How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 354

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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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The bishop with amplification abilities must have gone out to escort the spatial ability bishop, as the sounds of my colleagues’ pursuit can be heard through the artifact. I twisted the corners of my mouth as I turned off all the artifact’s transmission and reception functions.

 

Kaang—

 

The sound of mana flowing through the blade pushing away the mud clumps scratched my ears clearly. Even with my eyes closed, it felt as if my pink mana was sparkling before my eyes.

 

“Oh.”

 

“Oh?! Now is not the time to be impressed….”

 

His words scattered by my ear. I can feel the flow of air. The Vitriol that touched the sword doesn’t disappear immediately but spreads in small droplets. The tip must be sharpened to a point.

 

The moment I swung the sword tip from bottom to top to unfold a barrier, something made a thudding sound as it embedded throughout the entire barrier, followed by a cracking sound. The barrier is a bad move. Yes, that’s an obvious fact. Like this…!

 

Kwaang—!

 

Not against these small scattered attacks, but against massive attacks above a certain intensity level. When I swung the sword once more, mana formed another barrier, and I could hear the sound of it pushing away the front barrier that was breaking into small pieces. Since I couldn’t see ahead, even the sound of Mecklenburg gasping in surprise was vividly embedded in my ears in a spine-chilling way.

 

“You must have seen the school exam footage, yet you’re surprised for too long.”

 

“Did you fight back then? You made strategies!”

 

How noisy…. Though it would be better for him to focus his gaze on me and concentrate on finding fault with me rather than losing his mind looking at that bishop’s face.

 

“My strategy must have impressed you. I’m honored that Senior remembers me.”

 

“….”

 

“Are you pleased to hear such words in this situation?”

 

“No!”

 

“Certainly, back then was much safer compared to this current situation.”

 

But now it’s a situation where opening my eyes would actually be more dangerous.

 

Kaang—!

 

The sound of deflecting Vitriol flying toward my neck is sharp. The body barrier partially melted due to Vitriol that splattered somewhere. To be honest, the ability that bishop was using still remains. I want to see his face right now. Due to impatience, my mouth won’t close, and my teeth keep biting my lower lip. Neither the stealth ability bishop charging at me nor the Vitriol sharply attacking from all sides was sufficient to suppress the impulse, and only the thought I had firmly believed from before—that I must end this situation—was serving as the sole brake.

 

Something rushed toward me, then instantly moved to the left. No, something is rushing from both the left side and the front. I bent my body low and kicked the ground with my left foot. The sword that came down after spinning in a full circle definitely scraped hard against someone’s clothing hem who must have been wrapped in stealth magic. Vitriol gets on the sword tip.

 

Chwaak—

 

I heard the sound of the opponent landing somewhere. It would be fine to stick closer, but they quickly moved out of range.

 

How cunning. I noticed this when they initially targeted Elias’s team instead of us, then belatedly changed their minds to catch us—they’re quick with immediate profit calculations, overflowing with confidence, but have no pride.

 

‘Well, this isn’t the time to show pride.’

 

Even in the midst of this, Mecklenburg’s sword blocks an attack aimed at my back. I can hear him breathing heavily and making pained sounds. His body won’t follow as he wishes, so it must be frustrating. Anyway, what I told Mecklenburg about seeing how much he could endure wasn’t empty words. Even I, who only hear mechanical sounds from Elias, am so helpless against mental-type unique abilities—what about other friends, what about this senior? I could fully understand how much Mecklenburg, whose eyes are free, is using all his strength to assist me.

 

When we first faced them, I wasn’t captivated by one bishop’s gaze, so that ability isn’t constantly active but one that he directly turns on and off. Looking at it, the duration probably isn’t long. It must be a trump card among trump cards. As such….

 

Huuk—

 

“Huh….”

 

Somehow they will try to secure my vision. The moment I bent my waist backward due to the rushing air, Vitriol fiercely passed over the bridge of my nose. I, who let out a breath close to a hollow laugh, sharply turned my bent upper body and entrusted my sword to the flow of air. No matter how cunning they are, since they’ve already opened their ability once, they’ll want to seize this opportunity if possible, so by sharing the same goal, we were holding each other’s weaknesses. As desperately as we come out, they too will use all their strength. I asked Mecklenburg in a murmur.

