How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 406

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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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“That….”

 

I blinked my eyes and rolled them in all directions under Betin’s persistent gaze.

 

“It’s certainly bewildering.”

 

“Haha!”

 

“…Hmm…. You’ve been watching since Penthalon, you said. You took notice during Penthalon and then at headquarters too….”

 

“That’s right. Well, actually this is the third time I’ve seen you use magic. Penthalon, Corviniano, and today.”

 

“Right.”

 

Everyone’s like that. Excluding casting spells with a staff and launching attacks, today would practically be the second time using a sword primarily. During Corviniano there was no time to pay attention to others’ skills, so today could be considered the first time a memorable match was arranged. As I looked at Betin with a puzzled expression, he turned an empty elixir bottle upside down, shook it into his mouth, and continued speaking.

 

“But before that, during strategy games too, it was quite amusing watching you crush my peers. During the firearms incident too, you deliberately stepped forward and stirred things up, didn’t you? You completely ignored Albert Mecklenburg’s orders as if they were just a dog barking….”

 

“That was….”

 

Stirring things up—that might seem like mere rookie bravado to you with your current ethical standards, but for me as a 21st century person, it was natural. Also, as someone who believes state power cannot have the arbitrary right to classify which citizens are worth saving and which aren’t during disaster situations, I couldn’t help but resist orders to shoot everyone for efficiency’s sake. As I hardened my expression and tried to continue speaking, Betin leaned back against his chair and laughed.

 

“Most decisively, that blockhead Albert hated you so damn much that I became completely interested.”

 

“….”

 

I let go of all expectations and just smiled.

 

Regardless of his backward ethics, calling him a blockhead… that’s not even close to accurate. Even as a metaphor, if someone who graduated second from the Empire’s finest educational institution gets called that, what about the remaining 99% of students? Right. At this point, it was best not to think too deeply about this person’s words.

 

Anyway, from how he carelessly spouts unrefined words, this person and I don’t seem to match very well. However, wouldn’t such honest—to put it nicely, honest—personality sometimes be helpful? He opened his mouth while looking at me.

 

“Personality isn’t unrelated to combat style. And we confirmed that today too.”

 

Betin twisted one corner of his mouth while looking at me. I met his gaze.

 

“I liked your personality of biting and hanging on until you win. How about it? Want to try working with me?”

 

* * *

 

In short, he likes me because I resemble him.

 

Mecklenburg connected me to a good relationship. Mecklenburg’s obvious display of dislike toward me partly contributed to Nepomucena Betin acting so proactively.

 

“Senior.”

 

And now, I entered an empty conference room to meet Mecklenburg. A-class matches were still ongoing, but since our turns were over, it was fine. Mecklenburg, looking somewhat tired, blinked at me in greeting. Whether fighting among A-class students was difficult for everyone, his eyes also had burst blood vessels like mine, and a faint smell of blood wafted from around him. I suppressed my mana from surging and asked a question I didn’t mean.

 

“Did you win?”

 

“Obviously.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

At that reaction, Mecklenburg narrowed his eyes and turned his head. Once again, I had to speak first.

 

“Why did you call me?”

 

“I met your brother. He called me to the supervisor’s office while you were competing.”

 

“….”

 

Adrian Ascanien? I expected he would want to verify things, but wasn’t the timing too blatant? As I was lost in thought, Mecklenburg rubbed his nape and frowned.

 

“No, more than that… you practiced for six hours?! How was I supposed to keep up? And you didn’t even tell me…!”

 

“Please continue to work well with me. I’ll borrow this for a bit.”

 

“This….”

 

He tried to snap back with something more, but lacking energy, he just exhaled deeply and nodded.

 

“Will you hear about the external situation first, or about your brother first?”

 

“Say whichever first.”

 

“…Let’s go in order. External situation first. Adrian Ascanien supervising training and strategy won’t last long.”

 

“Well, isn’t he handling it during his vacation?”

 

“For more fundamental reasons, it can’t last long. Soon we’ll be deployed on a new operation.”

 

“….”

 

I rubbed my chin and nodded. That’s right. Setting the framework before that operation begins would be Adrian Ascanien’s assigned task.

 

“‘Pleroma will break negotiations soon.’ That’s the government’s claim. This conclusion was reached based on information Adrian Ascanien brought. So from the beginning, Adrian Ascanien came to Germany for two things. Checking your injury and briefly handling government affairs in Germany.”

 

“Without Hyung, things don’t function properly.”

 

At my casually thrown remark, Mecklenburg glared. What to do about that hostility. I asked another question for confirmation.

 

“But you said Hyung doesn’t know about Ishmailov’s existence.”

