How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 400

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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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Screech— Clatter—

 

The noise of the city flows from all directions. I stepped down from the imperial carriage and raised my head. Behind Unter den Linden, in front of a manor on a street I had never visited before.

 

“You have arrived.”

 

A servant from the manor had been waiting at the gate, took our luggage, and went inside. As we walked through the main gate along the path through the garden, Adrian Ascanien, who stood beside me, smiled and asked.

 

“How is it?”

 

“This is my first time here. It’s refreshing.”

 

‘Luca’ had never been to this place. I was setting foot for the first time in Adrian Ascanien’s Berlin manor, not Anhalt.

 

“Do you like it?”

 

I raised my head to look at the distant neo-Renaissance gray manor. The manor’s roof was made of low-saturation ash gray, which matched well with the limestone eagle statue decorated at its end. The manor was a moderately sized building, neither too large nor too small, but the garden was sufficiently spacious and natural, as if a part of the forest had been transplanted. Light green ivy, carefully tended by devoted hands, hung harmoniously on the walls, and unlike the current generation Mecklenburg-Strelitz castle that insisted on Chinese-style landscaping, the trees here maintained their natural appearance. A warbler’s nest was built on the well-grown crape myrtle branches, and small birds flew back and forth across the sky. I silently watched their gliding and smiled.

 

“It’s wonderful. It’s a house befitting you, Hyung.”

 

“….”

 

Adrian Ascanien’s eyes widened. I tilted my head slightly, wondering why he was like that, but when no answer came, I asked directly.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“I don’t know how long it’s been since you smiled at my words.”

 

“Haven’t I smiled often?”

 

“I mean a brighter smile.”

 

Adrian Ascanien smiled with his eyes and lightly tapped his rounded cheeks. I looked at him silently and then smiled.

 

Silence followed after that. Adrian Ascanien walked following the servant, then looked straight ahead and casually remarked.

 

“You’ve grown a bit taller since I last saw you.”

 

“…You noticed.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. What do you mean of course? I’m not an elementary student who grows half a span in a few months, and I’m an Esper at the end of my growth period who has already exceeded average height—how much could I have grown in three months? Did he really notice my change through observation alone, or perhaps….

 

Even while deliberately changing my train of thought and acting calm, everything scratches and scratches and scratches again at my sharpened nerves.

 

“When I first bought this house, I pictured a future of living together with you, Luca. Later we’ll return to Anhalt, but when we’re all working as politicians of the Empire, we’ll need a house. We’ll have to live in Berlin at least until our thirties, won’t we.”

 

The future. I thought that while opening my mouth.

 

“Is that so. I can only say thank you for thinking of me.”

 

“I’m happy to fulfill that wish early.”

 

Adrian Ascanien smiled at me and then looked straight ahead. Only the sound of birds chirping under the sunset could be heard.

 

The interior of the manor was decorated harmoniously and simply like the nature outside. Since I didn’t know where my room was yet, I followed behind Adrian Ascanien. As I was storing everything that came into view, Adrian Ascanien entered his study. He looked at his room, which he was seeing after a long time, with precious eyes, examining it piece by piece, then caressed the leather-covered chair and sat in it with dignified posture. I stopped at the door out of courtesy, but also because I didn’t want to go inside, but he gestured with his hand for me to come in. When I approached him, he took something out of his desk drawer and held it out to me.

 

“Take it, Luca.”

 

What he held out was a key. Red, green, white. A copper key decorated with gems in Anhalt’s colors at its end. Having a guess about it, I moved my gaze to his eyes.

 

“It’s a master key. Use anywhere in this manor as you please.”

 

When I just looked at Adrian silently, he looked at my face and smiled.

 

“I told you. I’ve been hoping for this day.”

 

“….”

 

“Although you’ll be staying at the command headquarters quarters, since we can be together like this even briefly, I can ask for one thing I’ve been hoping for. I’d be grateful if you’d use it comfortably like your own home.”