 

“If we were to splash water on them… it wouldn’t have much impact, would it.”

 

“In that state, even throwing them into a river wouldn’t have any impact. And how are you going to bring liquid in this situation?!”

 

In that state.

 

I see. I understand well. At that moment, the Pleroma voice I heard earlier faintly reached my ears, made sensitive by mana.

 

[Spirit of the earth, you are closer to me.]

 

If I hadn’t been depending entirely on my hearing, I would have missed it as a mumble.

 

‘The stealth ability bishop? …No. The mental-type ability side keeps using special spells in this way.’

 

There was something a bit strange. This phrase is from the previous situation of the spell they chanted earlier, a phrase uttered by a different character. What they’re uttering now is Faust’s line, but what they chanted earlier was the spirit’s line rebuking Faust. It might be fine if used alone, but deliberately going in reverse—bringing Faust’s line from just before being thoroughly criticized by the spirit as a spell—is a bit concerning.

 

‘If it were completely random content, it wouldn’t even be concerning….’

 

Thank you for giving clues by chanting adjacent spells. Since I don’t know all of Pleroma’s spells, I don’t know what magic is connected to each spell, but if it comes out like this, I understand one thing. I let out a light laugh and changed my sword to a staff while whispering.

 

“My power is higher. [If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish!]”

 

[My power seems to become higher and clearer, and I ripple like newly pressed wine!]

 

Kwaaaaang—!

 

Vitriol with amplification magic formula and my mana with the same effect magic formula collide.

 

“…!”

 

I can feel Mecklenburg inhaling as I block the following Pleroma spell in the same way.

 

“You’re not even Pleroma, so how do you know what attack is coming….”

 

“Senior should know well enough too.”

 

If they come out like this, what they’re chanting right now isn’t magic that uses context. The magic formulas registered in their world might have ignored context from the start, or they might have arbitrarily ignored context. At least for the phrases in this part, they intend to use the imagery that comes from the words themselves, not the context of the phrases, for magic implementation, and considering that person’s ability and the following phrases, it’s obvious what imagery they’ll ultimately realize.

 

‘The next phrase is… endlessly rushing.’

 

[Clouds gather overhead! The moon dims its light and the lamp goes out!]

 

‘Oh.’

 

Kwagwagwagwang—!

 

A curveball…. How annoying. They skipped a line. The nature of the magic cast on the phrase seems different. The trembling from the impact sweeps through my entire body, interfering with my sensory organs. I pushed the Vitriol mass striking down from above with two layers of barriers and slammed it down where they were. Someone kicks the ground and I hear the sound of mana falling on Vitriol and corroding. The bishop’s Vitriol gradually spreads in the air, making breathing increasingly difficult.

 

“The Vitriol is making it hard to breathe….”

 

“Why aren’t you using it here?”

 

Mecklenburg asked quietly. Not using what. Naturally, he’s talking about divine power. I said quietly.

 

“If I burst that and this Vitriol dome melts, won’t everyone see?”

 

“…That sounds like you’re confident.”

 

Good job understanding what I meant. Is this a situation where I can’t hope for anyone’s help like before? If I utilize everything I have, I don’t need to take unnecessary risks and reveal my hand in the middle of this enemy camp. I flicked my fingers while being conscious of the mana surrounding my core.

 

“Senior, could you find some water veins under this ground? Looking at the stream nearby, this isn’t dry land, is it?”

 

“Even if I find them, making them defy gravity and pierce through this thick ground is…!”

 

Kuung—

 

Vitriol gathered wildly from the ground and shot up to the dome’s sky. Mecklenburg immediately broke my sound-blocking magic and stomped his foot. We’re like rats in poison. Vitriol struck wildly around us.

 

“Make it surge from the ground? Would I give such a command?”

 

[Mist blurs the surroundings and red rays aim around my head, flashing— fear descending from the arched ceiling overwhelms me!]

 

Pleroma’s spell. An unfamiliar red light fixed on my forehead. Even with my eyes closed, the light was strong, so I could tell immediately.

 

“I’ll drain their formation, so collapse it, Senior.”

 

“There’s no time to look for waterways now! Right now they’re targeting you as…!”

