How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 398

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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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“What could it be.”

 

I muttered, left alone in the dim hospital room. As I looked at the door with suspicious eyes and moved toward the wardrobe, a loud noise came from outside.

 

Bang bang bang—

 

[Are you dressed!]

 

“Should I be?”

 

I glared at the door and quickly took off the patient gown I was wearing and changed into my uniform. Since this seemed like an important occasion, I couldn’t wear a turtleneck that didn’t meet regulations. I tightened my tie as much as possible, but the dressing that had already come loose was tattered.

 

‘This… I can’t take it off. I’ll have to reattach it later even if it delays me.’

 

When I opened the door again with questioning eyes, Mecklenburg looked back at me with a stern face. He was so pale that I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

 

“Who is it. Who do I have to meet?”

 

“There’s no time to explain that. Quickly…”

 

“Yes, I want to go quickly too. Let’s reattach this first and then go.”

 

“I said there’s no time…!”

 

“Then would it be okay to go to such an important occasion in this state? Can’t you give me even 3 minutes?”

 

Mecklenburg narrowed his brow and thrust his face close to mine. He pointed to the communicator at his ear and spoke rapidly.

 

“The other party wanted to meet you immediately. The one hour is just leeway I managed to squeeze out by being stubborn. I didn’t even get proper permission for whether we could really hold out for a full hour…!”

 

“What? You didn’t get permission?”

 

“So hurry!”

 

He pushed me along while looking for medical staff. After urging me to hurry, I looked at him and let out an incredulous breath. This guy has that kind of elastic flexibility?

 

As soon as I finished getting new dressing, I was pushed by him and immediately warped to the Bavaria border checkpoint. As I grabbed Mecklenburg’s shoulder to maintain balance, he shouted at me.

 

“Can’t you stand properly?!”

 

“You’ve been consistently the same from start to finish. But now couldn’t you try being nice to me too?”

 

“Even if I don’t want to, that’s how it’ll be.”

 

He pushed my tie up tight because it was slightly crooked from the dressing—finally this guy has decided to strangle me—and hit my back loudly, meaning I should walk straight. He spoke rapidly.

 

“Prepare yourself mentally. Today is the third day since the incident. Never mention Ishmailov and Haike Einsiedel. The negotiations with Pleroma are still top secret.”

 

“Why won’t you tell me who it is exactly?”

 

“Why, you ask?”

 

I frowned at that vacant voice and looked at Mecklenburg. He gulped and whispered.

 

“What would change if I told you?”

 

After saying that, he suddenly clamped his mouth shut, grimaced, and hurriedly ran somewhere. I stood there with my mouth agape in disbelief before following him. The Bavaria inspectors at the checkpoint looked at us strangely as we left the room again. Mecklenburg was entering the bathroom at the end of the corridor. When I followed and burst open the door, he was standing in front of the sink, shaking his head and muttering.

 

“J-just a moment…”

 

“You said to hurry!”

 

“Just a moment…! Urgh…”

 

“…”

 

He clamped his hand firmly over his mouth. He almost vomited something from his stomach but barely managed to stop. I made a disgusted face watching his pathetic state, then became conscious of the mirror and corrected my expression. Mecklenburg muttered quietly.

 

“When were you commissioned.”

 

“…I guess the attempt to pass off the launch ceremony as a commissioning ceremony finally worked? I was never commissioned, but if you mean the launch ceremony, it was February 12th.”

 

“It’s been over a month now.”

 

I silently looked down at him as he bent over toward the sink. He was supporting himself with his arms on the marble sink. I glanced at the mirror, but his bangs had fallen down due to his lowered head, covering his face so I couldn’t make out his expression. He violently hit the artifact hanging by his ear as contacts kept coming in and said coldly.

 

“In other words, it’s only been a month.”

 

“Please say it’s been about a month and a half.”

 

“That’s not important. When you came out of Brandenburg, from the time I knew your identity, I could have guessed, no, I should have guessed…”

 

I looked up at the ceiling at his rambling. Mecklenburg barely tapped the sink with his fingertips and cast a sound-blocking spell.

 

“His Majesty the Emperor wants to meet you immediately. If I dare not add my personal views to His Majesty’s command and just say what I heard, that’s all there is.”

 

“…His Majesty? About what?”

