How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 312

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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 (312)

 

The moment I was about to run, Cheringen’s fingers slipped between mine. He grabbed my hand and shook it with a smile. Ulrike looked puzzled from behind, but since Vitriol had calmed down for now, we had to jump up, so there wasn’t time to sit and steel our resolve for long. Just then, Leo’s voice came through the artifact from beyond the back gate, where he had warped and entered slightly ahead of us.

 

[Lucas. It’s a panopticon structure, so think carefully about what to do.]

 

“Got it.”

 

Narke, Leo, and Haike moved through the back gate.

 

235 patients, 15 caretakers. The caretakers were waiting outside the building with government support mages in support roles, so they weren’t a consideration for now.

 

This closed ward building was circular, with a surveillance room in the center and a small iron bridge connecting the surveillance room to the ward. The area with the iron bridge was open from the 1st to 7th floors, so you could look up at the dome glass of the building’s ceiling.

 

Since we needed someone familiar with the ward situation, two nurses were waiting on the 1st floor and followed alongside us. Perhaps because they kept only the most robust personnel for the rampage situation, both humans were similar in height to us. The humans seemed more focused on the fact that we were royalty rather than rampage suppression team members, fumbling around as they ran beside us.

 

“Th-that’s Hans Steiner. I never thought I’d meet people I’d only heard about in stories like this…”

 

“Nice to meet you. Please guide us.”

 

Ulrike and I wrapped them in physical barriers and pulled them along. The other nurse skillfully explained what we needed to know first.

 

“The rampage patient was confined on the 6th floor, but broke out from the 6th floor and went up to the 7th. You’ve probably already seen the blueprints, but let me explain once more – whether you go up through the back gate or main gate, what you see is the same. The severity of the confined patients is also the same. This B wing is the only place in this hospital that houses lunatics.”

 

Lunatic was both a derogatory term and an official medical term. It wasn’t much different from the past Western world of the world I used to live in. While thinking this and continuing to climb, people’s screams and the sound of fists pounding iron doors echoed through the floors.

 

Bang- Bang- Bang bang bang bang-

 

“Look at that. We need to catch and treat them now… You know well what lunatics are like. They’re violent like beasts and can’t control themselves, plus the place is crawling with swindlers trying to leech off others. You must never believe what the people here say. The words of such idiots aren’t worth listening to anyway.”

 

‘That’s harsh.’

 

I understood the meaning to be careful. I knew well how mental patients were treated in this era, but it felt quite strange for a medical professional to say such things about their own patients. There was no particular change in Ulrike or Cheringen’s expressions, and given the social atmosphere, I would be the only one to raise objections here. Since I didn’t even feel like agreeing out of courtesy, I asked a different question instead.

 

“For what reason did the patient who’s currently rampaging go into rampage? I haven’t heard about any emotional changes.”

 

Then Hans, the nurse who had been silent the whole time, interjected.

 

“It’s a common occurrence in mental hospitals. They can’t control their emotions because they’re not rational. They probably went into rampage because they wanted to go outside.”

 

When I just looked back silently, he avoided my eyes and answered again.

 

“…Hmm… This patient received the most treatment recently… I think it might be because of that.”

 

“Treatment.”

 

“Treatment to rapidly calm the mind and body. The effect is good, but it would have been viewed unfavorably by the patient.”

 

“…”

 

At this point, my eyes met with Ulrike’s. He made a somewhat uncomfortable expression, then shrugged and continued running.

 

I knew what kind of treatment they meant. Treatment that caused seizures by shocking with electricity. Instead of sighing, I waited a bit and then asked.

 

“What kind of building is right next door?”

 

[Uaaahhhhh…]

 

[Quiet! Be quiet!]

 

The screams increased with each floor. The news of the rampage had definitely reached their ears.

 

“The buildings on both sides also house mental patients, but their situation is much better than here. They’re people you can communicate with. Still, it’s the same confinement facility, so they can’t evacuate. Please make sure it doesn’t spread over there.”

 

The government here didn’t grant evacuation permission to severe mental patients. They judged that patients sick enough to be locked in solitary confinement could actually cause harm to the patients themselves or the local community if released.

 

Thud- Creak-

 

The sound of iron sliding into a rusted frame was ominous. The shutter blocking the entrance to the 6th floor opened. I could feel Vitriol poking at the physical barrier.

 

If things proceeded as discussed beforehand, the group that entered through the back gate would have reached the 7th floor slightly earlier than us, so the current Vitriol concentration in this air was the result of Narke purifying it as she climbed.

