How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 464

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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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“This kid stole my money.”

Elias suddenly grabbed my collar and stood up from his seat, shouting. I was dragged along by him, watching all of this unfold in bewilderment. A rough-looking guard—or checkpoint employee—approached us, shining a flashlight on our faces. At that moment, I had an intuition. Ah, this won’t work. Since I was already forced onto the same boat, I’d have to go along with Elias from now on. I shook off the hand grabbing my collar and shouted, mimicking the voice and speech pattern characteristic of middle and high school students.

“Damn it, when did I ever!”

This was the first time I’d cursed at Elias like this, but he didn’t seem surprised at all and swung his hand toward my head with sharp eyes. I could see him winking with one eye, signaling that I did well, but still, seeing that face made me understand why students would cower when they saw Elias. Thanks to all the beatings I’d diligently received from Leo, I easily dodged his hand and bared my teeth as I threw a punch toward Elias’s jaw. I trusted Elias, but I was afraid he might not dodge it and cause an irreparable incident. Fortunately, the guard kicked us in the ribs and separated us.

“Hey hey hey! Stop, stop!”

“Where do you think you are, throwing punches in front of adults! Both of you, follow me!”

Wait, isn’t kicking us a bit too much? But I guess it couldn’t be helped since he might get hit while trying to break us up… Before falling to the ground, I braced myself with my elbow. The guard grabbed my collar and pulled me up. Elias was already being held by the hand, following another guard with a sulky expression. Elias looked back at me with his lips pursed. Then he grinned before the guard holding me could see.

* * *

“Your father works in trade, you say. But you steal your friend’s money! Not only that, but you steal it and then lie saying this friend stole it?”

The two guards who had detained us and headed to the checkpoint were actually checkpoint employees working the night shift. We were moved to a holding cell and were being scolded by an employee.

At this point, it would have been better to manipulate minds. What exactly are we doing this for… In the novel, Elias often staged such situations because he couldn’t use mind manipulation magic—though he never staged situations where he fought with the person next to him—but now there are two people who can use mind manipulation magic.

‘Why is Narke letting this slide?’

No matter how I think about it, he seems to want to build memories while he’s at it. Catching Papal States spies and having fun too—isn’t that what he wants? With a friend like Narke who goes even further, Elias acts up like this.

At the employee’s words, Elias made a sulky face and pointed at me, shouting.

“This friend has more money than me! He should share some with me!”

At those words, I wrinkled my nose bridge and brow, speaking in a stubborn voice.

“I, I didn’t get robbed! He’s lying.”

“Stop being prideful! If you got robbed, you should say you got robbed!”

The employee scolded us loudly, then handed me the money he had confiscated from Elias’s pocket.

“Normally, I wouldn’t return this since it happened during a fight between you two, but I’ll give it back thinking of the student.”

That’s originally Elias’s money. Those words rose to my throat. Taking the money, I pursed my lips, just nodded my head, and put the money in my pocket. I’ll have to return it later. Elias huffed and turned his head away sharply. The checkpoint employee was holding his forehead as if he had a headache, then suddenly asked with a face as if remembering something.

“Wait, come to think of it, where are you students from?”

Then Elias answered nonchalantly.

“I’m from this country.”

“No you’re not. Your German is mainland German, isn’t it?”

German was also used in this region. However, Swiss German and standard German differed greatly, so you could tell which country’s German someone was speaking just by listening. Elias played dumb and asked.

“Mainland? Is Bavarian mainland German?”

“Right, so you’re Bavarian. Why did a Bavarian come all the way here?”

“It’s just because my mother is Bavarian! I live down there!”

“Down there?”

Elias pointed behind with his thumb. Instantly, the checkpoint civil servant’s face darkened.

“You mean Italy?”

Wow, no way…

I was certain of what Elias’s plan was and inwardly admired it. I wanted to clap for him. Elias shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes.

“Well… maybe not.”

“Speak clearly!”

When the employee shouted, Elias also yelled back in response.

“Yes, we came over from Italy. So what!”

“So what, what do you mean so what?! What do your parents do! Did they come with you?”

“No. They’re just people living in Italy. Only me and him came.”

“So you two are friends but were fighting? More than that, you’re crazy. Show me your passports. I need to revoke the permits we gave you.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Why don’t you want to? Hurry up and hand them over!”

“Ah, why!”

“Where do your parents live? Looking at your clothes, you seem to be from well-off families, so give me the address. Or I’ll investigate using your surnames myself, so it would be better to tell me now.”