 

“When was I not a target?! Hurry!”

 

Did even this person unnecessarily grow attached? I shouted angrily and kicked the ground, jumping in the opposite direction. My heart pounds. Befitting a bishop with mental-type unique abilities. Fear stiffened my legs according to that spell’s content. A guided magic blade follows precisely toward my head. The moment I stop to strike down with my staff, that thing will pierce me.

 

[The Lord Almighty will punish them with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of devouring fire.]

 

I put strength in my feet and kicked the ground once more. I can picture red mana filling this huge dome from under my feet.

 

[The hordes of all the nations that fight against Ariel, that attack her and her fortress and besiege her, will be as it is with a dream, with a vision in the night!]

 

Kwaaaaang—!

 

I had saved it in preparation for losing strength, and as expected. The Vitriol they spewed was pushed away from me, but they’re fine. The bishop struck down his staff while chanting a spell.

 

[Bravely enduring the endlessly rushing storms of life—]

 

Seeing them use it now, this was indeed a defensive formula. The voice became loud enough to hear without concentrating all my nerves on my ears. Spells that start small and grow loud have a common tendency. That common point is that when everyone gets urgent, they seek imagery with louder voices as if affirming to themselves.

 

[Bearing the sorrow that distorts the eyes and flashing ecstasy— in harmony with the charging storm, as if unshaken even by shipwreck!]

 

Kwagwang— Kwagwagwagwang—!

 

“His Majesty Albertina Hohenzollern has eliminated the preacher with amplification abilities! Four total remaining!”

 

Mecklenburg shouted. The corners of my mouth rose. Vitriol that corrodes the body barrier flows over my clothes. I strengthened the barrier and opened my mouth.

 

[Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.]

 

[What I summoned—.]

 

The opponent’s spell that was uttered along with my words was cut off and disappeared.

 

Spirit that I summoned, you are near me, so reveal yourself. This spell should have continued, and I could predict the magic it would create.

 

After the illusion of someone’s Vitriol striking my entire body, the veil covering my vision lifted and my eyes turned bright red. A confusion as if the ground was turning upside down followed. It’s confusion. My heart pounds, but it’s not real… The phrase he was reciting clearly indicated this wasn’t real but confusion. Now! At Mecklenburg’s shouted words, I struck down my staff into the air below the overturned ground.

 

Kwaaaaaang—

 

[…And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.]

 

Kwarrrrrreuk—! Kwaaaaaang—!

 

Comfortable darkness covered my vision again. My center shook and the feeling of my heart plummeting downward swept through my entire body. Since that couldn’t actually happen, I gritted my teeth and found my balance on the barrier. As soon as I grabbed and threw off the blindfold, I could see the ground had collapsed below the red and yellow translucent barrier. Plant stems were tightly wrapped around my rising and falling chest. How fast. To come so quickly after I called earlier. Thankfully, these familiar plant stems continued pushing down into the pit to prevent the bishops from coming out.

 

“You seem to work well together.”

 

At the familiar voice, I turned around to see the Vitriol dome had already been dismantled and Mecklenburg’s spatial magic was broken too. Leo was here with Hindenburg. As Mecklenburg gasped and dropped his wand toward the floor, water filled the pit with an eerie sound like a dam bursting.

 

Kwadeudeuk—

 

Vitriol surged up onto the water, then stopped after about a minute. Nausea welled up, and the relief from the threat melted my body. I turned on all the artifact’s functions and said.

 

“Announcing to everyone. Two eliminated, now two remain.”

 

[Commander, we found the location of the last two bishops. We’ll give you the coordinates.]

 

Yes, well done. With over forty people outside, it was about time they found them. I inhaled the clear air outside the Vitriol dome and said.

 

“98th A Mecklenburg. And we now have eight mages who can use divine power. Move there and cast spatial magic at the same moment. Since they’re spatial magic ability users, the possibility of escape is high, but we must try.”

 

As soon as those words ended, a panicked cry was heard.

 

[They fled! They escaped! One of them keeps casting warp magic.]

 

“….”

 

I pressed my head, let out a long breath, and nodded.

 

“Wittelsbach, please search for them.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Leo struck his staff on the ground once more.

