How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 397
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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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“No.”
How can you be so calm, he wondered. I chuckled and nodded as I replied.
“I’m not calm at all.”
I took another sip of alcohol and set down the glass. The glass I held trembled. Emmanuel glanced at the swirling liquid and looked up at me with startled eyes. I could feel his gaze darting around here and there. I closed my eyes while sweeping my bangs back.
“…I pointed to the Papal States based on two pieces of evidence, but both of those pieces of evidence were completely refuted today… isn’t that right? I’m screwed.”
Emmanuel rolled his eyes, shrugged his shoulders, then placed his hand on my glove. Unable to check my body temperature properly, he immediately touched the inside of my sleeve. Then he looked at me with surprised eyes.
“Oh, really?”
“…”
I downed everything in the glass at once, shook it empty, then exhaled. I could hear Emmanuel gulping audibly from here. Right. He’s probably never seen anyone drink wine like this before. Emmanuel checked his own body temperature by touching his neck, then let out a hollow laugh.
“…What kind of words am I hearing in front of whom right now…”
“Your Highness is sitting before Nicolaus Ernst and has just heard that he’s screwed.”
“Count Nicolaus whining… seems like a sight no one could witness anywhere else.”
“That’s right. Your Highness is seeing it for the first time in the world right now.”
“What an honor.”
I took his sherry and poured it into my glass, continuing to drink. Even though it wasn’t cream sherry, this wine was too sweet for my taste. Feeling my tongue sting, I kept speaking.
“…I’m not calm at all. Even less so since I just got the confirmation kill. Fine. Then, now I need to figure out how to tell everyone about this.”
“Hmm, no matter how I think about it, is this a dream? Or maybe you’re not actually Count Nicolaus?
“Are you going to keep on about that? Then please help me worry about where I’ll go live when I’m ruined.”
“Live here. I’ll give you a couple of rooms for companionship.”
“…”
I stopped drinking and stared intently at Emmanuel.
Since when has he been watching? From what I can tell, he’s someone with high walls. The type who doesn’t easily open the doors of his heart no matter how much he faces people with a smiling face. But…
Having the labyrinth raided first seemed to have half-destroyed the doors of his heart. Since it’s already been raided, what can you do, that kind of feeling. Considering how we became friends surprisingly quickly in the extra chapter when both he and I were in our twenties, the fact that we’re compatible people would have been the foundation.
“I appreciate the consideration, but I’ll decline. I prefer the solo life.”
“You have quite a lot of conditions. Well, anyway, you’ll have Anhalt Castle all to yourself. Who am I to worry about?”
At those words, I turned my head to look at Emmanuel. He rested his arm on the backrest and raised the corners of his mouth.
“You’ll live a completely different life from me living in a mansion. You’ll become the ruler of a duchy and be called Your Highness by the people of the world.”
“Why are you so certain? I have an older brother too.”
“You may be using a pseudonym because you don’t want to create discord, but even if you cover the sky with your palm, the essence cannot be hidden.”
“…”
I replied with a smile instead of words and changed the subject.
“So, now I need to think about what to do. My first hypothesis that there’s a spy in the Papal States who moved the Holy Cross via the Vatican because of the teleporting rosary has been problematized. Also, the fact that there are external entities who know that each relic has its own unique ability has also problematized my second hypothesis.”
“Exactly. What will you do, Count Ernst? I’m already overwhelmed with my own problems.”
Emmanuel answered habitually like that, then suddenly stopped his hand. Then he slowly tilted his head and lowered his eyebrows.
“Hmm, wait.”
“What’s wrong?”
“That first hypothesis sounds vague. If it’s the Papal States, they surely would have conducted strict interrogations of all clergy. Then the possible hypothesis would be…”
I maintained my smile while staring at Emmanuel. I waited for him to continue, but he just narrowed his eyes, shook his head, and raised the corners of his mouth.
“Are you doing that on purpose?”
* * *
His Highness Emmanuel need not worry. Not at all.
That was all I had to say to Emmanuel. After my third glass of sherry, I left his house and returned to Trier Cathedral. I had an appointment scheduled for after lunch, but I needed to come to Trier first.
