How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 364

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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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Brothers.

 

As Ishmailov opened his mouth, the faint noise that had been coming from beyond the artifact suddenly stopped. Mecklenburg, who was standing behind me, also stiffened his body. I grabbed his hand that was on my shoulder and lowered it while asking Ishmailov.

 

“Aren’t you of Slavic descent?”

 

“….”

 

“Well, regardless of ethnicity, you don’t look much alike either. And yet you call each other brothers.”

 

There was still no answer. I shrugged my shoulders and said.

 

“You’re saying there’s something you fundamentally share with each other. Is that right?”

 

“….”

 

“…Fine. Regarding Narke Farnese, do you know him well?”

 

I could feel Mecklenburg looking at me strangely. He must be wondering why I suddenly brought up Narke Farnese. I didn’t back down and kept looking straight ahead, and after a long while, an answer came.

 

“A student from Imperial 2nd Education Institute who came to study abroad from the Papal States.”

 

“Was he educated in Pleroma?”

 

The snow-white human who had been motionless raised his eyes. I couldn’t see his eyes rolling, but I could at least tell that the shadow drawn on the cloth was slightly shifting. My question encompassed two questions. I didn’t clarify exactly what kind of education I was asking about, and as expected, he didn’t answer. Whether my question was ambiguous or not, he wouldn’t have answered anyway. I nodded.

 

“Then who am I?”

 

Mecklenburg crossed his arms and moved his foot about half a step. He seemed tense. Unfortunately, despite the tension, no answer came. I watched the heavily ticking second hand of my pocket watch and then closed the lid.

 

“You definitely know who I am. Why would someone who’s supposed to be the Second Coming of Jesus know about me?”

 

At those words, Mecklenburg suddenly covered his mouth. I kept my gaze fixed on Ishmailov and muttered.

 

“Why is Senior laughing in this situation? They’ve been calling Ishmailov an Envoy of the Covenant until now, but they actually regard him as material to become a god soon. They’re saying he’s an Envoy of the Covenant or whatever, God’s shepherd, but if this isn’t the Second Coming of Jesus….”

 

“…Don’t say such cult-like nonsense.”

 

I waved my hand at him and leaned forward. A suffocating silence fell again. In this narrow and dark interrogation room, no one’s presence could be heard anymore, and beyond the artifact was also quiet. There wasn’t a single movement in the snow-white long hair draped like a curtain or the boots of the same color. I looked at that artificial divinity and opened my mouth.

 

“Please hear my confession, Jesus.”

 

“….”

 

“I don’t believe in religious prophecies. I don’t believe in what was prophesied to happen after that moment when the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Naturally, I don’t believe that you are an Envoy of the Covenant, nor do I believe that you will recognize divinity and completely become ‘the Lord we were looking for.’ What do you think? Will you cast me into hellfire?”

 

You can’t. Because you’re not God. I turned my head and continued speaking.

 

“As I see it, we’re all just mere humans. Of course, I’ve already thought that you people would be praising a mere human as the Messiah. That’s the common trait of cults like yours. So my question is this. Why does Pleroma call you an Envoy of the Covenant?”

 

Why is someone who’s supposed to be an Envoy of the Covenant here suffering like this?

 

It’s a pitiful thing. Just as I am human, Mecklenburg is human, and all my friends are human, this person is also just human. Whether the grand names like Envoy of the Covenant or Lord are true or not, he’s just one of the billions of bipedal primates wandering around this world.

 

I craved the cigarettes that would be in Mecklenburg’s pocket. I exhaled the countless hypotheses and thoughts floating in my head with a long sigh and asked again.

 

“Whether it’s real or not, becoming the subject of prophecy is truly an unfair thing. Why should a human bear such a fate? I feel sorry for you.”

 

“….”

 

“However, separate from my sympathy, the fact that you people truly believe in such ‘prophecies’ and try to realize them means this can’t just be overlooked. Therefore, what we want to know is three things. First, why does Pleroma call you an Envoy of the Covenant? Second, what connection do I have with you people that they told you to entrust yourself to me?”