 

‘But if it’s still this much, the aggressiveness of the Vitriol must be extraordinary.’

 

It wasn’t Grade 3 for nothing. High-risk rampage patients were divided into those with reason and those without, and both couldn’t compare to the final power of Grades 4-9. If they had reason, they would strategize against mages accordingly, and if they didn’t, there was a reason such a grade was assigned. It meant either a large amount of Vitriol or excessively aggressive cases. This case was probably closer to the latter.

 

[Lucas. Let’s finish within the recommended time.]

 

Just then, Leo’s reminder came through. The recommended processing time we heard beforehand was 15 minutes. Even this was actually precarious. The people locked in solitary cells on the 6th floor knew someone had gone into rampage, and they were sufficiently exposed to Vitriol that kept flowing down despite continuous purification to go into rampage themselves.

 

[Save us! These crazy bastards locked us up here again!]

 

[Only you get to leave?! Huh? Are only you people!]

 

The 6th floor was noisy with sounds from patients. The nurse pretended not to hear and said.

 

“The caretaker’s office is open. Since we brought out all the dangerous items from the caretaker’s office, you may enter, but we can’t be certain if the treatment room doors are locked, so you must be careful. You know our hospital insists only on humane treatment, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“In unavoidable cases, we sometimes use tools that might appear somewhat forceful to non-medical personnel.”

 

Right… I understood well that the treatment room was overflowing with dangerous items.

 

While we exchanged glances with subtle expressions, the nurse stood in front of the 7th floor shutter and said quietly.

 

“I heard this is your first time, but being assigned to a closed ward – what bad luck. Even those who’ve been to other places first find it difficult, doesn’t the government care about even that?”

 

All our gazes turned to him. Instead of looking at our eyes, he looked into empty space with an expressionless face and said.

 

“There’s something I’d like to request – if possible, we’d prefer the facilities not be destroyed. Of course, since this is your first time, if you don’t have the capacity to worry about facilities, it can’t be helped. Also… please make sure no sound can be heard.”

 

“…?”

 

How do you fight without making sound? Maintain thorough sound-blocking magic even in this situation? Before I could ask what he meant, the nurse slipped away and closed the shutter going back down to the 6th floor.

 

[It’s over. The actual combat force is six. Remember that.]

 

Leo’s guidance from the 7th floor came through. It meant to exclude Narke from combat. From the moment we entered the panopticon, that was obvious. Since Vitriol flowing on the 6th and 7th floors spread downward through the empty space in the center, Narke had to purify all the Vitriol spreading to every floor of this building.

 

Elias carefully knelt on one knee behind the shutter going up to the 7th floor and assessed the vibrations.

 

“This seems pretty close. What’s the position?”

 

[On your side with the main gate. It keeps moving around silently. The floor is covered in Vitriol so your legs will need more strength than usual, and the railings have disappeared because everything the Vitriol touched corroded. Keep that in mind.]

 

I listened to the conversation while lost in thought. First, I couldn’t use wide-area magic. My magic could instead destroy the ceiling here or shatter my friends’ physical barriers, threatening their safety.

 

‘…It’s a situation where we can’t evacuate the ward patients.’

 

Now that we had to block access to other floors and protect other patients as well, the panopticon structure was disadvantageous for combat. But there wasn’t enough control personnel to release the rampage patient into the hospital plaza.

 

First, setting up traps to capture the rampage patient without them knowing…

 

‘That only worked for Grades 8 or 9.’

 

Pass.

 

I considered changing strategy to have Narke pour out divine power from the start, but that wasn’t an immediate remedy either. Even using divine power, we still had to approach close range and destroy the core, and if that were easily possible, it wouldn’t be Grade 3.

 

Elias, who was waiting for Leo’s instructions, sighed and frowned at the growling sound coming from inside.

 

“Don’t we have… some kind of senior who can tell us what to do?”

 

“No.”

 

“The difficulty is no joke. Especially for Narke.”

 

“Narke? Why.”

 

“There are rumors that divine power can cure incurable diseases. Haven’t you heard similar stories? This is also a hospital anyway, so…”

 

Though he said that, since it was uncertain whether such rumors spread among mental patients too, Elias quickly changed the subject.

 

“Well, didn’t we get assigned to some unit we’ve never heard of, don’t they tell us anything.”

 

That was nothing more or less than manipulation to deploy us at their desired timing according to their whims. True to Prussia being the most military-loving country in Europe, they were skilled at ruthlessly cramming students into their system without conscience.