 

For a moment, I felt as if his hand was strangling my throat. Ah, really…. Even talk of the ‘command headquarters’ and such, which he would naturally know about, makes my mouth go dry. I looked quietly into Adrian Ascanien’s face and raised the corners of my mouth.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Good. Then.”

 

Then?

 

I felt myself becoming increasingly anxious as I waited for his words to continue. Only Adrian Ascanien spoke quietly with a serious face.

 

“Let me look at your wound, Luca.”

 

“Why would you look at it, Hyung?”

 

Revulsion boiled up from deep within. My throat itches. Perhaps my windpipe. It wasn’t reflected in my voice. Only the natural question anyone would have remained in my voice. Even at my response, Adrian Ascanien wasn’t surprised. He just maintained his gentle expression and responded flexibly.

 

“As I said earlier, I plan to stay in this house until you recover, Luca. To think about what to do with my beloved younger brother and for how long, and what doctor to take you to, I need to know your condition, don’t I.”

 

‘…A doctor.’

 

He wants to examine my condition. Is it my imagination that those words sound ambiguous? Thump, my heart slowly rang against my eardrums. Adrian Ascanien pulled his body forward from leaning against the backrest and gestured with his hand. I looked down at him quietly and moved my hand to the tape on my neck instead of bending down.

 

“I’ll do it myself.”

 

“As you wish.”

 

Adrian Ascanien’s worried gaze lingered on each piece of tape as it fell off. The weight of this suffocating air makes me not know where to look. I held the completely removed dressing in my hand. Adrian looked at my neck, furrowed his brow, and pressed his lips together.

 

“…I heard it’s been three days, but it hasn’t healed at all.”

 

“It’s much better than at first.”

 

“Even so, this isn’t the healing speed a mage like you should show. Especially if you were at Bavaria National Medical Center.”

 

“….”

 

“Why is that.”

 

“Because my friend collapsed.”

 

I answered briefly and slowly closed and opened my eyes. When I spoke my next words, my gaze was on the floor.

 

“Even being awake is painful.”

 

Adrian Ascanien fell silent. I didn’t raise my head, but when his words came after a long while, his voice had sunk more quietly than before.

 

“It reminds me of the old days.”

 

“….”

 

“Rest well. I’ll call a doctor in the evening, so you can sleep or read a book, or if there’s anything you want to eat, you can tell the kitchen. Mr. Siller will guide you to your room.”

 

He smiled with a tired face. The long train journey must have been exhausting. I looked toward the door where he was lightly gesturing. If it’s Mr. Siller, he must be a servant. A servant would be standing outside the room.

 

‘More than that, …he’s telling me to go in and rest.’

 

Without asking anything about my constitution, without testing, without taking me to a hospital? Not even spending time with me?

 

I had already made full preparations. I had checked the retry points, confirmed the performance of the necklace cord, pendant, and watch whose functions I had changed, and coordinated codes with Mecklenburg. I also briefly contacted my friends. Due to time constraints, I mostly made one-sided notifications and couldn’t hear responses. But Adrian Ascanien was saying he would just leave me alone without dealing with me.

 

‘I have no choice but to wait a bit longer.’

 

The motivation for telling me to come to Italy over the weekend couldn’t have disappeared overnight.

 

I bowed my head and turned around. As soon as his face disappeared from my view, I felt as if the muscles that had been stiffly rigid lost their place and collapsed. Similarly, this wasn’t my reaction. But at the same time, since I feel it, it’s mine. I put strength in my legs and slowly turned around. His eyes looking at me curved gently. Say anything you want to say. I could feel that meaning just from his gaze. I smiled the same smile as him and relaxed the tension in my shoulders.

 

“I’m happy to have time together with you after so long, Hyung. Coming to the place where you lived is also an incomparable honor for me.”

 

“This place is your….”

 

“However, I still don’t know for what reason you intend to stay with me until my neck heals.”

 

“….”

 

“It’s just an injury that will heal if left alone, Hyung.”

 

I showed him the same gentle smile, conveying not to worry and expressing gratitude.