 

“They didn’t move around here but completely to the outskirts… Wait.”

 

Leo tilted his head as if something caught his attention. At that moment, Espers and Humans in bishop robes appeared before us. Before we could even be startled, Mecklenburg quickly flicked his wand.

 

Kwang—!

 

“Oh my!”

 

“….”

 

Just as I was about to frown wondering what this was, the bishops who had deployed vitriol barriers quickly threw their wands to the ground and raised both hands.

 

“Calm down. Calm down. We’re outnumbered, aren’t we? We have absolutely no intention of attacking you.”

 

“….”

 

I tilted my head and put more force into the wand aimed at them. Earlier they said ‘one person keeps casting warp magic.’ That side must be the one who isn’t a spatial magic user. The other one must have been conserving their strength.

 

Having heard their voices through communication, several teams of our mages who had gone to deal with other bishops warped here in droves.

 

[Commander. The person speaking now is the one who kept using warp magic to flee.]

 

Someone who arrived here whispered into the artifact. Yes, I understand. The bishops looked around at the dozens of wands aimed at them and let out hollow laughs.

 

“This is quite a frightening sight. We came here to… meet Lucas Rene Ascanien who appears to be in charge. Could we temporarily create a spatial magic barrier and have just the three of us talk?”

 

“Speak here.”

 

Then the bishop looked around at us with a troubled expression and licked his lips with his tongue. He clenched and unclenched his fists nervously as he slowly drew out his words.

 

“I have a family.”

 

“So do I.”

 

“Ah, yes… Of course you would. But you see. I have a child who isn’t even ten years old yet. My goal was to give that child eternal life. Of course, you might not want to hear about Pleroma’s stories. But still.”

 

“You’re being long-winded. What’s your point?”

 

“Couldn’t you give me just a moment? I know better than anyone how terrifying it is to lose family early. I don’t want to burden my beloved child, whom I love enough to want to give eternal life, with their parent’s death. So…”

 

The bishop rambled on, speaking frustratingly slowly. I looked around while letting his words flow past me. Narke isn’t here. Instead, there are many other Arcane Mages.

 

“If you let me just leave, I won’t hold anyone responsible for this incident.”

 

“The diocese is already in this state, how can you not hold anyone…”

 

Since someone started to speak, I held up my hand to cut off his words.

 

“At this rate, the conversation time will become truly long.”

 

Let me think about this. Actually, attacking Munich-Freising as retaliation for the assault on Brandenburg Archdiocese is, in my judgment, not the best choice. Even setting aside the detailed reasons for later consideration, I had initially suggested attacking somewhere other than Munich-Freising while devising strategy, and the command and Imperial Court did not accept that.

 

‘These hopeless bastards.’

 

However, since I wasn’t unaware of why they specifically chose Munich-Freising—it was a matter where positions differed according to the priorities that stakeholders considered—and since neither I nor most people were in a position to object, we came this far.

 

So what should we do? Since it’s already happened, we have no choice but to do our best to uproot them completely.

 

While I finished thinking, the bishop nodded.

 

“Yes. I understand. You can’t trust my words, can you? Of course I understand… I don’t want to cause such misunderstandings either. If you would just permit it, I would like to be interrogated by that Vatican Mage over there.”

 

“….”

 

He’s requesting interrogation first. The moment I opened my mouth, that bishop’s eyes widened and he quickly said:

 

“Ah! Yes. I should have said this first… I made a mistake because I was too nervous. What I truly wanted to say was this. If you and His Highness the King would just permit it, I want to return to the Kingdom of Bavaria. I would be truly grateful if you could take me to the Kingdom of Bavaria.”

 

Several mages exchange glances with each other. The bishop’s voice trembled greatly, and his tone conveyed sincerity more than any words could. I’d like to learn a thing or two from that. While I let his words flow past me, he continued his argument.

 

“It would be better to preserve my life. Besides, I was getting sick of the Pleroma leadership’s orders anyway. Here, if you have restraints, you can put them on me. I know I must appear to you as someone who could easily cause you harm.”

 

“….”

 

“Doesn’t anyone have restraints? I don’t want to cause any more misunderstandings. I’ve already confirmed your capabilities sufficiently, so I simply want to go down to Bavaria. I don’t want my sincerity to be doubted, but don’t you have something similar?”