 

I looked at the silently unresponsive Antagonist and continued.

 

“Third. Do you know how far I’m predicting?”

 

What I hid among the ‘truths’ I spoke aloud, or didn’t. Do you know my acting? The answer that came after a long while was beyond my expectations.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“You said you could read Narke Farnese’s thoughts?”

 

“I can’t read them now.”

 

He moved his dry lips once more.

 

“Though he might be able to read me.”

 

He’s saying the same thing he said before. Even though Narke showed that he couldn’t use his ability directly, he’s saying this again…. How interesting.

 

“Fine. Then let’s move on to the second question. I don’t know what you people think of me, but I’m also just a mere human. Far from sympathizing with Pleroma’s ideology, I’m not even close to religion in the first place. Why would someone like me become the Pleroma among Pleromaand assist you? Should I donate my blood to you?”

 

At my coldly thrown question, Ishmailov raised his head. That reaction sent a chilling sensation like electricity through my waist. I felt my saliva drying up and swept the inside of my lips with my tongue. Mecklenburg also seemed to have his guard up after seeing Ishmailov’s reaction, as the flow of mana emanating from his body subtly changed. I looked at the blue veins on the back of my hand and the crooked red lines reflected on his cheek and said.

 

“Did Pleroma order you to do that?”

 

“I don’t drink blood.”

 

“You didn’t come to drink my blood?”

 

“I don’t drink anyone’s blood.”

 

“….”

 

Well, this is something.

 

I let out a light laugh and swallowed the curse that formed on the tip of my tongue. Suddenly becoming more Pleroma-like than Pleroma’s Messiah feels quite refreshing. Mecklenburg didn’t seem to believe his words. I looked at the gray tiles on the floor and remained silent, and unexpectedly, words came from Ishmailov.

 

“They didn’t demand anything from me regarding you.”

 

“….”

 

“They didn’t tell me anything about you either.”

 

According to what I heard from the investigator earlier, he was under the influence of our side’s mental manipulation drug that imitated Pleroma’s. Whether due to the drug, he took unbearably long pauses between words. I watched his facial muscles move minimally and waited.

 

“They only said I had to come to This Location.”

 

“So you’re saying you’re seeing me for the first time in the Empire. But why did they entrust you to me?”

 

“….”

 

“If you don’t speak, you’ll have to stay here continuously.”

 

“I heard nothing.”

 

Haha…. I burst into laughter. Using the experience of about twenty years when analyzing people was my job, I didn’t get the feeling that this person was intentionally racking his brain to lie, and from what I could see, he didn’t seem to have that kind of temperament either. Moreover, since he had been injected with mental manipulation drugs that imitated Pleroma’s, his head probably wasn’t working properly either. Of course, I maintained basic wariness that he might be lying, but still, if my guess was correct… those Pleroma bastards were doing something quite ridiculous. The mere fact that this person knew nothing was good enough information for me.

 

“You know nothing and can’t give a legitimate reason, so do you think I have any reason to join you people?”

 

He couldn’t answer. This time it wasn’t that he didn’t answer, but that he couldn’t. He just kept moving his lips repeatedly without being able to extract any sound from his vocal cords. It was the first hesitant reaction he had shown.

 

Nothing would be resolved by dragging this out further. Just asking about the relationship between Gabrielle Caetani and Narke Farnese had achieved my intended purpose. One of the many questions I had was related to them. Now it was time to figure out exactly what kind of relationship they had, and that would be my job.

 

I shook my head, sat cross-legged, and adjusted my grip on the questionnaire. Just as I was about to seriously respond to the government’s demands by selecting questions they had written down to ask, that voice struck me.

 

“I like you.”

 

* * *

 

“Refreshing.”

 

As I came out patting the side of my head with a towel, Haike looked at me.

 

“Did you wash your ears? Why?”

 

“Just because.”