“You’ll send a letter? Even if you send a letter, it’ll take a week, so can I stay in Switzerland during that time?”

“I can send warp mail.”

“It’s overseas, what warp mail? That’s technology only used in special places.”

“Don’t talk back!”

The employee yelled and scolded Elias, then sat down with a suddenly exhausted face. He seemed to sense something strange about our appearance and asked with narrowed brows.

“Come to think of it, why are you students so tall? These kids would almost reach the ceiling. You look a bit oily too…”

At those words, Elias seemed quite startled, bent his waist, then quickly changed the subject and deflected.

“Mister, you’re tall too.”

“How tall are you?”

“I don’t know? I’m in my growth period. I haven’t measured recently so I don’t know.”

“Hmm… Student, you look well over 180cm. Are you an Esper?”

I narrowed my brows and raised my eyebrows. Meanwhile, Elias must have thought he absolutely had to survive, so he did something he would never do—that is, he made a strangely expectant face and swaggered.

“Do I look like one?”

“I guess not. Right, that makes sense too. What kind of Esper would fight like a crazy person on the street?”

“Why! They’re just human too.”

“Espers are much more intellectual than troublemakers like you.”

I suddenly became anxious and looked at Elias. It’s dangerous to get into this topic in front of Elias. Sure enough, Elias widened his eyes and opened his mouth, then scrunched up his face like when he heard praise for the Emperor.

“That’s not true! That’s just what adult Espers claim. Why do you believe such things? They’re all completely stupid people. Whoever it is, when people gain power, they can’t see anything and become stupid.”

I bit my lips and grabbed his thigh. The moment stories deeply related to the cause that made Elias live as he does now came up, he often couldn’t contain his anger and poured out words. It was something I had read about extensively since reading the fantasy novel with Elias as the protagonist, so I couldn’t not know. I understood his feelings, but it would be better not to do anything too conspicuous in this situation. Only then did Elias shut his mouth tight and pull down the corners of his mouth. However, the employee felt repulsed by Elias’s rebellious words and lectured him with a stern face.

“My goodness. This is the first time I’ve seen such an impudent fellow speak about noble lords like this. Why do you think they’re nobles? They became nobles because their ancestors did good things for the region and country from long ago. You can have complaints, but they’re not people you should speak so rudely about.”

I seriously considered whether I should cover the employee’s mouth or drag Elias out, but it was already too late. Just before the words ended, Elias shouted with a reddened face, veins bulging.

“Aren’t you a commoner too, mister? Then why are you being deceived? How can someone like you call people who even altered their genes just to hoard everything for themselves intellectual? They tried to become gods and stubbornly went against nature, yet instead of criticizing them, you praise them? Just looking at them, they’re full of strange things, so why don’t you understand even after all this? Are you stupid too, mister, that I have to tell you this to make you understand? No, that’s not it. Those people will rewrite the scriptures soon too. All of this—”

“Now, let me see, being this anti-social—”

“All of this is because of magic! If there had been no such thing as magic, the world wouldn’t have been ruined like this. It’s not that the ancestors did well, but magic ignited human greed and created this era—why don’t you understand? Even if there’s no way to reverse humans born through genetic manipulation, shouldn’t we prevent more wrong ideas from spreading like an epidemic!”

He didn’t say exactly genetic manipulation since he used the scientific terms of this world and this era, but the meaning was clearly the same. As much as Elias was angry, the employee also argued back with a serious face.

“Student! Calm down. How can you think like this? Isn’t it because of that magic that we live so prosperously? The nobles pay so much mana in taxes, and if you live without knowing such grace, God will surely punish you! Really, delinquent youths like you never do just one thing wrong.”

“Huh… Aaaahhhhh!”

Elias let out a lion’s roar with a face turning red and blue, grabbing his face with both hands. In the novel, Elias thought of Switzerland relatively positively, and that was because Switzerland was a republic. However, nobles still existed there too and seemed to have considerable political influence. As if making both of us realize once again that this was a world where the terrible entity called the French Third Empire stood backed by cults and magic, this country too—though it had the form of a republic—was not as enlightened as late 19th century Switzerland in my world. Since I was witnessing this fact for the first time today, shock swept through my head.

