How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 500

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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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“You can think of another way.”

Leo said, quietly watching Ulrike. I thought Ulrike would immediately say she’d go, but really, to think it would come to this. I looked at Ulrike with concern. Ulrike looked at all of us and shook her head.

“If I just go, everything will be resolved. They said they’d give us information if I just walk there on my own two feet, right? Why should we take the hard way around?”

“Luise.”

Leo extended his hand meaning to wait a moment, but Ulrike grabbed it and shook it playfully as she spoke. His face was serious.

“Ainsiedel has no reason to attack me. That person wants Pleroma to be destroyed and even today gave you clues to attack Pleroma. In such circumstances, would he attack me? It’s impossible by calculation. Unless that person is a fool!”

Ulrike seemed ready to leave already, properly adjusting her necktie and re-inserting the cufflink pins. Having tidied herself up, she looked at us properly.

“I don’t know the reason that person is looking for me… But I know he’s taking special interest in me. When we met before, he even gave me a bottle containing Haike’s magic power.”

Ulrike lowered her gaze and spoke with a slight frown.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with it. The bottle containing Haike’s magic power… might be a token of promise whose meaning only that person knows.”

Elias pulled out a piece of messenger bird communication paper. Leo and I exchanged glances, but he paid no attention and began writing a reply on the paper.

“Whether I know it or not, I believe Ainsiedel won’t attack me, both by calculation and by sentiment. If that person is an excellent strategist capable of giving you all headaches, attacking me today would be a perfect calculation failure, wouldn’t it?!”

Ulrike raised both hands and spoke forcefully, then calmly returned her arms to their place. She tried to reassure us with calm eyes.

“I’ll go. It’s not dangerous.”

We exchanged glances in silence. A little later, Leo stood up from his seat. When he returned, he was holding all sorts of artifacts in both hands. Without explanation, he equipped Ulrike with the artifacts and patted her shoulder. Ulrike began examining what was placed on her wrists and neck. I stood in front of her and waited for her to look at me. Having examined all the artifacts placed on her, Ulrike looked at me. I spread my arms, meaning to embrace. Ulrike readily hugged me. I moved my hand to her back so the magic I was using wouldn’t be visible, and quietly cast a spell.

―I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.

“…?!”

Ulrike, who had pushed me away abruptly, rolled her eyes and narrowed her brow. Her hand was placed near her heart. I had cast the binding as painlessly as possible, and fortunately she seemed fine. I didn’t have the confidence to look at Ulrike’s face, so I lowered my head and patted her shoulder.

“I’ll release it when you come back…”

“What is this? It feels good?”

“Hmm…”

Leo wiped his mouth with his hand at that expression and narrowed his eyes slightly. Maybe I should have stopped hitting Leo’s core since something like this might happen. I felt the atmosphere becoming awkward and answered.

“There’s such a thing. A last resort, you could say.”

“Really? Am I safer now?”

“Much more so than before, you could say.”

Then Ulrike lifted the corners of her mouth refreshingly and smiled brightly. She patted my back and smiled.

“Very good.”

* * *

Ulrike went outside the Crown Prince’s palace with her friends, sent off a messenger bird, and waited for a reply. After about 3 minutes, a note with coordinates flew back. The coordinates were for a small chapel near Herrenchiemsee, close to the southeast of Munich. The surroundings were all forest, with a desolate cemetery shrouded in water mist. It was natural for the world to consist of forests once you left the cities, but fear only grew for no reason. The friends moved to coordinates shifted one space to the side from what Ainsiedel had sent, and Ulrike also moved with Lucas to coordinates shifted one space south. Leaving Lucas standing still in place, she slowly walked toward the coordinates she had received from Ainsiedel.

“Are you there?”

Ulrike spoke in front of the door of the small chapel with yellow walls and its annex. When no answer came, she opened the door and went inside. Light emanating from the tip of her wand illuminated the dark interior of the chapel. She went around to the back of the chapel to find stairs. From outside, all the visible windows had been completely dark, but now she could see light coming from above. She overlapped various magical formulas at the tip of her wand, took a defensive stance, and grasped the handrail leading upstairs. Only after confirming the vibrations did she slowly step on the stairs.

Ulrike froze at the sight that unfolded. Steaming food was set on a large dining table. Just like before.

“The basic rule is not to eat food given by enemies.”