 

“At least the government didn’t inform him. Regardless of the task’s importance, they made sure only the minimum necessary personnel knew. But in this case, wasn’t Pleroma preparing for the next operation by extending their reach overseas too?”

 

I nodded. I understood this part well.

 

“What exactly was the information?”

 

“I don’t know about that either.”

 

Well, fine. Would they tell you that much? If I had to guess, the most likely scenario is that Pleroma will make a specific ‘decision’ in response to the movements of the mage organization hiding behind the French Imperial Family as a shield. Their operation had already begun with releasing Ishmailov to the surface, and now how Pleroma responds will determine the fate of the operation using Ishmailov. The numerous possibility theories Elias made will be confirmed here.

 

Mecklenburg changed the subject.

 

“Let’s talk about your brother. To be direct, I don’t know whether he fell for your deception or not. Most of A-class was fooled into thinking you learned from me.”

 

“….”

 

“Adrian did ask me if I’d ever taught you, but that’s not perfect proof he fell for this charade. Do you understand?”

 

“I know.”

 

“And.”

 

Mecklenburg spoke sharply as soon as my words ended, somewhat irritably for some reason, then squeezed his eyes shut, pondered, and sighed deeply.

 

“…He asked me….”

 

“What?”

 

“To become an adult you can trust and rely on.”

 

“….”

 

“What’s with that expression?”

 

“Ah… sorry. I couldn’t help myself. That can’t be all, so please tell me in more detail.”

 

“That’s the end of it. As you know, Adrian can’t stay here long. Even after Adrian leaves Germany, he asked me to help so you won’t be harmed and collapse from public criticism and schemes.”

 

“….”

 

I maintained the same expression and lowered my eyes.

 

‘I expected he would want to verify things, but wasn’t the timing choice too blatantly unlike Adrian Ascanien?’ When the expression ‘blatant’ is used here, what’s the premise?

 

Hyung wants to bury and kill me.

 

This is the premise. Calling Mecklenburg during my match is somewhat hasty and seems to blatantly reveal the above premise. But what if the premise itself doesn’t hold?

 

Calling Mecklenburg right after confirming combat style, that is, during my match, would be hasty for ‘an older brother in the middle of succession politics,’ but it’s not particularly unnatural for ‘an older brother whose younger sibling spent his whole life sick and confined at home but just started walking the path of a combat mage.’ Rather, it’s extremely natural.

 

There are two possibilities.

 

First, this could be a calculation disguised as an uncalculated move, performing the role of the kindest brother more than anyone.

 

Second….

 

“Haven’t you been plagued by rumors that you can absorb others’ mana by drinking blood? Considering who you are now, it seems like complete nonsense to me, but stories about how you instinctively drained mana as a child and killed animals and servants….”

 

Mecklenburg’s words scatter at my ears. I twisted my unmoving lip muscles to raise the corner of my mouth.

 

Second.

 

Second….

 

The sound of clock hands that hung in the church. The resonance of the chalice that fell on Ash Wednesday tears through my mind. The blood on Mecklenburg’s clothes, the blood that flowed over his stomach in that now-vanished time, the blood that was held in my hands overlaps with this place now. The core movement I’m suppressing now mixes and disappears in my head.

 

“…I don’t think that’s true, but anyway, this moment when you’ve only recently become a true subject rather than Pleroma is the first happiness you’ve obtained. Adrian seemed to hope that wouldn’t be broken. But he only ‘seemed’ to. As you know, Adrian Ascanien is someone who applies thorough calculation to every word, glance, and action. So….”

 

Mecklenburg withholds continuing his words and swallows. His irises wander meaninglessly around the desk and the floor beyond instead of meeting my eyes.

 

I know. You won’t be certain. Even though you’ve watched Adrian Ascanien longer than me, even longer than Luca, you’re only his friend, not family bound by blood.

 

I revise my strategy. This person doesn’t know who between me and Adrian is telling the truth right now. And I don’t know either. The current me, the innocence of a patchwork boat already repaired several times, can be confidently asserted, but there’s no way to explain that ancient existence made of planks blown away by waves. I’d like to know myself. The choices remaining to me now are three. One is taking the same strategy as Adrian Ascanien. Another is pushing forward with the existing strategy. And the last is.

 

I looked at Mecklenburg’s eyes directed toward empty space.

 

“Your head must be very complicated right now.”

 

“Hmm…?”

 

“Others will react like you too, so I understand. Do as your heart tells you, Senior. Thank you for coming to inform me.”

 

“What, what are you thinking… Wait!”

 

I left the flustered Mecklenburg behind and kicked off the ground to warp. The warp point entering the waiting room appeared before my eyes.