 

Rustle—

 

Wind blew in from the open window. Adrian Ascanien paid no attention to the sound of the muslin curtains behind him fluttering and only gazed gently into my eyes.

 

“Work is good, but family comes first, doesn’t it. I came for your health, so I want to spend time for you, Luca.”

 

“….”

 

Good. His purpose of wanting to monitor me remains, so why is he taking his time? I smiled and nodded.

 

“Please use this place. Stay comfortably.”

 

The room I received following the servant was neat. I carefully stepped onto the wooden floor, but I didn’t warp anywhere, nor was there any detectable magic power. After the servant left, I touched the furniture in the room one by one, examining for magic power. To make inspection easy, the room had only furniture, with no personal belongings or interior decorative items.

 

[To my beloved younger brother]

 

One letter on the desk, one bottle of wine. That was all. I unfolded the letter. It was a one-page letter beginning with “I write this on the train, waiting only for the time to meet you.” A sentence caught my eye saying that when we actually meet, there won’t be much time to spend looking at each other’s faces.

 

I felt myself losing balance and sat on the bed. Then I leaned diagonally against the headboard. It was the first peace I’d felt since the past three hours. Even though the room was filled with the scent of unfamiliar lily of the valley air freshener and furnished with furniture I’d never used even once.

 

‘Damn.’

 

Damn…. No, I need to watch the persimmon tree right now. I should be able to wait under the persimmon tree for persimmons to fall to catch and eat them—what use is thinking about the persimmon tree from 100km away from it?

 

‘I came all this way. I came all this way, only to become this distant….’

 

The rosary and wooden cross that could teleport were right in front of me. If I can’t leave this place, it’s all for nothing. Was it too early to think I could catch the culprit who made Haike like that in just three days? The time when I didn’t even know Mikhail Ismailov’s real name was Yuri Alekseyev was three days ago in this place’s time, so I squeezed out all my strength to climb from 0 to 95 in just three days of this place’s time, but suddenly a new obstacle appeared. Someone related to my constitution that I’d been avoiding by all means every time.

 

‘…Things did go well.’

 

Emmanuel would look at me with an expression asking what nonsense I’m talking about if he heard this, but anyway. Since returning from the extra chapter, I’d been running only on solid paths paved with information. But for someone full of incentives to dig into the problem of my constitution to come to me.

 

Shamelessly human as I am, I hope for luck. I tried calling the system for the first time in a while, wondering if it might provide some help, but the system didn’t respond. It only displayed my status window, which now seemed meaningless.

 

I leaned my head against the wall with my eyes closed, then turned my body to lean my shoulder against the backrest.

 

‘There’s exactly one reason Adrian Ascanien came all the way here.’

 

To examine my constitution. My constitution that changed after the Ash Wednesday ceremony. That’s all. But why isn’t he acting? Does he have plenty of time so he’ll take it leisurely?

 

‘If by any chance he’s already certain.’

 

Then there’d be no reason to examine it. If he’s already certain, his current leisurely behavior makes sense, but there’d be no reason to come all the way here.

 

He said he’d call a doctor and wait until I recover, so he has plenty of time. Plenty of opportunities too. If he holds his breath, I also need to hold my breath and watch how he acts.

 

Unlike before, Fai isn’t here now. Only the fading evening glow and wind, and the sound of horse hooves from carriages taken by families and lovers dispersing from the opera house in the distance remained. I waited leaning against the bed by the window until strength returned to my body, then ransacked the manor and found the library. Then I pulled out a moderately worn book and brought it to my room.

 

I don’t know what state of mind I read with. A doctor will come to me soon. A Prussian doctor. That fact scattered the letters of the book.

 

When I was halfway through the book, a servant knocked on the door.

 

Knock knock—

 

“Please come in.”

 

“Your Grace, a doctor has come from the Imperial Central Hospital.”

 

“….”

 

What was bound to come has come. I closed the book and stood up. Then the doctor behind the servant waved his hands dismissively and approached me.