 

“…”

 

He remained silent, then moved his pale lips.

 

“First, Pleroma diplomacy. Second, your abilities. Third…”

 

Whoosh—

 

He muttered as if talking to himself and didn’t finish his words before turning on the faucet. The way he wet his hands with cold water and wiped his nape looked exactly like someone with an upset stomach. Just like when Nicolaus Ernst found out I was me.

 

But I don’t have the patience to ask if he’s feeling unwell.

 

“I want to hear Senior’s personal views.”

 

“…”

 

“Sigh… Fine. What do you mean by my abilities, Senior.”

 

“I never reported it. If it comes up with anyone, don’t answer.”

 

Can’t you give me an understandable answer. He’s lost in his own thoughts and not considering others. However, I’m not unaware of what he’s talking about. He’s talking about the day I fell into the canal, the day Haike lost consciousness, when despite sweeping away all the river water, I wasn’t on the riverbed. He discovered the moment when I went to the extra chapter.

 

“What is His Highness the Crown Prince doing now. Do you know?”

 

“He’s been constantly busy with Asian diplomacy since last month.”

 

Colonial diplomacy, I suppose. I squinted and nodded. An urgent summons from the Emperor. If the Emperor is calling me out so suddenly, the matter can’t be trivial. France, Pleroma, Austria-Hungary, A-class, ‘commissioning’… I should be going back now to watch the persimmon tree’s movements. This can’t be entrusted to anyone else. Some guy’s rosary that fell to the Hermetic Society and the wooden cross Ulrike had. Now was the time to watch over it for the last time. But suddenly the Emperor calls.

 

‘…Just for a moment.’

 

I’ll gladly participate. But what if it doesn’t end up being just a moment?

 

Mecklenburg, who reveres the Emperor almost like God, is now in a panic and being no help to me at all. Mecklenburg stared at the pouring water and pressed his eyes tightly.

 

“Like it or not, we’re in the same boat. Right.”

 

“…”

 

“Lord Ernst.”

 

“You’re stating the obvious. I think the time wasted by Senior’s panic is more than the time I spent getting dressed.”

 

“No, this is a strategy meeting. Is this your first time meeting His Majesty the Emperor as Lucas Ascanien? If you meet him like this, you should greet him first…”

 

“I also know what to do. I’ve probably met him more times than Senior.”

 

“…”

 

Mecklenburg was silent. He didn’t glare at me or scold me. He just looked straight ahead. Then, he opened his mouth again only when I was looking at my wristwatch.

 

“I don’t dare presume to guess His Majesty the Emperor’s intentions.”

 

“So what. You seem to be doing that even now.”

 

I wondered if this was how Mecklenburg felt when he was making a fuss telling me to change clothes quickly earlier, and replied. Mecklenburg turned his head toward me and said with a soulless voice, yet with shaking eyes.

 

“But not now. Because you are Nicolaus Ernst. You must hear my speculation.”

 

* * *

 

“I pay my respects to His Majesty the Emperor.”

 

As soon as I entered the audience chamber, I saw the Emperor and greeted him. Mecklenburg, who followed me in, took off his hat, bowed his head, and spoke.

 

“Your Majesty, as you commanded, I have brought Prince Anhalt.”

 

“Lord Lucas Ascanien.”

 

The Emperor, who had been sitting with a benevolent face and gentle smile, stood up and extended his hand to me. His ‘friendly’ concept is still being maintained. I gently pulled up the corners of my mouth, lifting my cheek muscles. The Emperor continued speaking in a voice that was friendly and cheerful like meeting a distant nephew, yet with some strictness remaining.

 

“How long has it been, you’ve grown up so much. The Imperial Mage Association uniform suits you very well too.”

 

“It’s an honor.”

 

“Do you remember me?”

 

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

 

“Haha! We met when you were very young, so I thought you might not remember, but this is quite delightful.”

 

When very young—didn’t we meet when discussing whether to execute Lucas Ascanien or not? I don’t remember, but I read it in documents.

 

I replied with a smile instead of words and took my seat.

 

Of course, there were other occasions when he appeared in my daily life as someone other than Nicolaus. From joining the Imperial Mage Association, all the medals and merit badges were received in his name. Dasrote had also written articles linking me and the Emperor, and if this counts as a meeting too, we were in the same space—the event venue—at Penthalon.