 

I smiled gently at Haike and wiped off the illegally consecrated unlicensed holy water—though it wasn’t really holy water since it was already unlicensed, but for convenience—with the towel.

 

He likes me? I’m grateful, but since the other party is Pleroma’s Messiah, I couldn’t help but feel reluctant.

 

‘He said he couldn’t hear anything about me and just met me, but he likes me.’

 

At least one of the two is a lie. Either the statement that he had no information about me is false, or the statement that he likes me is false. Maybe both are lies. Why do I have to think this way? Because it’s better for my mental health to think that he has hidden intentions rather than that Pleroma’s Messiah genuinely likes me.

 

At least since we washed our ears with divine power water, my head feels somewhat purified now. I thought about self-consecrating my head to purify all the liquids in it, but I couldn’t do that morally since even my saliva would be consecrated. Lowering it a step, I thought about just taking a shower with consecrated water later, but that would also be unfair to the Papacy, and making someone else’s bathroom sacred would only increase the risk of detection, so I decided not to. I’m feeling considerable disgust to the point of having such thoughts.

 

One way or another, I’m now back in Bavaria, at Nymphenburg Palace, which the headquarters people are using as lodging.

 

Haike handed me his pajamas while asking a meaningless question.

 

“Are you going to sleep here?”

 

“Please.”

 

“I like it.”

 

It’s truly amazing how these subtly cut-off words continue. I returned Haike’s pajamas to him and took out my pajamas from my bag. For some reason, Haike clapped expressionlessly.

 

‘Who did he learn that from….’

 

“Why are you clapping?”

 

“Preparedness.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

I’m really curious who he learned that from. Couldn’t they have taught him the proper usage? It doesn’t seem entirely wrong, but combined with that expression…. While I was thinking that, the friend who seemed like the culprit who made Haike this way burst open the door.

 

“Lucas!”

 

Ulrike shook off her shoes in front of the carpet and ran in. I looked back and forth between her and Haike and asked.

 

“What’s the occasion? Did you come to play with Haike?”

 

“Among other things. I heard you came to Nymphenburg Palace, so I couldn’t not come!”

 

At those words, Haike asked Ulrike with half-open eyes.

 

“You said you weren’t coming earlier.”

 

“Hahaha. This time Lucas is here too after a long time! Actually, playing with you, Haike, is good, but I don’t have confidence to drink anymore…. Let’s play without alcohol this time.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Haike made a face of realization.

 

So I’m serving as a drinking breakwater. I smiled looking at them. These friends don’t know what happened at the negotiation site and what kind of bomb followed here. Narke and Leo are still nowhere to be seen, and Mecklenburg and the 91st representative have become more serious than ever, discussing future situations before being called back to the government. I too have all sorts of thoughts occupying my head and can’t laugh, but looking at these cheerful friends, I could forget the seriousness and contemplation weighing down my shoulders, even if just for a moment. Then Haike glanced at the board game box and asked.

 

“What should we play?”

 

“I should give Lucas what I wrote earlier. Let’s read it now and hear his thoughts.”

 

Thoughts? As I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head, Ulrike rummaged through her jacket’s inner pocket and answered.

 

“Since Pleroma was looking for you.”

 

“Hmm? That’s right.”

 

What does that have to do with impressions? Thinking that, I focused on Ulrike’s actions. What Ulrike took out was an envelope. He waved the envelope back and forth while rolling his eyes.

 

“The reason Pleroma chose specifically you and no one else… well, it’s actually quite transparent. So, in case you might be hurt or worried.”

 

“….”

 

From the moment they and I became involved, my image as Pleroma would inevitably solidify. The friends clearly thought that Pleroma had aimed for that, or at least worried that I would appear that way to them. Ulrike smacked his lips and continued speaking.

 

“Ah, of course you might not have thought that way at all! We just wanted to write to you so we tried it.”

 

I looked at those papers and burst into laughter.

 

“Why are you laughing? Why, why?”

 

“No. I’m happy.”