 

“Please sit down. I’ll just quickly check your condition, prescribe some medicine, and then leave. I’m Bridget Ostermann. I came at the request of Adrian Ascanien, Vice Minister of the Magic Department. It’s an honor to be able to treat Lucas Ascanien.”

 

“I’ve heard about it.”

 

I smiled, greeted him, and sat down. I looked outside the room, but Adrian Ascanien wasn’t there. Why? The doctor set down his medical bag and sat next to me. He put on gloves and examined my neck, then raised his eyebrows and nodded as if satisfied with something. I glanced at him and asked the servant.

 

“Do you know where Hyung is?”

 

“Ah, I just stopped by on my way here and he was working.”

 

It wasn’t the servant but the doctor who answered. I was about to narrow my eyes but stopped and replied, “I see. Thank you.”

 

‘He calls for a doctor and then just leaves me alone…’

 

What a strange strategy. If that’s the case, then why call a doctor?

 

The doctor examined my neck and said with a satisfied expression.

 

“The sutures are well done. I heard you fell into a river, but there’s no problematic infection either. The treatment must have been quick.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“I heard you were receiving treatment in Bavaria. The Bavarian National Medical Institute has excellent skills, doesn’t it? I also graduated from Bavaria Medical University, so seeing Adrian Ascanien brings back memories. This wound is just a matter of time now, so you just need to apply ointment until the stitches are removed. It’s a magical medicine, so it should work quickly.”

 

He handed me an ointment in a tin case, gave me the usual advice not to turn my neck too severely and not to engage in strenuous activities, then left. The doctor didn’t channel magic through my core or neck, nor did he check my pulse. He just made small talk about graduating from Bavaria Medical University and examined my condition with his eyes before leaving.

 

He didn’t come under orders to find problems with my constitution, but truly came just for a medical examination? Why?

 

I stared at the tightly closed door and buttoned up my shirt.

 

It was late at night when I met Adrian Ascanien again. The servant knocked on my room, confirmed I was awake, and led me to the living room downstairs.

 

Unlike earlier, Adrian Ascanien, dressed in moderately comfortable clothes, smiled brightly when he saw me.

 

“I heard you called for me.”

 

“Let’s have a glass of wine, Luca.”

 

“….”

 

I stared at the glass filled with red liquid. My throat went dry. I couldn’t use a testing kit in this situation. I couldn’t purify it with divine power either. My heartbeat pounded in my head.

 

“To think the day would come when I’d drink with my younger brother somewhere other than a meal.”

 

“There are many new things, Hyung.”

 

“There have to be many.”

 

He smiled clearly and took a sip of wine.

 

“Luca.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I wanted the world to recognize your talent and qualities, but at the same time, I also hoped it wouldn’t.”

 

“….”

 

I looked at him silently.

 

He’s telling me this directly? The plan to make me feel at ease with such a confession, then make me drink and send me to my grave is… no. He’s not such a simple-minded person. I’m starting to get a sense of it. At this point…

 

“I wanted you to stay in the safe garden called Ascanien. The outside is too dangerous. Especially for you.”

 

Especially for me. It sounds meaningful, but it’s dangerous to ask back just because I feel guilty. In a natural situation, thoughts would flow toward it being naturally dangerous because of the bad image from childhood scandals.

 

I need to know what he came for so I can prepare after turning back time, so I won’t refuse his drink. Though he probably won’t do something so simple-minded. I took a sip of the wine he poured.

 

“The public’s love is sweet, but you never know when it might disappear like a mirage. The storms that hit life make the ship we’re on old and eventually break it sooner. Even if we replace the planks, I’ll already be broken and gone in the sea.”

 

“….”

 

“After being renewed countless times like that, I become an existence far removed from my original self. Ironically, even when I need to move with my original heart, there are times when I must give up purity to realize that purity. Even if it’s the last remaining bridgehead connecting my childhood to me, even if it’s a piece I absolutely don’t want to lose, there are times when I must give up the purity and passion I hold in my heart in order not to lose it.”

 

I looked into his eyes silently. His eyes and mine were surely shining with the same light right now.

 

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

 

I didn’t answer. I just took a sip of wine.