 

* * *

 

Making my vigilance meaningless, Adrian Ascanien hadn’t shown his face all day since the first morning greeting. It was as Mecklenburg said. Having returned to Germany, he was busy moving between government departments to establish anti-Pleroma strategy and often holed up in the supervisor’s office. Truly ‘making my vigilance meaningless.’ If this is the case, what was his reason for coming here?

 

Really just because he obtained Pleroma’s plans?

 

Really to check my injury status? Just that?

 

“….”

 

What if believing he has some impure intention is my error?

 

“Ah, Chairman.”

 

Currently, I had processed a rampage report, briefly went out with Narke to change appearances, then met with the Hermetic Society chairman as Nicolaus. Quite complicated, but unavoidable. Since Pleroma was planning their next action soon, my side couldn’t just wait around either. And now we had finished talking and everyone was about to leave.

 

At my call, the chairman raised his eyebrows and turned around. I handed him a blue paper. It was a memo folded into a small note shape.

 

“This just fell from your secretary’s files.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

The chairman gestured to his secretary to check it. The secretary took the paper with a puzzled expression, unfolded it, and tilted his head.

 

“…What is this…? This isn’t something I wrote.”

 

“Is that so? But it just fell from your file.”

 

“What?”

 

The chairman took the paper from his secretary. He suddenly made a serious expression and spoke in a tense voice.

 

“Ernst. This is…”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“This was definitely sent by whoever left the rosary in our storage room. Look at this.”

 

He held out the paper with a grave expression. On the stiff blue paper, a large circle was drawn in black ink, with a black dot in the center. There were no other notable features.

 

“The artistic skill of whoever drew this isn’t very good, but this is definitely an alchemical symbol.”

 

“Alchemy, you say.”

 

“That’s right. These two circles drawn like this are symbols representing gold in alchemy.”

 

“Gold… But why would they need to convey gold?”

 

“There must be a hidden meaning here. We occult enthusiasts don’t make codes simple. Writing down information that looks worthless at first glance is the basics of encryption. I wonder what might happen regarding gold in the future. Just recently, part of a pharaoh’s necklace came up for auction…”

 

The chairman poured out words in an excited state after discovering occult elements. I turned the note around a few more times and shook it.

 

“May I take this?”

 

“Please do. There doesn’t seem to be anything special besides the gold.”

 

I took the note and returned to Narke’s face, then went back to Brandenburg where the headquarters was located.

 

After dinner, we agreed to meet briefly in the meeting room during squadron training time. Since I couldn’t go home, if we were going to talk, being stuck in this building was the best option.

 

I stopped by the residence briefly and then warped to the meeting room. After waiting about 30 minutes, all my friends gathered. I greeted Leo and Cheringen, who were already seated, with a nod and looked toward the door.

 

“Luca!”

 

At some point, whether he had secretly warped behind me, Elias’s hand struck my shoulder. He pulled out the chair next to me at the round table.

 

“When did you get here! Luca is always incredibly fast.”

 

“You’re the one who’s late.”

 

“No way?! Not this time. I came right on time.”

 

I glanced at the clock, chuckled softly, and nodded. Then, before getting into the serious discussion, I asked casually.

 

“How did the sparring go earlier? Did you win?”

 

“Oh, that. Mentally, you could say I won.”

 

“…”

 

So he lost. There aren’t many who can match his magical power, but since it’s a fight where victory and defeat are decided within 0.1 seconds, it was probably due to lack of technical skill or his reckless personality. I want to tell him to improve his technique scores. Elias whistled confidently and draped his arm over the chair, asking.

 

“So, why did you call us here?”

 

“Why indeed.”

 

I smiled and looked at Ulrike sitting across from me. Ulrike’s expression was somehow stiff.

 

“Luise. I want to ask you something about that wooden cross you said you lost back then.”

 

“Oh, ah! That thing.”

 

Ulrike didn’t know what to do with her arms, waving them around here and there, then licked her lips with her tongue.

 

“…But, guys. I want to talk about this first. I have something to show you.”

 

“What is it?”

 

Ulrike pulled something out of her pocket.

 

A blue note. My friends’ faces hardened. Ulrike opened her mouth with a sunken expression.

 

“I found this after eating. It was hanging on Haike’s cabinet handle. It felt somehow suspicious.”

 

“Haike’s cabinet?”

 

When Leo raised one eyebrow and asked back, Ulrike nodded. I took the note from her and unfolded it.

 

[48° 8′ 0″ S, 169° 34′ 0″ W]

 

“…”

 

“…If Haike were here, she would have immediately figured out who sent this, but since that’s not possible… I thought I should tell you guys.”

 

Coordinates.

 

Just as I, having completed mandatory education as a Korean, know Seoul’s approximate coordinates, people here similarly know their country’s capital coordinates at least once. 52° North, 13° East. However, there’s nothing that particularly overlaps with the numbers above… and the S and W after the numbers mean south latitude and west longitude.