 

And the seniors around the 90th class who, like us, were being deployed to Grades 1-3 for the first time but had handled up to Grade 4 in actual combat, were currently away responding to other reports like us, so there was no time now. Elias knew this well anyway.

 

Then, Leo, who had been talking with Haike, said to us.

 

[…I’ll deploy Haike for physical barrier reinforcement. Elias, Lucas. I’ll draw attention and lure it toward the back gate…]

 

“…Hm? Wait. You?! That’s dangerous!”

 

Elias cast sound-blocking magic and shouted. Since close combat was Elias’s responsibility, not Leo’s, he was even more worried.

 

Cheringen’s eyes sharpened. He must have worried that the vibration from shouting and flowing to the floor would pass beyond the shutter door. Moreover, Leo was our team leader, so following his words was right, and he should have worried about Ulrike or Haike instead, not Leo’s skills. Perhaps anxiety that they might not return safely made Elias’s heart weak.

 

Leo was silent for a moment, then continued his instructions.

 

[After luring, immediately split into pairs east and west. I’ll block the panopticon center with a barrier. Expected maintenance time is 30 seconds. Try to finish within 30 seconds…]

 

Leo took a breath and continued.

 

[Let’s try our best.]

 

At those words, my eyes met with my friends’. Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing, as their expressions were complicated. At this uncertain answer, I asked briefly.

 

“Plan 2?”

 

[There isn’t one. Just survive for now.]

 

Contrary to expectation, Leo’s answer came immediately.

 

We came to the scene to save people, yet he was telling us to prioritize each other’s safety above all. Knowing how complicated Leo must have felt to say these words, no one dared to speak rashly.

 

I tapped Ulrike’s shoulder, who was waiting behind, meaning let’s move together. Ulrike covered my ear with his hand to turn off the artifact and quickly whispered.

 

“Sorry about this situation, but why are you expecting 30 seconds? We’re not that bad, are we…?”

 

“If we drive the rampage patient into the patient rooms for encirclement, the patients inside will go into rampage from terror.”

 

In other words, throw them into the barrier, and 30 seconds was the time until the barrier corroded and collapsed. For Grade 7 and below rampage patients who only repeated simple attacks, throwing them to the floor would be good, but for high-risk cases, that was second-best, not optimal. If the area touching the floor increased, the power of wide-area attacks using the floor surface would strengthen.

 

[Enter!]

 

Crash-!

 

Elias lifted the shutter door upward.

 

At that moment, the eyes of the rampage patient charging toward Leo turned to us.

 

“…!”

 

Even the always-calm Cheringen drew in a breath. The rampage patient, that is, the victim, was completely a mud lump. Where hair should have been, Vitriol was flowing, and the patient gown that had become rags like a painted monster’s clothes hung over the mud. That was all that remained. White teeth were visible where Vitriol had been scraped away by friction with the mouth, but even those were soon covered by new Vitriol. The eyes were also covered by Vitriol, so it was impossible to know if they still remained or not.

 

‘If we’re careless, even our skin could melt.’

 

It’s just speculation though. So, this was truly a monster that could only appear in nightmares. Ulrike muttered in confusion.

 

“Everything’s blocked by Vitriol, so how is it sensing us? It turned around immediately.”

 

“You’re right about that.”

 

So this is why they didn’t report it. If people knew humans could become like this, they wouldn’t be able to handle the aftermath. Perhaps the fear of potentially melting away could further accelerate the rampage.

 

Anyway, where its sensory organs are is an important issue. For now, we have no choice but to assume the Vitriol acts as a kind of skin and prepare accordingly.

 

Crash—!

 

While the rampage victim was turning toward us, the magic power of Elias and Cheringen, who had run west and reached Leo’s vicinity, struck the rampage victim. Standing in front of the main gate stairs, I swung my wand to the left, pushing the rampage victim toward the central barrier as it tried to crash into a patient room door.

 

‘Wait, this…!’

 

I could tell as soon as my magic power made contact. It must not touch the barrier. Haike’s barrier wouldn’t be able to handle this Vitriol’s main body. Perhaps observing my expression, Ulrike shot magic power in a straight line just before it touched the barrier, pushing the rampage victim away, while Leo’s magic power pressed down on it from the opposite side.

 

“Aaaaaaahhh!”