Certainly, regardless of era, the privileged need citizens’ thoughtlessness to maintain power. Elias was witnessing such thoughtlessness right before his eyes—because the very people who should be fervently criticizing the privileged like Elias were instead praising them, he was frustrated. I understood Elias’s feelings, but it was because of his upbringing and educational opportunities that he could be particularly progressive; among many commoners, especially those without much time or economic capacity for deep thought, surprisingly conservative thinking was prevalent. Even when life was hard, rather than questioning the structural essence of poverty, there were quite a few people who regarded their homeland’s military strength and the privileged’s external power as their own pride. Even aside from that, many people lived without being greatly conscious of the logic and absurdity of the society they were placed in. Was this a story limited to this world and this era? Elias placed much hope in people from worlds without magic, but I couldn’t agree. Even Elias himself said this knowing there was nothing to expect. Unless he had come to think differently from the novel, I think I have a vague idea of what he might be thinking now.

But Elias knew that the system compliance arising from thoughtlessness was also to some extent a result created by the privileged’s efforts, and thinking of what the adults of his class had done to commoners’ consciousness, he seemed to become indescribably devastated and sat back down with a pained expression.

Elias sometimes thought he wouldn’t have been frustrated by such situations if his life hadn’t been endangered by class and the way that class’s power operated, while also wondering if he, not being a commoner himself, had the right to critically accept commoners’ praise of the system just because he thought his class’s adults were doing wrong. Some enlightened commoners viewed Elias unfavorably for trying to interfere in commoner affairs when he wasn’t even a commoner. Elias accepted that opinion and didn’t put his name forward in most anti-imperial activities and relief work.

This is an opinion I can’t tell Elias, but at least from my perspective, humans were accomplishing the same things in worlds without magic too. Even when the status system disappeared, classes existed, and the more sophisticated and invisible classes and structures hid the fact that nothing was truly free while advocating freedom. Humans had learned ways to manipulate human genes without borrowing magic’s power. If proper sanctions and ethical standards didn’t work properly and market logic and uncritical thinking dominated human behavior as I felt until the last moment, it would go round and round to manifest in this world. This world’s 19th century was not the past for me, but the worst future. No matter what 21st century person you brought to this world, none would think this place was truly the past. Even if nostalgia that could only be felt from things of the past occasionally clung to consciousness like fragments, those fragments of oldness couldn’t hide the era’s essence.

Of course, there wasn’t only frustrating news for Elias. Equally frustratingly from my standpoint, contrary to what I had expected when I first picked up the fantasy novel with Elias as protagonist, humans were running toward the worst even in a world where magic appeared. Regarding the distribution of the scarce resource called mana, the privileged tried to monopolize resources in ways no different from what I knew. In ways befitting an era that became the soil for fascism, in ways befitting justice based on meritocracy and market logic.

While we were each silent for different reasons, the mister seemed to think the student before him was moved by his words and admonished once more.

“You’re even Italian, aren’t you? How can someone from a country that became prosperous thanks to divine power think like that? You should always have a grateful heart. If you don’t want to go to prison, watch your words, get your head straight, and apologize to your friend. Hand over your passport too.”

“…”

Elias stuck out his lips and just sighed deeply before muttering.

“Mister.”

“Yes, you ill-mannered brat.”

“You can’t get angry from now on. Please promise me.”

“I promise.”

“Actually, I can’t return home. I didn’t bring my passport. I ran away from home.”

The employee’s mouth fell open. I was also flustered by his words that he entered without a passport. Right, this would be correct if he wanted to be deported to Italy. But the basis for making the employee believe we resided in Italy had disappeared. Up until this moment, he firmly believed we were German-Italians living in an Italian German village, so he wouldn’t try to verify the facts now, but I couldn’t help feeling nervous. It was like receiving a script printed on-site and acting. The employee asked me with a face that couldn’t believe reality, quickly turning his head.

“What about this friend?”

“…”

When I remained silent with a sullen expression, just staring into space, the employee slammed the table loudly and shouted.

“Hey, you ill-bred brats. Did you illegally immigrate? How did you cross over! Huh? You have to answer this!”

“You said you wouldn’t get angry!”

“How can I not get angry!”

“Well, you know what. Today was the last day for Swiss Guard applications, right? We just secretly climbed over the fence through the trees when people in uniforms were passing by. The trees have thick leaves these days, so you can’t see. They really didn’t pay attention, you know? I know they’re busy, but it’s not my fault, it’s the fault of the people who failed to keep watch.”