 

I first unfolded Ulrike’s letter. Like what Elias had written, long lines continued to the next page, and the handwriting was quite sharp. The person is round and soft, but the handwriting is sharp, so it feels different. Now I noticed that the letters Elias and Cheringen had written were also tucked between the envelopes. The friends who didn’t attend the negotiation must have gathered together during that time.

 

I sat for a while reading the letters, then looked back and forth at the friends who were waiting for my reaction with bright eyes and laughed.

 

“Thank you. So much that it’s hard to express in words.”

 

Even at these brief words, Ulrike made a proud face and pointed at Haike.

 

“Haike suggested writing first~!”

 

“I see. What brought this on… no… how come?”

 

“Just as Luise told me. I know you’re not Pleroma.”

 

A dry voice and colorless eyes turned straight toward me. This was somewhat unexpected. I took another look at the words at the end of the letter he wrote, saying the magnolias had bloomed so let’s go take pictures in the park, and nodded.

 

“I should write replies too.”

 

I don’t have the skill for letter writing. I had occasionally written and posted to fans, but it wasn’t something that happened often.

 

Still, shouldn’t I try to follow my friends’ example? Since I don’t know when might be the last time. This time there won’t be any deflecting answers with things like ‘yeah, no, got it.’

 

Knock knock―

 

At the sudden sound, I looked toward the door. When Haike flicked his finger to turn the door handle with magic, I saw Narke smiling as he took his hand off the handle.

 

“I was passing by and heard your voices. Can I come in?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Haike moved aside a little to make room for Narke to sit on the bed. I watched him enter with a somewhat haggard face and asked.

 

“Where’s Leo? He wasn’t even coming to the infirmary because he was talking with you.”

 

“He fell asleep.”

 

“Where?”

 

“In the lounge. I took him to his room so he’ll wake up soon.”

 

He’s not the type to fall asleep in the lounge. I stared at the pattern on the bedspread in silence, then cast a soundproofing spell and asked Narke.

 

“What do you think about Ishmailov?”

 

“You heard. It would be best to stay as far away as possible.”

 

Narke leaned against the wall with an emotionless voice. Haike was already setting up a game board with a subtly excited face, but Narke didn’t seem to have the energy to play. I looked at him with his eyes closed and asked.

 

“Stay away?”

 

“Nothing good will come from being close to that person. For all of us. …The Empire shouldn’t have accepted that person.”

 

“That’s what I’m saying.”

 

“Haha. You’re quick with calculations.”

 

“I know our side didn’t accept him with joy and celebration either, but we still should have refused. There must be a reason why they had to hand over the ‘Envoy of the Covenant’ to us.”

 

I wiggled my finger sarcastically. Narke laughed lightly and asked.

 

“What’s that reason?”

 

“It’s still at the hypothesis stage. It would be better to speak after going through verification.”

 

I answered with words that I didn’t even know would get through to Narke and immediately asked.

 

“Narke. Does insight work on that person?”

 

“Nothing can be read. Unfortunately.”

 

Nothing can be read. I had no intention of asking what he had read in the first place. The important point was that he was saying the opposite of Ishmailov’s statement. Just as I was about to open my mouth once more, weight settled on one shoulder.

 

“I’m sleepy, Lucas.”

 

“….”

 

I stared at that friend who had leaned against me like sliding, then answered briefly.

 

“Sleep.”

 

“I hope nothing happens tomorrow.”

 

Narke said in a whisper.

 

Didn’t he use his precognitive ability? Insight and precognition are different, and when insight was limited, he had been substituting insight with precognitive ability. He shouldn’t have become unable to use precognition too. I swallowed my questions. Now wasn’t the time.

 

We opened a bottle of wine from Haike’s room to share and played board games for a while, then fell asleep scattered on the carpet under the bed. No, to be precise, everyone except me fell asleep. Even when I tried to sleep, I had too many thoughts because of Ishmailov and Pleroma and couldn’t fall asleep. I looked at Haike who had fallen over there and Ulrike who was lying in proper position on the bed with a blanket. Unfortunately, even the room’s owner wasn’t exempt from carpet duty.