Arriving at the post office, I firmly grasped the two golden tickets the priest at the counter handed me and lightly turned them back and forth with my fingers. Yesterday when I came, there was one ticket, but today there are two.
The priest said with a tense face.
“He said you gave permission, so we let him send it. Lord Farnese also sent a carrier pigeon. He said he would permit Sabelli’s transmission just this once.”
“…”
I smiled and handed the Papal States’ delivery confirmation ticket back to him. Then I searched around Trier Cathedral looking for where Sabelli might be.
“Peace be with you.”
“Peace be with you.”
I checked once more if my hair had turned white and greeted a priest passing by. Narke’s room, the dining hall, the garden. On my third attempt, I found Sabelli. He was in the garden trying to release several white doves into the sky.
“Sabelli.”
“Ah!”
Upon discovering me, Simon Sabelli lowered his hands and approached me.
“You’re here. What on earth have you been doing to come only now?”
“What are you doing, Sabelli? You can enter from outside to inside, but you can’t send doves with notes attached from inside to outside. They’ll get caught in the barrier.”
“…Haha. Isn’t this all because Your Highness didn’t come? What kind of letter did you give me?! I’m being flooded with contacts!”
He thrust his face at me and growled. Though there was some humor mixed in, he seemed quite flustered. I could feel sincerity in that face.
I pushed him away and retorted.
“It wasn’t me, but Lord Farnese who gave it to you. I said then that you could send the letter Lord Farnese handed over, and you faithfully sent it straight to the Papal States. I just came from the post office and confirmed it.”
This is why I asked to borrow his ear yesterday. Sabelli wanted to report our current situation to the Papal States. He knew that information was money, so whether it was good news or bad news, he wanted to convey it to the Papal States to alleviate information asymmetry. So I gave him the opportunity to convey information as he wished. That was all.
Sabelli chuckled and pressed his eyelids firmly.
“Phew… A Papal States blockade order. From what I can see, it seems like that kind of story.”
“Are you shocked? We need to investigate.”
“What do you expect from clergy who are already living half-blockaded? It’s a useless act.”
“Is that so?”
At those words, Sabelli nodded. Then he poked my chest hard with his finger and lowered his voice.
“Whatever it is, for none other than Ernst Your Highness to tell me ‘you may send a letter to the Papal States,’ why doesn’t it feel real? There must be some reason.”
“Why does everyone think I have some reason… At this rate, you’ll think there’s a significant reason even for me drinking a glass of water.”
“Isn’t there? Aren’t you Count Nicolaus, Your Highness?”
“…”
What are you talking about.
But like Narke’s playmate, he grasped the essence. Of course there’s a reason.
I wanted to verify whether the hypothesis I chose—French Imperial Family or Papal States—was right or wrong, and for that, I had to wait for a reaction. The letter that came to me, whatever content it contained, was by its very existence a reaction to the action I had sent. Until I received some reaction—until I finished verifying the hypothesis—I couldn’t convey any additional news to the Papal States. And the letter from the Hermetic Society arrived to me. Wouldn’t that be enough?
I smiled with narrowed eyes and agreed with him.
“Of course. New clues have been added so my reasoning has changed too. Otherwise, why would there be a reason to send anything to the Papal States? And I still cannot answer the Foreign Minister’s question.”
“I’m curious what that clue is. If Your Highness weren’t Your Highness, I’d let you through the narrow gate…”
“Let me tell you one thing: from now on, we can only wait.”
It’s a battle of time. Now, not even a week since Haike collapsed, fortunately I’ve completed about 95% of what I need to do. All that remains is time. Until time brings me an opportunity, I just need to sit quietly under the persimmon tree with my mouth open.
Simon Sabelli, with a face that didn’t understand what I was talking about—which was right since he shouldn’t understand, so I didn’t respond further—just frowned before smiling sadly.
“Then, you’re firm that the culprit is in the Papal States. Since there’s no need to organize papal troops, I should return now. Having to ride that butt-aching train again…”
“No? You should stay here.”
“Why?”
Simon Sabelli smiled and looked at me.