Wow, he was really annoying. I was impressed despite myself. The Swiss Guard is the Swiss army working in the Papal States. I don’t know if people who actually applied for enlistment were crossing the border, but Elias tried to make maximum use of the information Narke had told him. The employee grabbed his head with both hands and groaned.

“Oh, my head. These damn kids…”

“Why! I’m not going back home. I didn’t bring it because I had no intention of going back. Please let me live in Switzerland. I have money too. Pleeeease. I want to rent a room at mister’s house.”

“What! Say something that makes sense!”

The employee seriously pondered how to handle the young illegal immigrants, then spoke with concern, showing adult magnanimity.

“You need to return to Italy. How sad would your families be if they knew? Hm?”

“They wouldn’t be sad at all. They’d be delighted.”

“Adults’ hearts are different from what you think. Fortunately, you’re lucky that you didn’t go further and I encountered you playing around in front of the border. Since you’re still young students, wherever I take you, you’ll just get a warning, so I’m being lenient too. Get your head straight and go home.”

“I’m telling you they’d be delighted.”

“No, they wouldn’t!”

“What do you know to be yelling? Our house doesn’t want me to be there!”

“You little brat!”

He shouted with a deliberately angry face and continued speaking.

“I’m saying this because I have a child about your age. If my child did this, I would have beaten the dust out of him. My child sneaking out of the house to illegally enter another country! This is absolutely ridiculous. Go back before things get worse.”

“Then I won’t go in. Who in the world would want to get beaten unless they’re a crazy lunatic?”

“From what I can see, you seem to be the one who’s lost his mind. What I’m saying is, go back as quickly as possible before you get in trouble. If you return before dawn, you won’t get in big trouble.”

“Mister, you’ve run away from home too, haven’t you? I can tell from your words.”

The employee decided to ignore the nonsense and roughly grabbed Elias’ wrist, pulling him to his feet.

“If you continue not listening to me, I’ll have no choice but to send you to a Swiss prison according to the law. I’ll send you back to Italy, so this is your last chance. Hurry up and follow me. You there too!”

The employee hit my shoulder and shouted. He asked for our names as soon as he dragged us here but hasn’t been using them since. Of course, we gave fake names so it’s meaningless anyway. Elias shook off the hand that grabbed him, making an “ow” sound while exaggerating, but hesitantly said.

“Actually…”

“Yes, actually?”

“There’s one more person. Please let him come with us.”

“What! Is he Italian too?”

“He’s French. But he does live in Italy. We’re sworn brothers living in the same city.”

“…”

Suddenly Narke became French. I looked at the older employee’s white hair and inwardly worried about his health. The employee grabbed his neck and looked up at the sky, then shouted angrily.

“Find where he is. Right now!”

* * *

After wandering around for a while, we entered a tavern that was a 15-minute walk away. When the employee, who had our necks firmly gripped in both hands, nodded, Elias, who was pouting sullenly, pointed at a young man with his finger. The employee, with a face that said “that’s right”—but still haggard from Elias’ antics—let go of my shirt collar and grabbed the young man’s shoulder. The young man who had been eating stew turned around with clear eyes.

“Yes?”

“Time to go home, Student.”

The employee said with satisfaction in a voice that had aged ten years. Narke looked back and forth between me, Elias, and the employee with shaking eyes.

And so the three of us were caught by the checkpoint employee, crossed the Italian border, and reached the train station. He took money from our pockets, bought tickets, and waited on the platform until the train arrived and the doors opened, then pushed us in.

“Don’t think you can ever come to Switzerland again! If I see you at the border again, you’re going to prison this time!”

“…”

I gave the employee a grateful look and boarded the train.

Elias and Narke acted sullen until the train departed, but once the train started and we moved away from the platform where the employee mister stood, they finally exhaled deeply. Narke carefully pulled out a restraint device and cast a very light soundproofing spell before speaking.

“…Good. Let’s get off at the next station and warp directly to Venice~ I know suitable coordinates.”

Yeah, that sounds good. But I was curious about something. I whispered with a faint smile, drained of energy.

“Guys. Are you kidding me?”

“Kidding? This is my method of illegal entry, Luca. Remember it well~!”

Elias put his hand on my shoulder and ruffled my hair while grinning mischievously. I already knew well that this was Elias’ way. I just didn’t expect him to suddenly demand I participate in the role-playing too.

“Just cast magic or something.”

“Eh. If you rely too much on technology, you’ll face big trouble someday. You need to know this method too!”