 

“Hmm, Lucas.”

 

At Narke’s call, I quietly met his gaze. Since Narke smiled subtly and nodded, I turned my gaze to my friends. Then, Ulrike spoke with a stiff expression.

 

“I wondered if going here would help with something, or if it was some kind of warning to be careful of this place… but I realized these weren’t northern hemisphere coordinates. Why did this appear before me?”

 

“…Hmm, southern hemisphere. Anyone have a globe~”

 

Elias asked after being silent. Then Cheringen silently warped somewhere and brought back a map.

 

“169° West longitude.”

 

He muttered to himself and pointed at the map with his finger. The only land around that area was Alaska and Antarctica, and even then, there was nothing at the 48° South latitude line. Elias narrowed his eyes and spoke with dissatisfaction.

 

“It’s ocean? South Pacific? Are they telling us to go there and drown?”

 

“No land…?”

 

At Ulrike’s cautious question, Elias nodded.

 

“Just ocean. There’s a small British territory island to the northeast… but obviously its coordinates are different.”

 

Then Leo, who had been sitting quietly watching us, tilted his head and spoke.

 

“48 degrees.”

 

I looked at him and asked briefly.

 

“Why?”

 

“Not south latitude, but Munich is at 48° North latitude.”

 

“Ah~! Right. I thought that number in front looked somewhat familiar.”

 

When Elias clapped as if learning this for the first time, Leo smiled soullessly and shrugged. Leo must have thought that given Elias’s current attitude, he was definitely not cut out to be a ruler. However, thinking that he would later put him on the throne with his own hands, from a third party’s perspective, it couldn’t help but be amusing. And right now, aside from that problem…

 

I said while keeping my gaze fixed on the map.

 

“Accurate. Munich is indeed at 48° North latitude.”

 

“…”

 

As soon as I spoke, the surroundings became quiet as if they had been waiting. I had hoped for a chance to speak, but when this reaction hit me, I was slightly flustered. I tried to act nonchalant, stood up from my seat, looked for blank paper, and opened my mouth.

 

“Earlier when I went out, I heard ‘Writing down information that looks worthless at first glance is the basics of encryption…’ What do you think?”

 

No one opened their mouth. They would want to hear the answer first. I continued speaking.

 

“Coincidentally, the absolute value of the latitude falls within our country’s latitude range. Really coincidentally.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Elias made a nasal sound indicating he wanted more explanation. I spread out the paper and scribbled down letters.

 

“Let’s say the coordinates of a point on Earth’s surface are (φ, θ). Then what are the coordinates of the point opposite to it? Even thinking with common sense gives you the answer, but does anyone want to try?”

 

“Don’t know. Too bothersome. If you know, Luca, you write it.”

 

“Right, I thought it would be bothersome so I wrote it. It’s (−φ, θ ± 180°).”

 

“…”

 

Silence flowed. The corners of Elias’s mouth began to twist upward. Cheringen also propped his chin and made a hmm sound while tilting his head. I looked around at my friends and muttered.

 

“Coincidentally, the absolute values of latitude are the same. Right?”

 

“…Ah~ this isn’t a coincidence. The antipodal point of the coordinates written there is Munich.”

 

Elias hardened his expression, looked up at me, and continued.

 

“Right? Luca.”

 

That’s right.

 

48° N, 11° E. Munich. When I nodded, Leo, who had been quietly watching, furrowed his brow and spoke.

 

“I had my suspicions, but since it’s specifically Germany, it’s certain this note came to us.”

 

“Right. And before I came here, I discovered a note that looked like this too.”

 

“What?”

 

I drew a circle in the margin of the paper to show them.

 

“This.”

 

“What is that?”

 

“It was an alchemical symbol, apparently meaning gold. When I just saw that alone, I thought ‘I guess so,’ but…”

 

“That’s not the time to think ‘I guess so’? Those alchemy guys really love this kind of stuff.”

 

Elias spoke with a sarcastic attitude.

 

Right, he’s talking about symbols that lead to other symbols. Not just alchemy, but any field that has even slightly dabbled in the occult is like that. I gathered the note and paper together and asked.

 

“That’s right. In alchemy, gold represents the sun, and where does the sun lead? Since we have a location, it would be nice if we got some different information.”

 

No one opened their mouth. I looked in turn at Ulrike who was just blinking, Cheringen with twisted lips, Elias with a similar expression to Cheringen, and Leo holding his head. Good. Everyone had definitely thought of an answer, at least roughly.

 

I smiled and opened my mouth.

 

“This anonymous sender is telling us to meet in Munich. On Sunday.”

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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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