“Even those words sound like they have some ulterior motive. What’s the reason I should stay here? Do you perhaps need papal troops?”
I silently closed my eyes and crossed my arms. Then I raised my head and took a deep breath. With my eyes closed, the movement of some magical power I’d been sensing became more clearly perceived. In that state, I quietly asked.
“Sabelli. Where did all the doves go? You haven’t taken them to their cages yet.”
“What? Oh.”
Sabelli looked around with a flustered face. Behind where I stood, that is, behind the garden, there’s a clergy house. I put my hand to my mouth and blew a sharp whistle. At that moment, the sound of rain approached from far away and hit my ears like a wave.
Peep—
Flutterflutter— Clatter— Flap flap flap—!
“…?! Wait, hold on!”
Sabelli ducked and covered his head to avoid the flock of doves. I let out a hollow laugh and clicked my tongue. Then, from behind, from above the building, Elias’s scream echoed loudly.
“Ah, no! Nicolaus! What are you doing!”
“What about you.”
Why are you gathering doves in your room? How did you even gather them without getting caught in the first place? I muttered to myself, then smiled at Simon Sabelli and pointed toward the back, toward the window of the room where Elias would be.
“You need to take care of that. Where do you think you’re going, leaving just us behind?”
* * *
“Luise.”
Leaving Trier, I arrived at the hospital in Bavaria and tapped the back of Ulrike, who was lying face down in the lounge next to Haike’s hospital room. Ulrike slowly raised her head, and her face looked more haggard than a few days ago. Even when I met Ishmailov, it wasn’t this bad, but her face looked worn out.
When I offered the elixir I brought, she smiled in greeting and drank it. I waited until she finished drinking the elixir before speaking to her.
“You’ve been staying here the whole time? Why don’t you go home for a bit.”
“No.”
No? He’s been going back and forth to the hospital for days now, so what does he mean no. He should rest a bit. I sat down next to him without a word. Then Ulrike slowly opened her mouth.
“They still haven’t found any clues.”
“….”
“I want to investigate it myself if I could. Actually, isn’t nobody really investigating? Why has it taken so long….”
“It’s a magical crime, so it must be difficult to find clues. Let’s wait a little longer.”
“I suppose we have to.”
Ulrike smiled weakly and opened her mouth again.
“Isn’t it strange? We were in the same class since first year, but we weren’t close at all back then. Sometimes when I greeted her first, Haike would just wave her hand a little in response… that was about it.”
Ulrike chuckled and waved her own hand. Then she closed her eyes and muttered.
“Honestly, at first I really thought we didn’t get along.”
“I’m sure you did.”
Anyone could see their personalities were complete opposites. One friend who needed to talk 24 hours a day to feel satisfied, and one who could easily succeed at a 240-hour silence mission, let alone 24 hours. Still, their essences seemed to resemble each other. Seeing how much closer they became after joining the 101st Unit.
“We’re very different, but our situations are similar. You know. Within the team, we had a lot we could relate to with each other. We’re both from Class 1, our family backgrounds are similar, and compared to you guys….”
Silence. And what would follow was obvious.
“Luise. Without you two, we never would have made it this far.”
“Ah, right. Thanks. I know that too!”
Ulrike put her arm on my shoulder and grinned while making strange interjections. But that was only for a moment.
“But… maybe that’s why. The time we’ve been close is shorter than the time we’ve known each other, but it’s hard.”
I lowered my eyes and remained silent. Ulrike was smiling, but I couldn’t easily open my mouth as I was choosing what words to say. In the meantime, Ulrike was already digging into the ground and going down below.
“What if she really goes away like this.”
“….”
Just hearing it made my heart sink. I silently took out a box from inside my jacket and handed it to her. Ulrike received the box with a puzzled face and raised her eyebrows as she opened the lid. I watched her and muttered.
“I brought the clover you gave me that day.”
“Oh.”
“You found it together with Haike, right. You should keep it. I think that would be better.”
Ulrike opened her mouth, then raised the corners of her lips. She just turned the bookmark back and forth silently, then said quietly.
“Thank you.”
“….”