 

However, if I had really been as young as Luca or had never stood before the public, I might have thought he was making excuses that weren’t honorable to himself. I knew what he was acting. I understood. What kind of image he wanted.

 

“To protect what I love, I inevitably have to step on other things to rise. Whether it’s my childhood or my purity.”

 

“….”

 

“…Maybe it wouldn’t have been like this if humanity hadn’t had the Neolithic Revolution.”

 

He rested his chin on his hand and threw out nonsense with a clear smile. I sneered at his intended comfort and naturalness, wondering if I should applaud, and looked at the fireplace. The sound of sparks. I stared at the contrast between darkness and the afterglow of fire, then closed my eyes. A dream-like voice mingling with the flickering flames reached me.

 

“I sometimes think about what it would be like if we were in Eden.”

 

“….”

 

“In a place where there’s no Anhalt or anything else.”

 

“You have a rich imagination.”

 

I replied like that and committed the atmosphere of this moment to memory. Even if I pretended to be calm on the surface, it was certain. It was worth remembering.

 

“I’ll confess, Luca. I was worried about you when you tried to step before the public early this year. I knew well that once you took that step, there would be no way back.”

 

“You didn’t need to worry. I stepped forward because I couldn’t return.”

 

Adrian Ascanien nodded and continued in a low voice.

 

“And at the same time, my heart was heavy. Heavy about what, you ask.”

 

“….”

 

“It was wrong for people to make you a target and turn you into gossip. But the arrows of public criticism are generally atypical and variable, so you can be criticized even for things that shouldn’t be criticized, and even for things that should be criticized, there are times when you have to pay several times the price beyond that degree.”

 

So. I looked at him, but he only looked at the movement of the fireplace flames.

 

“I thought about the possibility of the public’s blade coming to my neck. Like today, I could see that the public would try to drive us apart.”

 

“….”

 

“If that happens, I can’t protect you no matter what happens. My honor and reputation are yours too.”

 

Of course he would. When I have problems—including unjustified criticism from the public—he can use the trust the public shows him to protect me. It’s honor built on such a foundation already. That’s what he was talking about.

 

“My heart of loving you is always sincere, but declaring that to the public and giving interviews wasn’t something my heart told me to do. That was something my head told me to do.”

 

Ah. I raised the corners of my mouth. I feel nauseous. He’s talking about when I applied for the military academy document screening, the day when the fact that I could use magic was first known nationwide. The day the Imperial Newspaper published Adrian Ascanien’s interview. Since he only said praise supporting me, this isn’t even something to apologize for. The intention of apologizing for something that’s not even worth apologizing for is clear.

 

“That’s my most recent memory of having to give up innocence for my love. Will you forgive me?”

 

Let me put it simply. He noticed that I don’t truly regard him as a good older brother, that I’m wary of him, and he was guessing and apologizing for what made me feel that way. Now sitting before me was a compassionate person with perfect kindness, facing his younger brother seven years apart and in pain. Not a born killer.

 

“How about going to the cathedral for confession, Hyung.”

 

I showed Adrian Ascanien, who tilted his head with a gentle smile, the same smile.

 

“But of course. It’s not something you need to ask my forgiveness for. I always feel Hyung’s grace deep in my soul.”

 

I could see deep, deep happiness spreading across Adrian Ascanien’s face.

 

“Now it’s different.”

 

“….”

 

“Now I can truly talk about you with joy, Luca. I wanted you to be peaceful in Ascanien’s embrace, but that’s not your happiness. Now I know that.”

 

I looked at Adrian Ascanien. He looked at me with sincere eyes.

 

“That you’re now pursuing your own happiness.”

 

“….”

 

“I’ll support you, Luca.”

 

His deep voice rang clearly in front of the fire. I answered with a smile.

 

Good.

 

Adrian Ascanien has no intention of checking my constitution.

 

Even if I couldn’t know the reason, his will was firm. For some reason, he wanted to remain a ‘caring older brother.’

 

That was my conclusion.

 

That meant I didn’t need to wait any longer.

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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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