 

An irritated voice echoed as things weren’t going as intended. Starting with that, the screams of patients from other rooms grew louder. Even while four, no, five magic powers surrounded and pushed the rampage victim, it only let out strange cries without its momentum dying down. There’s no opening visible to penetrate the Vitriol core. No matter how I think about it, this isn’t something that can be done with simple magic power alone. We don’t have the technical skills of senior students who are much higher level than us.

 

[Theoretically, we should kill it.]

 

Cheringen’s voice could be heard. Even though he spoke as gently as usual, his voice only felt chilling. Anyway, since Cheringen is aware that he came here to save people, he wouldn’t think of killing. Right, perhaps by calculation, killing might be the correct answer.

 

[I propose this. Surround the fence with barriers from the first floor to the top, give it no escape route, and throw it to the first floor. Since Vitriol absorbs impact, we can’t fracture it, but we can buy time to pin down the core.]

 

‘That’s so like Cheringen.’

 

Even in this tense situation, his mental agility working as fast as always is admirable.

 

And if I were the decision maker, I would absolutely reject this plan.

 

[No. There’s no basis to be confident that the barrier won’t break between the moment it becomes most aggressive upon falling and our final strike. Let’s save plans that concentrate Narke’s attention in one place.]

 

Leo’s judgment was the same as mine. Ulrike, who had been surprised by Leo’s firm rejection, immediately understood after hearing his explanation. There’s a problem because it’s a plan that requires one more attack right after threatening its life.

 

This would be a plan that would succeed with seven Cheringens, but for seven people with skill differences who don’t share brains, there are risk factors. Without Cheringen’s precision, composure, quick reaction speed, vast magic power, strong techniques like Leo’s, and the thinking ability to respond to variables, the possibility of risk rises sharply.

 

Real combat was different from school exams.

 

In the school’s mimesis, civilians evacuated as we wished, but the patients here can’t escape their respective prisons. If this were Zuckspitze, that would have been easier instead. There, we didn’t need to consider any civilians. Meanwhile, the rampage victim’s screams that could burst eardrums continued.

 

“Are the vocal cords still not melted?”

 

“Probably.”

 

I answered Ulrike’s question briefly and was careful not to increase my magic power output. The moment the balance of power collapses, the rampage victim will leap in that direction. Right. If Haike, who was repairing and maintaining the barrier, joins the attack, the rampage victim will use our magic power as propulsion to rush in the opposite direction. There’s no upper floor to pin it down, and the Vitriol is more toxic than expected. Now we need to find a breakthrough.

 

[These know-it-alls really… This is why kids who are only good at studying won’t do. Run your simulations at home!]

 

The moment Elias’s voice burst out like a signal flare, Haike collapsed unable to withstand the Vitriol’s toxicity, and the barrier at the center of the panopticon crumbled. Though Haike quickly found the center and restored the barrier floor between the 6th and 7th floors, the sound of breaking glass had already echoed to the first floor. In that moment, the rampage victim’s Vitriol wrapped around the opposite iron door handle.

 

Crash—!!

 

The rampage victim’s black mass crossed my field of vision. The rampage victim that flew to the opposite side by pulling the Vitriol crashed into the door, regained its balance, and ran toward Elias.

 

Crash crash crash— Crash—

 

Every time the rampage victim stepped, the explosive sound of Vitriol colliding with each other dulled my hearing. Elias also copied the rampage victim’s movement, wrapping magic power around the opposite door handle and leaping. I could see Ulrike’s eyes widen in panic. He jumped to the opposite side of Elias and began charging at the rampage victim head-on.

 

‘Hmm, that won’t work.’

 

I understand Elias’s intention well. And Cheringen seems to understand it too.

 

Thoom—

 

[Do you know the laws of heaven?]

 

When I struck the floor with the end of my staff, Vitriol was pushed away in all directions. Finally, I could connect my magic power to the floor. The pushed-away Vitriol began clumping together and rising upward in a round shape.

 

[Would you bestow that authority from heaven to earth— Would you raise your voice to the clouds and let great waters cover you!]

 

Crash—

 

The sound grows distant. The Vitriol emerging from the rampage victim’s body shot up to the ceiling. It’s magic that temporarily seizes another’s magic power or divine power, the same magic I used to raise Gabrielle’s divine power to the sky at Penthalon… I knew from when we received the report at lunch today, but I didn’t want to experience this. The moment I perceived Cheringen’s golden magic power, reminiscent of lightning, striking from the side of my vision, the rampage victim was crushed to the floor.