 

‘Should I pick up someone and put them on the sofa at least?’

 

Not long after thinking that, I was dragged out by Leo grabbing my collar.

 

“Why are you doing this again…”

 

“….”

 

Leo cursed with his eyes then turned around. Seeing him make that expression without opening his mouth, he seemed to have a lot to say but was holding back. I looked at his hair covering his forehead unlike usual—completely unstyled—and the dark circles under his eyes, then shook my head. It overlapped with the tired complexion and voice Narke had shown earlier. As expected, predictable words came from his mouth.

 

“What did you talk about with Narke?”

 

“Nothing much.”

 

“Can’t you tell me?”

 

“…I asked if he could use insight on Ishmailov. Narke answered that nothing could be read, and after that he said he hoped nothing would happen tomorrow. Satisfied? It’s nothing special, right?”

 

“….”

 

Leo, who had been hanging his head low, answered slowly.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“For what.”

 

“I heard you went to meet Ishmailov. How was it?”

 

“That was nothing special either. That bastard just wouldn’t answer anything.”

 

“Really?”

 

“There were many disruptions in the conversation. I sat there for quite a while but there wasn’t much gain.”

 

It would be a bit much to tell him in more detail than this. I might have to make holy water to wash Leo’s ears. At those words, Leo opened his mouth slightly then frowned.

 

“You mean he answered? That Envoy of the Covenant opened his mouth?”

 

“….”

 

Was he someone who wouldn’t open his mouth? From the government calling me, I hadn’t thought he would have faithfully answered the investigators’ questions. I felt a headache coming on and nodded. At this rate, the conversation would get longer. I turned my steps back toward Haike’s room and waved my hand.

 

“This won’t work. I’m going back in. See you later.”

 

Not a chance. Sharp magic power flew from behind and tapped my shoulder.

 

“Where are you going? Your room isn’t there.”

 

* * *

 

For speaking so coolly and pointedly, fortunately Leo didn’t ask me anything more.

 

Less than 3 hours later, I received orders and went out to the front of Nymphenburg Palace. Narke and Leo, who weren’t included in the orders, contacted the government first to get permission and followed me. I could see Imperial Government officials from Prussia, Mecklenburg, and the Representative Mage of Class 91. I saluted them and looked at the person in the distance with both arms held by government officials. There was a mage with pure white hair neatly tied up. That person’s gaze turned toward me. The eerie description I had heard from Mecklenburg no longer matched this face. This person just looked like an Esper who stood out a bit more. Because.

 

“….”

 

This mage’s eyes were now not white but a pale water color. The exact color used by the Papacy. Even though Pleroma had arbitrarily usurped their honor and position, Narke’s expression didn’t change. Ishmailov glanced at me without any particular reaction and looked back at where he had been looking originally.

 

‘…The reason for fixing the eye color…?’

 

Isn’t it still time to restrain that person more? And why exactly did they call me to this place? I erased the possible hypothesis from my head and whispered to Mecklenburg.

 

“Why is this person here?”

 

Mecklenburg, who had been making an expressionless face for public appearances, lightly bit the inside of his lips as if troubled when I approached and asked.

 

“…I’ll explain briefly for now. The government and representative teams from Class 91 A and Class 98 A will take responsibility and monitor this person 24 hours a day. The government and we will take responsibility for all safety matters. Instead.”

 

Mecklenburg showed the restraint keys in his hand and the drug bottle that would have been injected into Ishmailov, then didn’t continue speaking. He rolled his eyes as if conscious of Ishmailov behind him and kept his mouth tightly shut.

 

“Please speak.”

 

“You need to live with Ishmailov and handle all communication.”

 

Communication.

 

That didn’t mean simple conversation but information. At that moment, Narke’s eyes sharpened. Damn, a silent sigh was contained in his lips.

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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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