 

He said this while standing rooted to the spot and nodding at us. I could tell at once it was a signal asking us to quickly bring restraints to him.

 

“What should we do.”

 

I hear Leo’s bleak muttering. I glanced at the faces of several colleagues who were getting drawn into the bishop’s words, and fixed my gaze on the bishop who kept babbling and the bishop behind him who stood with a pale face, just swallowing saliva. His gaze was directed at those among our fellow mages who were bleeding. My stomach burns. I know well when that reaction comes out.

 

“Wittelsbach, from now for about 1 minute, I will temporarily transfer field command.”

 

“…?!

 

Kwaaaaang—!

 

I closed my eyes once and opened them. Kicking off the ground, I grabbed the collar of the other bishop behind the one who kept babbling. Shouts came from behind.

 

“Are you crazy?!”

 

“Ascanien!”

 

There’s no other way. Only this method right now.

 

Throwing away wands is merely symbolic. When hands remain intact, how could they not cast magic? They were buying time to recover their last bit of strength… The moment anyone approached closely, they would have had their blood drained by the spatial magic bishop behind the front bishop. They planned to recover strength that way and reconstruct spatial magic heading to Pleroma. Leo’s orders ring out loudly enough to tear the artifact. Countless attacks strike simultaneously, and I see the shocked bishop open his mouth. The texture of the surrounding wind changes again. The moment I realized the bishop had grabbed me and warped elsewhere, he moved his mouth to chant a magic formula.

 

“…!”

 

Unknown agony struck from where he grabbed me. It felt like my skin and all sensory organs of eyes, nose, and mouth were decomposing. Yes, this is how it should come out. It was a corner where the magic formula I had planned to use could be applied… My mind grows hazy. Hope appeared on the face of the bishop who had been pale with fear. I saw his gaze turn toward the blood flowing on my face. Meanwhile, the artifact announced that the other bishop had been killed. I squeezed out all my strength and shouted loudly.

 

[If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it!]

 

“…! Keuaaaak!”

 

At that moment the opposing bishop’s face contorted. I see his face crumpling in the same way as mine. With this spell, he came to share the pain I feel.

 

[Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it!]

 

Even moving my tongue is difficult. I held onto my fading rationality and chanted the reflection magic formula.

 

[For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.]

 

“Aaaaak! Keuk!”

 

[Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known!]

 

My whole body feels like it’s burning up. I can’t come to my senses from the heat. Unlike the bishop before me, further decomposition magic formulas didn’t work on me, but due to the partial magic that had already seeped in, my vision kept growing distant. It might not be my vision, it might be other senses. I couldn’t even tell that. But I couldn’t let go here.

 

“This crazy…! Aaaaak!”

 

Thud—

 

From that moment on, I heard no sound. Something seemed to be falling from my eyes and mouth. The strength left the body of the mage whose heart I had been pressing, and his arms went limp. It was quiet.

 

I stood up from my position. My vision swayed so I struck my staff into the grass and leaned my body against it. It’s over. It wasn’t quiet because my hearing wasn’t functioning. There were no vibrations transmitted from the ground either. I see the surroundings melting away, this vast field transforming into something else. With the death of the unique ability caster, the space is now set to disappear following its master. In the dark night, the library’s rear garden spread out in all directions. I slowly raised my head. Bright moonlight illuminates the rear garden and I see stone buildings and sculptures that couldn’t be seen no matter how hard I looked before.

 

Small vibrations, light, the Representative Mage of Class 91 and several of his colleagues from different coordinates came running here. The Representative Mage of Class 91 who came running with a pale face helped me up as I leaned on my staff and said something, then seeing my expression that showed no response even after a long time, he slowly opened his mouth. Realizing the situation, he stepped back and gave me hand signals.

 

“….”

 

I stared intently at his hands and slightly raised the corners of my mouth. Still nothing could be heard in my ears, and I couldn’t hear the vibration of my vocal cords either. But it didn’t matter. Mission victory, in this situation there was exactly one thing I needed to convey to receive permission to return. I moved my tongue while engraving in my mind the words I had rehearsed dozens of times.

 

“Saint Corbiniano has raised his hand for the Empire.”

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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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