Ulrike said to the white-haired mage sitting at the end of the dining table. The mage looked pale as a dead person at first glance. Though everything was alive and moving, he looked like a person made of dead things. Ulrike thought that pale white hair looked exactly like Elias’s. Like Ishmailov’s too. The mage didn’t respond. Ulrike stood in front of an empty chair and spoke forcefully once more.

“This much is learned.”

The mage drank wine with a face that didn’t match food at all, like someone who could live without consuming nutrients. His neck and Adam’s apple moving beneath thin skin were visible in an artificial way. The chicken placed in front of him was in a state where not a single piece had been torn off. His gaze that seemed to look at other things while looking at his opponent, and that indifferent face that didn’t regard the things in front of him as existing in the world, resembled Haike’s expression, making Ulrike feel something welling up from inside as she spoke once more.

“Did you call me because I seemed the most manageable?”

That wasn’t what she wanted to ask. How could you, as Haike’s family, make Haike like that? Do you still intend to believe that Haike chose to lie in a sickbed of her own accord? Yes, that’s probably what you think. Ulrike held back her words. She couldn’t forget the purpose of coming here.

“I hope you can remember well and return.”

Ainsiedel finally opened his mouth. Ulrike didn’t take her eyes off him as she pulled out a chair to sit. No, she tried to. When Ainsiedel tapped the table with his long fingertips, the chair slid back on its own, and wine filled the empty glass. Seeing this made her feel even more nauseous. She wanted to overturn the wine glass that filled itself before her eyes. She wanted to throw it at Ainsiedel’s feet.

Ulrike didn’t do that. She sat down and watched Ainsiedel ostentatiously lift his fork and water glass as if to reassure his guest. Even so, Ainsiedel began speaking immediately, as if he knew Ulrike wouldn’t eat anything.

“Four dioceses belonging to the Munich-Freising archdiocese. The Munich-Freising archdiocese, Augsburg diocese, Regensburg diocese, and Passau diocese are now half-departed from Bavaria. The Munich-Freising archdiocese exists in name only. The leadership of the remaining three dioceses has gathered near Brandenburg. The four northern dioceses remaining in Bavaria are the so-called Bavaria Overthrow Committee, dioceses organized to prepare for attacks by the Bavarian government.”

The Munich-Freising archdiocese. Though Bavaria wasn’t Ulrike’s homeland, she already knew well the geography and locations of Catholic dioceses she had memorized. The three dioceses remaining in southern Bavaria had moved their residence to Brandenburg. The four northern dioceses were preparing to stop the government when the Bavarian government side would do things unfavorable to Pleroma. Ulrike felt the map fitting together like a puzzle in her head as she listened to Ainsiedel’s words.

“The problem is that when attacking the three dioceses of the Munich-Freising archdiocese, they can receive immediate contact from Brandenburg. Therefore, those coordinate systems must be completely isolated. Seize the coordinate systems and make them yours.”

“Is that possible?”

“Use every available resource.”

Ainsiedel said something that sounded obvious. Ulrike, who had been listening to his words with sharp eyes, opened her mouth.

“I heard our government negotiated with Pleroma for peace. What is the reason you people are inciting the Bavarian side to break the negotiations?”

“Hasn’t the negotiation essentially broken down? Prussia will likely treat the Stadelheim prison incident as simply Pleroma’s doing.”

“What about prisoner exchange?”

Not all the Empire’s magical scholars kidnapped by Pleroma had arrived. Attacking Pleroma now was close to gambling with civilian lives as collateral. Ainsiedel spoke bleakly as if asking why she was asking something obvious.

“Catch bigger prey and negotiate anew.”

“…”

“The lay people of Munich-Freising have no value from Pleroma’s standpoint. Exchanging them for magical scholars is rather close to Pleroma’s goodwill. You seem to think that if you attack Pleroma, Pleroma will immediately kill the magical scholars, but the situation won’t flow that way. After attacking them, they will move to minimize damage in the Kingdom of Bavaria, and when you hold Pleroma’s prisoners, they won’t have time to kill the magical scholars. Moreover, in a situation where their defeat seems likely, they need to use the Empire’s magical scholars as cards for prisoner exchange, so they can’t rashly kill them.”

His slow voice continued without rest. Ulrike had to squint and make an effort to adapt to the monotone voice.

