugh burst out. Out-of-body experience. It would be insane. It is insane. How could it not be insane… I had said I definitely wanted to try it once, but what I hadn’t believed in at all until now felt like a savior.
They won’t kill him. Those people also don’t want to kill Maria, they just want to know Maria’s techniques. I opened the bottle containing Maria’s blood and took out the divine power artifact he had made. So if I just know the location, if I just find out the location…
“…our physical body remains in the material plane, but.”
When I opened my eyes again, I was in a familiar place.
‘…This is….’
I couldn’t hide my confusion and opened my mouth. Wasn’t this the same building from before? I hadn’t even taken a portal, yet this happened – did I really succeed in astral projection? Or did I simply move to a location remaining in my subconscious? Even so, I couldn’t just stay still.
The sunlight entering the corridor was bright. Just like the place I had just come from. The light was so bright, yet Maria’s vision was as dark as underground. I placed my hand on the door leading to the basement of the building. Even though it was locked, I could just enter. It was an insane sight, but I couldn’t think that far.
When I opened the door to the underground level, a vast space appeared. I tried to count how many rooms were here, but there seemed to be well over ten. Whether it was because I wasn’t in my right mind or because he was really around here, Maria’s voice became increasingly vivid. I opened the doors in the underground level one by one, listening to the words piercing my ears.
[I tell you again, I have nothing I can tell you people.]
[….]
[I know you’re capturing those poor people and drinking their blood. Do you think you’re qualified to pursue eternal life after doing such things? Do you think I don’t know you’re raising corpses dug from graves, using them as workers and discarding them? The dignity of the dead isn’t even a consideration for you. You should be grateful I haven’t told anyone about this yet.]
‘….’
This was a Maria I had never imagined. Was this a friend I had made up? No. I knew well that he truly cared for the lowly, but we had never had a deep conversation about it. About capturing the poor to drink their blood and treating corpses as they pleased – while it was possible to guess from the fragmentary mention of reviving corpses, these were stories never told in detail.
[Do you think I don’t know you’re trying to use my techniques to bring in more blood? Do you dare speak of salvation after this?]
[It should have succeeded long ago, but it’s beyond my abilities. Now I’m going to call someone else. Before that.]
It was Gregorius’s voice. He continued speaking.
[If you cooperate for just a moment, we’ll send you back to where you lived. You can even forget the fact that you said this. Today’s memories will be cleanly covered, so you can live without any guilt.]
[….]
[Do you really not want that?]
The moment I reached out to enter the third room on the right, their figures appeared before me. Even though there was no way my appearance could be visible to them, the old man looked toward the doorway where I stood and spoke.
“…Then being reborn wouldn’t be bad either.”
Crash―!
I immediately escaped from the Astral Realm. I didn’t know if I had really been to the Astral Realm or how I got out, but it didn’t matter. I took the portal again and crossed over to Prussia.
“Emanuel!”
“What’s wrong? Your hands….”
I shook off the investigators’ hands and looked around. Still nothing. It was clearly the same space.
[…When you’re reborn, you will….]
From the artifact, another Pleroma’s incantation could be heard faintly. Whether they were thinking of changing strategy in earnest, that old man had finally called someone else. I shook off the investigator and struck my staff against the floor.
I must be going crazy.
Maybe I was just having delusions, hoping Maria would be here. Pouring in magic power wouldn’t solve anything, but….
Crash―!
My eyes met with the investigators. Suddenly the flow of magic power changed. I didn’t know what had happened. Was there some space magic that replicated buildings? Since no one knew Pleroma’s methods, there was no point in trying to figure it out now. I aimed my staff at the door leading to the underground level. The investigators who noticed tore off the door.
[Sorrow is….]
Maria’s voice.
I could tell instinctively. It was a magical formula. I didn’t even know what kind of magical formula it was since Maria had never told me, but at that moment my mind went blank as if I had forgotten everything. The third room on the right. I don’t know what state of mind I was in.
[Sorrow follows quickly on the heels of sorrow!]
Crash―!
“Maria!”
I just screamed until my throat was raw. Large green eyes turned toward me.
After that, there was nothing. Magic power collided from all directions. I could see the people who followed me dragging out the mages belonging to Pleroma. A pool of blood was stepped on. Even as I took step by step, those eyes didn’t follow my face. Those eyes were now directed toward midair.
“Get up.”
“….”
“Let’s go.”
Heavy silence touched my skin. The midday sunlight coming down from the surface illuminated him. The stillness was cruelly peaceful.
“We have to go. Don’t be like this….”
I know.
I knelt on one knee where Maria had fallen and carefully lifted his neck.
I know.
I took a deep breath. His cheek, still warm as if alive, touched my face.
I know, but what could I possibly do?
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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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