“Ah, right. Seeing this reminds me, I discovered something the day before yesterday, you know? I wanted to tell you…. Huh?”
Ulrike, who had been searching through her jacket pocket, furrowed her brow and made a sad face. She swallowed and spoke with a troubled expression.
“It’s not there. What the heck?”
“What was it?”
“A wooden cross. A small one. I thought it might be Haike’s or yours, so I kept it safe…. Ah, really. Where did I drop it again.”
“….”
I stroked my chin, then smiled and opened my mouth.
“I’d like to hear more details about that. Could we meet here again later?”
“Sure. But what brings you here? I heard you… well… received some kind of mission and couldn’t come out often.”
“Ah, actually it’s because of an appointment with headquarters.”
“Huh?”
Ulrike’s eyes widened and rolled around in all directions, then she lowered her voice and asked rapid-fire questions.
“They, they, they won’t come here, right? Who from headquarters?!”
“Senior Mecklenburg. He’ll probably come… But since he’s a senior. I think he might stop by after talking with me.”
“Ahhhhh….”
Ulrike opened her mouth wide, pressed her cheeks, then banged her forehead on the desk. She must really be quite uncomfortable. I took this opportunity to sweep her belongings into her bag and put it on the desk.
“Quickly pack your things and go home now. Before the senior comes up. Then you can come back tomorrow.”
“Should, should I…. Haike might want that too.”
Haike probably wouldn’t think anything of it. Unless it involved drinking…. Still, I nodded and patted Ulrike’s back.
“Right. You’re correct. Go home and rest for at least a day. I’ll go down and check now.”
“Oh, okay! Take care. I need to escape quickly.”
Ulrike quickly slung her bag over her shoulder and tried to leave the lounge. Then, as if something occurred to her, she turned back toward me.
“Lucas.”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for this.”
Ulrike waved the clover and grinned. For a moment, I felt like I saw the Ulrike from a week ago, so I also smiled and waved my hand.
* * *
“I’m thinking of resuming training now.”
I’m at that problematic appointment I was thinking about earlier.
I sat in the lounge attached to the infirmary designated under my name, drinking tea. The surface of the tea tilted to one side, then returned to its place, finding its original tranquility. It was the perfect scene for staying silent. Mecklenburg, who had been keeping his mouth shut with me, pointed at my pupils and spoke reluctantly.
“…More than that, your eyes look slightly purple… I think.”
I looked at my face reflected in the window and shook my head.
“They’re definitely pink.”
“Did you go out as Nicolaus Ernst?”
Hmm. I raised my eyebrows and took a sip of tea. Mecklenburg narrowed his eyes at my questioning expression and answered.
“You look extremely tired. Am I right?”
“You’re mistaken.”
From Emmanuel to Trier, Ulrike, and Mecklenburg, going through them in order makes reality feel increasingly thick.
The people in the extra chapters are all truly living beings. They live and breathe in ways I don’t know, and the wind, sky, and water there can only move forward through my existence, so I have no intention of taking it lightly, nor does it happen that way. Yet the reason my feelings when I was there and now are fundamentally different is, naturally, because the situation there and the situation here are different. Meeting headquarters people in this place without Haike wasn’t very comfortable for me. Especially when until recently I called him ‘you,’ but only I know that fact while the other person only knows that I address him with honorifics—even more so in such a relationship. Mecklenburg seemed to sense that my responses were minimal too. He shrugged at my answer and gestured toward his neck.
“Today I came to check your condition. Let me see if the sutures healed well.”
“I deliberately wore a turtleneck because it hasn’t healed yet.”
“A strong mage like you taking this long?”
That’s what I’m saying, so why do you keep asking? I silently peeled off the dressing to show him. Then Mecklenburg squeezed his eyes shut and pulled his head back with an understanding expression. Honestly, even I could see it wasn’t in a presentable state—perhaps because it was sewn with thread, even the surrounding skin had turned blackish—but for a combat mage to not be able to properly look at sewn flesh, this guy should have been stuck in Strelitz Palace looking only at flowers. Considering how he nonchalantly shot people with guns and laughed, such various dimensions of ‘fastidiousness’ probably differ depending on the situation one perceives.