“The Empire is being overly hesitant toward an isolated opponent, but is there a need to follow that exactly? Shouldn’t we strike without hesitation when the opponent shows an opening? Isn’t that how Bavaria can win in fierce diplomatic battles?”

Silence flows. Though Ulrike was Prussian, she agreed with Ainsiedel’s words, and this was revealed through silence. Ulrike knew it was her turn and asked.

“Prussia could hold Bavaria responsible. They could say that because Bavaria moved preemptively, they lost the timing and method to attack Pleroma in other regions.”

“Your head works a bit.”

Ulrike’s eyebrows twitched at Ainsiedel’s remark. Ainsiedel continued indifferently.

“Prussia will do exactly as you said. The deterioration of relations with Bavaria will happen in an instant. Give my condolences in advance to Count Nicolaus Ernst, who will be summoned to Prussia. But you also know there’s a flaw in that argument. It’s Prussia that hasn’t acted appropriately now, and not going far, the day after tomorrow, or the day after that, Prussia will be in a position where it should thank Bavaria.”

“Is there something you haven’t told me?”

How does he know about future events? Is he using information obtained through exchanges with Terminus Yukairya in this conversation? It seems so.

“Don’t I just need to pass on information necessary for battle?”

“Tell me everything.”

“Sorry, but didn’t someone tell you that knowing too much is also poison?”

Ainsiedel tilted his head with eyes that seemed full of drowsiness. Even so, he spoke with clear eyes.

“Has no one ever warned you about knowledge?”

Ulrike glared at him and changed the subject.

“You called the four northern dioceses of Bavaria the ‘Bavaria Overthrow Committee.’ It doesn’t seem like they’re simply preparing for Bavaria’s attack that might come at any time, but do they have plans to execute some special operation on Easter?”

“First, individual plans of other dioceses don’t reach the northern German dioceses, second, Pleroma doesn’t engage in external activities during Easter Mass. Third, they have no intention of attacking other dioceses after Mass ends.”

“Why the second?”

“Because they are devout Christian believers.”

At those words, Ulrike answered firmly.

“Pleroma is not Christianity. I know because I am a Christian. They can never be grouped under the same name as us.”

“At least they believe they are the true Christians. They believe that the only begotten Son Jesus Christ will return to open the thousand-year kingdom that the Book of Revelation tediously talks about.”

“…”

“They also bless and worship on Easter. That’s all.”

“Then you’re saying they’re all gathered in Pleroma’s world, which means they can respond immediately when something unexpected happens, right?”

“If you plan well, doesn’t it also mean you can burn them all to death?”

Ainsiedel’s reckless statement was diluted by his drowsy, slow voice. Rather, that made Ulrike’s neck stiffen. Ulrike shook her head once more and changed the subject.

“They also believe in premillennialism. Then have they found the day Christ will return?”

“If they had found the day when the ‘messenger of the covenant’ becomes ‘the Lord you seek,’ they wouldn’t be sitting here like this. From the moment they find it, it will be war with non-Pleroma. Of course, for those who don’t go to the front lines, war isn’t felt like a thunderbolt, so in places other than the front lines, signs of destruction like swamp mud will gradually and simultaneously invade their lives…”

Ulrike fell silent again. Ainsiedel spoke.

“But it’s not far off. Do you know William Miller?”

“…”

“He was a poor Baptist born in New York in 1782. Miller revealed through the Books of Daniel and Ezra that the end of the world would come in 1843.”

“Revealed?”

“It was believed to be fact at the time. They think an important indicator that will reveal that day will appear tomorrow on Easter.”

“Why don’t they rather believe He will return tomorrow?”

“If Pleroma is going to find the end times, shouldn’t there be prophecies that appear that realistic? They’ve already collected clues. The reason they haven’t announced a special joint operation on Easter of this special year when they seem to have found the semi-messiah called the ‘messenger of the covenant’ is… because the leadership is primarily decoding those clues.”

“Doesn’t Matthew 24:36 say that no one except Jehovah will know that day?”

Ainsiedel maintained an expressionless face at those words. Silence flows. Ulrike, knowing that such an offensive verse wouldn’t work on Pleroma, shook her head.

“Then do you really believe Christ will return?”

“They’re staking their lives on it.”