 

“The hero of Penthalon.”

 

“…”

 

At those sudden words, the air instantly turned cold.

 

If that topic comes up…

 

Hearing about Penthalon from none other than the ‘Emperor’ would be somewhat problematic. Hearing it from the one who hosted Penthalon, and who also got saddled with all sorts of diplomatic problems and image deterioration from the Penthalon terror attack, would naturally be… problematic. As the eyes looking at me narrowed, a chill circled around my nape. Mecklenburg, who gulped, answered on my behalf from beside me.

 

“There can be no disagreement about Lord Ascanien’s outstanding abilities, but the true hero is Your Majesty. Without Your Majesty’s excellent personnel selection, today would not exist.”

 

The Emperor just lightly raised the corners of his mouth at that tense voice, then looked at me and said.

 

“This time too, I heard that both the Brandenburg Archdiocese and Munich-Freising Archdiocese were all concluded by Lord Ascanien’s hand.”

 

“It was only possible because of the Association seniors and colleagues. Especially thanks to His Majesty Albertina Hohenzollern and Lord Albert Mecklenburg making excellent decisions at the right time, we were able to achieve such results.”

 

“Our Empire has gained a very excellent mage. That aside, I also heard from your father that Anhalt’s charitable medical business is proceeding smoothly. Lord Ascanien seems to be doing various things simultaneously.”

 

“…”

 

I can see Mecklenburg’s fingertips flinch. I didn’t look in that direction and listened attentively to the Emperor’s words.

 

“I’m worried it might be difficult handling rampage incidents for headquarters and taking care of this and that all at once. How is it?”

 

“It’s not difficult at all. I’m truly delighted to be able to work for His Majesty and the people.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that, but please don’t overwork yourself.”

 

“I will keep that in mind.”

 

The Emperor smiled briefly, then straightened his expression and spoke.

 

“The reason I called you here today is because of a recent incident. I heard you were bitten on the neck by Ishmael Prophet. Even now, the skin color on your neck doesn’t look good.”

 

“Yes, but with a little more time to heal, I can return to duty without any problems.”

 

“Your colleague was also harmed in this incident. I know he still hasn’t regained consciousness.”

 

The Emperor continued speaking without giving me time to respond.

 

“What’s somewhat puzzling is that Pleroma claimed Ishmael Prophet had not been baptized, and they even provided proof of this. While we can’t believe everything they say, according to the Ministry of Magic who conducted additional experiments, Ishmael Prophet truly had not been baptized.”

 

“…”

 

Those experiments are ultimately just ‘induction’ and aren’t accurate. But… why is he bringing this up?

 

The Emperor looked out the window, then turned his gaze to me. Then he asked a question that sounded meaningful.

 

“Count Ascanien. What does that mean?”

 

“It means he can survive without blood-sucking.”

 

The Emperor just stared at me quietly. An eternity-like silence passed. Mecklenburg, who had been sitting with a pale face, looked somewhat puzzled, then understanding the Emperor’s intent, added:

 

“…It also means he doesn’t feel the urge to suck blood.”

 

“Exactly. However, our Empire doesn’t know precisely why Ishmael Prophet drank Count Ascanien’s blood. Count Ascanien, though it pains me to ask this of you as the victim, do you know why Ishmael Prophet bit your neck?”

 

“…”

 

I know.

 

Ismailov absorbed my ability and thus gained the power to absorb magical energy through blood-sucking. As a result, when his core was destroyed and he faced the crisis of death, he felt the urge to suck blood to replenish his depleted magical power. It’s a simple story.

 

However, this is a fact that no one else in this room should know.

 

Tick—

 

The sound of a second hand, whether from my wristwatch or someone’s pocket watch, scratches at my ears. The steady rhythm of gear sounds grew louder with each repetition.

 

Mecklenburg didn’t look at me. I could easily sense that he was doing this deliberately. The rumor of having Pleroma traits—that had followed Luca throughout his life and was now my given fate. He knew that I now had to project the rumors that had clung to Lucas Ascanien’s life onto Ismailov, the ‘real Pleroma.’ The twisted interests from various directions made my head ache. His consideration didn’t feel like consideration to me. I also didn’t look at him, nor did I turn my gaze elsewhere. My only answer was to look at the Emperor with eyes full of fighting spirit, wanting to resist injustice and show loyalty to the Emperor, and speak.