 

Green grass that surged from somewhere repeatedly turned brown and more grass piled on top of it. The grass covered the rampage victim’s Vitriol. I stomped my foot and sent magic power into the floor to burn the Vitriol. Even choosing the second-best option, we had to seize the advantage, and all my friends were capable of that. The rampage victim was already covered by our magic power.

 

‘Now 5 minutes.’

 

5 minutes have passed. Perhaps…

 

Elias loudly stepped on the rampage victim’s mud-like head and changed his wand to a staff. The moment he raised his staff to strike the Vitriol core, panic spread across my friends’ faces.

 

“…!”

 

The concentration of Vitriol in the air thickened.

 

Narke’s purification magic was cut off. The rampage victim, who noticed the situation in that brief moment, began its death throes.

 

Crash—!

 

All the magic power we used to pin the rampage victim to the floor shattered, and the rampage victim kicked the ground. Elias, who was thrown back by the impact, grabbed the railing of the main gate stairs to regain his balance and bounced back. Ulrike, who had been sticking close to my side, tapped her artifact and asked.

 

“Narke. What’s wrong?!”

 

From beyond the artifact, only the sounds of running and casting magic could be heard. Whatever the case, the purification magic isn’t reducing the rampage victim’s power. We’re back to square one.

 

[Hey~ guys. Let’s not get nervous.]

 

Elias began speaking in a chilled voice. After clearing his throat, he continued speaking loudly while chasing the rampage victim.

 

[The recommended time is 15 minutes, but from the moment we knocked it down in 5 minutes, our professor seniors also experienced variables of this degree. Why do you think they set it at 15 minutes? It includes time for fumbling around.]

 

[How positive.]

 

Leo’s hollow voice followed the end of Elias’s words. Elias is right. It’s not high-risk for nothing. Only by not panicking at variables and thinking flexibly can we survive this scene.

 

“At least the total amount of Vitriol must have decreased. That side can’t keep burning continuously either.”

 

I said while scanning the 6th floor caretaker’s office where Narke had been waiting. There’s no sign of people. Then Narke’s notification came again.

 

[A patient escaped.]

 

“What?!”

 

[There are three people on the 5th floor who tore open corroded room doors and came out. I’ll go down to find them and hand them over to the outside. Hmm, one escapee… is chasing me, so I just need to catch the other two. Send one support down to the 5th floor.]

 

“I’ll go down.”

 

I said while gripping the still uncorroded railing and looking down at the building entrance. Narke’s voice echoes from below. Looking from the 7th floor, there were no patient rooms with doors blown out on the 6th floor, but instead the treatment room door was torn open.

 

“…”

 

The problem is that the door to that room full of dangerous instruments shouldn’t be torn open. Someone broke in. I avoided attacks flying from all directions, entered the caretaker’s office, and went down to the 6th floor. I held my breath in front of the half-torn door.

 

Creak— Squeak—

 

Signs of people. I loaded magic power into my wand and kicked the door open to enter, seeing a pale-faced human. There was another small door in the treatment room, and they were trying to open that door and enter. I could see their shoulders flinch as if startled by the sound. Whether they came looking for weapons or seeking a safe place to avoid Vitriol, there’s nothing in their hands. I pointed my wand and gestured with my hand.

 

“Come out.”

 

“…”

 

“Hurry. We don’t have time.”

 

“Can, can I get out too?”

 

“Of course you have to get out. I’ll escort you outside.”

 

If they’re asking whether they can be discharged by going out, that won’t work though. I called for a general mage waiting on the surface, that is, a supporter. At that moment, the patient hurriedly ran toward the door where I stood and began turning their head back and forth, smelling the air.

 

‘…What are they doing?’

 

[I secured one, but the pursuing presence disappeared. Lucas, can you hear me?]

 

“There’s one in front of me.”

 

I answered without taking my eyes off the patient.

 

[…I think that’s the person I was looking for. Or should I say, who was looking for me.]

 

Since I couldn’t distinguish whether that was abnormal behavior shown by personality disorder patients severe enough to be confined in a closed ward or if there was intent, I was quite flustered, so I created a path with a barrier and drove them outside. The patient who stuck close behind me is now groping through the air as if their hands were metal detectors.

 

To seal the treatment room door, I fixed my gaze on the patient and only turned the direction of my wand, when they suddenly stopped all actions and looked at me.

 

“…”

 

The words I heard earlier and my reasoning combined in my head. Situational judgment didn’t take long, and it was the same for the other party. The moment the patient’s hand touched their waist, I raised my elbow to strike the face behind me. Simultaneously, the patient’s right hand grabbed my neck.

 

Crash—!

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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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