Ulrike felt a headache coming on. There’s nothing to be gained by thinking more about the plans of those who are neither reasonable nor sensible. Let me think. The Easter Vigil Paschal Mass takes place from this evening until before sunrise tomorrow, and around noon the Easter Day Mass is held. Usually more believers participate in the day Mass, but if Pleroma is so strict about doctrine and tries to maintain true Christian tradition, they would mandatorily participate in the Paschal Vigil Mass at the denominational level.

“The Paschal Vigil Mass is taking place now. Shouldn’t we raid Pleroma’s world right now?”

“Tomorrow Easter evening at 6 o’clock.”

At Ainsiedel’s words, Ulrike put strength in her eyebrows and looked at him.

“There will be a major announcement. An announcement made not only in Pleroma’s world but proclaimed to the German Empire and all of Europe. Therefore, I cannot help you all day tomorrow. I hope you understand that even now I could only come here after shaking off pursuit. …From tonight until tomorrow afternoon, they’ll have time to worship Christ with sincere hearts, and in the evening when all the actual Easter Masses are over, they plan to make the whole world buzz with Pleroma’s new discovery. Therefore, at 6 o’clock, all believers from all Pleroma dioceses will gather in chapels and outdoor plazas just as they do now during the Paschal Vigil. I believe this alone has been helpful enough.”

“…Very well.”

This was tremendously helpful. Ulrike bit down hard on her teeth at the thought of delivering this news to her friends. Anxiety and confidence flowed through her simultaneously. Ainsiedel lifted his sleepy-looking eyes and asked.

“Is that the end of your questions?”

It can’t be. Ulrike stared quietly at Ainsiedel. If she backed down here, she’d have no face to show her friends. She needed to ask for crucial clues and information that could make their operation successful. She had to quickly and carefully consider what was important and what wasn’t.

“Let’s divide Bavaria’s dioceses into the northern 4 dioceses and southern 3 dioceses for convenience. Are you saying the south is essentially without leadership?”

“That’s right. Even their leadership buildings have been moved to Brandenburg. There’s also the influence of the nearby Freiburg Archdiocese being decimated. But during the Easter Vigil and the 6 o’clock announcement, they’ll all gather in their respective dioceses. However, they won’t be there for the daytime Mass.”

“Then during Mass and the announcement, will the parishioners of each diocese gather at their respective cathedrals?”

“Due to the destruction of the Munich-Freising Archdiocese, most have changed their bases. It’s not that they changed buildings, but that they overlapped the coordinate system the building belongs to onto other buildings.”

“The locations? I need the positions of the leadership and main churches.”

“Since I’m also an outsider, I can’t know the detailed locations of each diocese’s leadership… Like I sent you the entrance route to Bamberg Archdiocese’s main cathedral earlier, knowing the entrance routes to each diocese’s main cathedral is all I have.”

When Ainsiedel flicked his hand with a tired expression, ash appeared in front of Ulrike. The ash began moving in reverse to form paper. The soot cleared and letters became visible. Ulrike carefully placed the note with the entrance routes to Speyer Diocese and Würzburg Diocese’s main cathedrals into her inner chest pocket.

“…An outsider. Is it because even within the same Pleroma, you’re from a different diocese? And where are the entrance routes to the remaining two dioceses?”

Ainsiedel nodded.

“Let me talk about what you called the northern 4 dioceses – Bamberg Archdiocese, Eichstätt Diocese, Speyer Diocese, and Würzburg Diocese. Bamberg Archdiocese and Eichstätt Diocese are essentially one diocese. They’re firmly united, and even united they’re only the size of one southern Regensburg Diocese, but that’s why they’ve shared even their main church building since the Munich-Freising Archdiocese’s destruction. The diocesan clergy use separate offices, but they’re not very far apart. And Speyer Diocese is geographically separated from the other three dioceses.”

Ulrike nodded. She had to remember everything without forgetting.

Unlike the three dioceses including Bamberg Archdiocese, Speyer Diocese alone is wedged next to the Grand Duchy of Baden. Looking at Bavaria’s map, even the western region bordering France is marked in blue, and that entire region is administered by Speyer Diocese alone.

“Speyer Diocese is tied to the Bamberg ecclesiastical province, but the bonds aren’t actually very strong. They were close to Baden’s geographically adjacent Freiburg Archdiocese, but weakened along with it after Freiburg Archdiocese’s dissolution.”