 

“I don’t know either. However, I thought he might have possessed Pleroma qualities enough for Pleroma to designate him as their messiah. As you know, those with Pleroma qualities have the disposition to replenish magical power through blood.”

 

“…”

 

At least in this moment, Mecklenburg didn’t show unnecessary compassion that would later become poison. The Emperor listened to my words with an expressionless face and spoke. Click—the sound of gears turning one notch could be heard.

 

“As I mentioned earlier, when we conducted the trait experiment on Ishmael Prophet, he showed no such blood-sucking urges.”

 

“…”

 

I remained silent, then looked directly at the Emperor with clear eyes.

 

“May I dare to share my thoughts?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“I believe Pleroma sent Ishmael Prophet down to use him as a signal flare for the apocalypse. They must have been counting down to the day when his core’s energy would be depleted, causing a massive rampage phenomenon. A rampage phenomenon hundreds or thousands of times greater than what I experienced that day. Before that day came, they would have needed to take measures so no one would know of his qualities. Since that technology belongs only to Pleroma, perhaps we haven’t discovered it yet.”

 

The Emperor slowly nodded and smiled broadly.

 

“An excellent perspective. I was right to call Count Ascanien. Then, do you know what other special abilities Count Ismailov might have?”

 

Tick.

 

The sound of the second hand continues to pierce my ears. I answered immediately.

 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know.”

 

The Emperor nodded and raised the corners of his mouth.

 

“That would be the case. If Pleroma sent him to be used as a weapon, they wouldn’t have made it easy to discover. Now then, Count Ascanien.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“If you need any assistance regarding this incident, please speak now. Since you are like a sacred being to our Empire, you will surely make decisions that benefit the Empire’s future.”

 

“…”

 

Mecklenburg seemed somewhat flustered and finally glanced sideways at me. He had reason to be flustered. Why me? There are investigators for this. I quietly looked at the Emperor and faintly raised the corners of my mouth.

 

“Those are heavy words for me. Your Majesty, I am merely a mage. I possess no information or anything else to solve this incident.”

 

It was the right answer. Mecklenburg let out a short sigh of relief. The Emperor deliberately hardened his expression at those words and scolded me.

 

“That’s not true at all. For our German Empire and Prussia, Count Ascanien is no different from our future. How can you not know this fact?”

 

I only smiled at the Emperor’s words. Completely backing down here wouldn’t be right. Not in terms of political standing. I had no choice but to turn around safely.

 

“Then, Your Majesty. I’m sorry, but may I deliberate further and convey my thoughts in writing?”

 

If I came up with ideas to utilize the Emperor, the letter would convey my opinions, but if not, I would visit numerous institutions—the Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Magic, and magical scholars—and report those results to the Emperor. The Emperor opened his mouth in response to my answer.

 

“Of course…”

 

Knock knock—

 

Someone knocked on the door. At that sound, the Emperor gestured to me and raised his voice.

 

“Excuse me for a moment. Come in.”

 

A servant opened the door and spoke to the Emperor.

 

“Your Majesty, he has arrived.”

 

“Now? He arrived quickly.”

 

The Emperor looked at his watch and muttered to himself, then stood up. I caught a glimpse of Mecklenburg’s jaw muscles stiffening. A silhouette was visible beyond the still-open door.

 

“I greet His Majesty the Emperor.”

 

A voice that was gentle yet somehow unstable. Mecklenburg stood up following the Emperor, and I did the same. I turned halfway toward the door and looked at the person beyond it. My heart began beating faster and faster. Somewhat disheveled bright blonde hair, blue eyes, and formal attire unfamiliar to me caught my attention. The visitor removed his hat and spoke to the Emperor.

 

“I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s consideration.”

 

“How could I refuse this request when your family has suffered a misfortune?”

 

The Emperor smiled warmly. This moment seemed to drag on forever. The visitor smiled at the Emperor, then immediately turned his head toward me. I pulled up my facial muscles to smile and extended my hand. But making my attempt at a handshake meaningless, an unfamiliar arm pulled my shoulder toward him. A finely trembling voice pierced directly into my ear.

 

“Luca.”

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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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