Anyway, I’ve deliberately not received any additional treatment since the first treatment. I avoid drinking elixirs as much as possible. Since it’s natural that I’d have to return to headquarters as soon as I recover, I had to slow down that process.
I pressed the dressing with poor adhesion firmly against my skin and pressed it down with my clothes. Perhaps having nothing to say—if not, he’d just leave—Mecklenburg changed the subject and spoke to me.
“Did you check the articles about the conference?”
“Yes.”
“For some reason, France is trying to create confrontation not only with Austria-Hungary but also with Germany. No, they already are. They’re doing the complete opposite of every negotiation proposal Germany presents, and this time they’re even saying they’ll raise tariffs on German industrial products.”
“Hmm.”
It seems he didn’t completely change the subject. He immediately returned to the main point.
“Therefore, headquarters wants to resume training as soon as possible. Of course, there are more reasons. We must help Austria-Hungary. Think about why our headquarters was created. Also why you were assigned high-risk rampagers.”
“….”
“We can’t let our guard down just because we’ve reached a temporary ceasefire with Pleroma. Attacking headquarters members remotely and bringing them to the brink of death….”
“She’s not dead yet. Since she hasn’t recovered yet, I’d appreciate it if you could postpone the 101st Unit’s training schedule a bit. If you’re finished speaking, you may leave now.”
“….”
Silence flowed. Mecklenburg seemed to want to argue with my words, but soon he changed his words according to my wishes.
“…The one who put a headquarters member in an unconscious state is on this continent, and we still haven’t caught even a clue about that culprit.”
I moved only my eyes to look at him, then nodded.
Right. That’s being solved by the two cardinals handling the holy relic theft case, absurdly enough. I had no intention of telling him that fact.
“We must have stronger vigilance than ever before. This current situation where we don’t have to worry about Pleroma’s attacks is precisely our opportunity. Especially A-class members will undergo more intensive training.”
“Is that so. Please let me know the curriculum in advance.”
“Where would such a thing exist? This isn’t school….”
“Please understand roughly.”
“You seem to be forgetting that I’m from the 98th Unit.”
I narrowed my eyes, then spoke clearly.
“I haven’t forgotten, Senior. If you know what kind of training we’ll be doing, could you please give me a hint?”
“No. I don’t know either.”
Damn this bastard. I smiled and pushed the teacup forward.
“I’ll be going in now. You don’t need to worry about discipline becoming lax. When one team member has fallen into a situation where we don’t even know if she’s gone to the other world or not, how could we let our guard down.”
Mecklenburg remained silent in his seat even though I had given the signal that I was leaving, wondering what the problem was. I gestured that I would return to the infirmary and stood up from my seat. Then I heard a muttering voice.
“I did my best.”
“….”
“To avoid putting Count Ismailov and you together.”
I rolled my eyes and nodded. So that was the problem. This guy is incomprehensible even when I think I understand him. I replied halfheartedly.
“You did.”
“…I’m sorry. Though it’s not my fault.”
“If you know it’s not your fault, you can just leave. Let’s go quickly.”
Ugh, just get lost already. I need to get to Trier quickly too. I smiled as I helped him up and pushed him straight into the hallway. Mecklenburg looked at me with an expression wondering why this guy was acting like this, then turned around with a displeased look and disappeared.
I also left the lounge immediately. And on my way, I stopped by my infirmary room to gather the things I had left behind. As I grabbed the door handle to leave the room again, someone pushed the infirmary door open with a loud noise.
BANG―!
“Huff…. Huff.”
“What?”
I quickly threw my bag inside and frowned. It was Mecklenburg. His face had turned pale from whatever had happened in that brief moment, and he grabbed me and shouted.
“Quickly, come out. Do you have your uniform here?”
“Yes, well. I do have it.”
“Put it on and come out. Quickly! It’s been moved up to one hour from now!”
“What has?!”
“Ah, quickly! Just please!”
BANG―!
Mecklenburg snapped at me, shoved me into the infirmary room, and closed the door. Dumbfounded, I could only stare at the door with no way to stop the questions flooding my mind.
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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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