“Right~ It’s fun to watch how Elias does things. Besides…”

Narke, who was sitting in the front seat, said with a smile. I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair, waiting to hear what he would answer.

“It’s always troublesome to barge in and pull out wands right away. We also had to check whether there were mages because of Atropos… Even if we erase memories, it’s better to only erase parts of the scenario. You know that completely swapping memories has a high chance of being caught if someone investigates in reverse.”

“That’s true, but my head is still ringing thanks to Elias…”

“Haha. Isn’t it fun? Still, just in case, I did reduce that person’s desire to tell others about today’s events. To make such subtle adjustments, it’s much better to perform elaborate role-playing from the start. You remember, right? Acting as a Vienna University theology professor~”

That was what we did in Austria-Hungary. It was less than a week ago, how could I not remember? Rather than tampering with memories, we acted to use insight, but it’s similar work nonetheless. Elias, who had been leaning against the train window, straightened his head and asked.

“You can reduce the desire to speak? That’s possible?”

“Just implant a new consciousness that it’s not particularly surprising~”

“Oh, that’s good~ Scary though.”

Elias rounded his lips as if to whistle and blew out air, then said confidently.

“Actually, just following my scenario would be fine, you know? Humans can’t detect things that well.”

Since this isn’t an era with the internet, it’s not that easy to investigate even if they wanted to. Also, we wouldn’t work so conspicuously that the Papal States would have every border checkpoint employee’s brain searched. In reality, we were closer to being overly cautious and seeking tools to maintain double security. After experiencing crazy events in succession, I was about to try to sleep to rest a bit when Narke looked out the window and whispered with a smiling face.

“I want to do it again next time.”

“…”

* * *

I just hope there won’t be a next time. I didn’t want to throw punches again.

We arrived in Venice just before dawn. More precisely, between the alleys near St. Mark’s Cathedral. And as soon as we arrived, Elias was glancing at his friend in front of him with a surprised face. He looked at what was definitely Narke in human form with a confused expression, then whispered to me.

“Luca…! Can he use divine power like this right now?”

“Since we’re not meeting Papal States clergy. We’ll have to be very careful when we’re there.”

“But it’s okay now?”

“Yeah…”

I also looked at the human in front of me with an absurd laugh, feeling bewildered as expected. Narke had transformed into an unfamiliar human again and tipped his hat.

“Lucas should change your face too. We successfully entered Italy, so it’s better to avoid suspicion as much as possible~”

“Right, that’s true.”

I snapped my fingers, thinking of reusing the face I had used in Austria-Hungary. Elias greeted Narke, who was wearing the appearance of an unfamiliar human for the first time.

“Really, who are you… Wow.”

“I don’t know either. This is a stranger’s face~”

“Is it at least a real person in the world?”

“Well, it’s just an image I made up randomly. Since we just need to imprint that we’re a human trio regardless of whose appearance we take, it’s not important.”

“It’s kind of amazing.”

Narke just smiled quietly at those words, then reminded us.

“Since it’s dawn, there probably won’t be many people walking around. We’re going to move around Rome as a trio in our true forms, so it’s better to firmly establish ourselves as a human group in Venice.”

“Right.”

“If anyone asks, just say I’m your older sister. Got it? Words that only Espers use like Cousin Gagyeongja are absolutely forbidden.”

“Good. Then I’ll be the oldest person.”

Since Elias interjected with something strange, I shook my head and whispered.

“She said older sister.”

“Same thing!”

“An older person would be older sister, what do you mean same thing.”

“Human language concepts are difficult. Anyway, I’m the oldest.”

“…You have the latest birthday among the three of us, what are you talking about…”

“Still! I weigh the most.”

What does weighing the most have to do with anything…

I couldn’t follow his logic and had no choice but to give up. I only thought that the moment anyone showed interest in us, I’d have to cover Elias’ mouth. Narke walked out of the alley toward the plaza and said quietly.

“From now on, gather information related to St. Mark. When useful information is collected, call me. We’ll warp to a safe place again to form hypotheses and…”

This Venice is the place with the most clues related to St. Mark in Italy. Now we will put all clues related to ‘St. Mark’ into Elias’ head, form the most likely hypothesis, and enter the Papal States. Narke turned his head toward us and said.

“We need to go straight to the Roman Curia.”

From the Papal States onward, it’s real combat. Only one chance to verify our hypothesis. From now on, Elias’ role was important. Narke and I looked at Elias, and Elias nodded with calm eyes.

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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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