“Are you saying we can lower its priority?”

“That’s right.”

“Being closer to an economic community of interest, they’re not excellent in terms of defense.”

“People living in lands that have no borders and aren’t exposed have no reason to focus on geographical security. Each diocese’s defense is Pleroma’s safety.”

“Why are you telling us this?”

“Didn’t we have the same goal?”

“Then be more proactive.”

At Ulrike’s words, Ainsiedel raised an eyebrow. Ulrike clenched her fist tightly and spoke.

“Tell us the unique abilities of each diocese’s bishop and monsignors. But before that, if your goal is the same as ours, don’t just answer when we ask – tell us everything you know!”

Watching Ulrike get angry with bulging veins, Ainsiedel opened his pocket watch to check the time. He looked up to check the ceiling, then spoke slowly.

“From last Sunday until today, it was Holy Week. Did you suffer hardships?”

Ulrike pulled down the corners of her mouth, wondering what kind of conversation this was, and answered.

“Don’t you know as well?”

Since they started last Sunday with the Stadelheim prison collapse, you could say that. But it’s called Holy Week because Christ suffered, not because we suffered, isn’t it?

“Have you eaten?”

“If you’re human, you do it every time. Why do you ask?”

Ainsiedel closed his eyes and let out a long breath. He slowly opened his eyes. His bright blue pupils gleamed coldly.

“What does the Book of Ezekiel say? It says that even after the old Kingdom of David is rebuilt, the Israelites will still suffer.”

“…”

“Justice doesn’t always triumph. Even in scripture. Justice gets trampled briefly, then rises again and flourishes. The important thing is that it’s destined to be trampled briefly. Since Pleroma believes even the calamities that befall them are part of their mythology, they won’t yield to any setback.”

Ainsiedel tilted his head. He clasped his hands together and slowly leaned his body toward the inside of the table.

“When dealing with such opponents, it’s proper to return the same. Tell Nicolaus Ernst not to think conventionally until it’s over.”

* * *

Easter evening, 6 PM. Pleroma will announce their new discovery to the entire world. What?

Ulrike returned safely from Ainsiedel and wrote down everything he heard for us. Not only Ulrike and I are here now, but also Julia, Elias, and Leo – everyone who could gather is assembled. I muttered while synthesizing all the words and information Ulrike had given me and the papers he had written.

“It’s complicated. There are seven dioceses to handle.”

I lifted my head and stared into space. There’s no need to handle them all. ‘As many as possible’ – meaning even Ainsiedel didn’t expect a complete sweep. But the goal of achieving maximum results remains unchanged.

With the large window of the Crown Prince’s palace behind me, I slowly paced in front of it and spoke.

“But it’s simpler than expected. No matter how much they changed coordinate systems, if we know the main cathedral locations, wiping out the believers is nothing. The problem is that retreat routes remain for both Pleroma clergy and believers.”

Then Leo answered with his eyes closed, pressing his temples.

“Right. If there’s trouble at the cathedral, they just need to return to where they were.”

The believers’ lodgings or the Pleroma clergy’s offices, that is.

“Regarding that point, Leo.”

Leo slightly turned his head inward, raising an eyebrow to signal me to speak.

“I’m negotiating with the Catacombs first. When you investigate and return, I’ll follow you to the audience. I need to know the locations of each diocese’s leadership offices and archives.”

I spoke calmly while looking into Leo’s eyes. Leo also looked into my eyes for a while before answering.

“Right now?”

“Yes. Time is of the essence.”

I said that much and checked the time. The Easter Vigil would have begun. Even if we can’t enter during the Easter Vigil, if we’re thinking of uniting with the Catacombs here, they too must immediately begin their investigation. I also need to dig into their cathedrals from past times in parallel. Only then can I identify the locations of the bishops’, auxiliary bishops’, and monsignors’ offices and archives. Since the goal is to render the dioceses completely irreparable, we can’t just handle the believers without striking the most important clergy.

And now, there was something more important than time.

“I can also promise safety.”

I spoke without avoiding Leo’s eyes. Just as he’s trying to trust us and share maximum authority in this operation, I too need to respond to his trust. But before that, because we’re friends, I should do so. I wanted to do so.

Leo watched me quietly, then smiled calmly.

That was his answer. I finished the general command and entered the bedroom Leo had opened for me. What should I do and how to minimize waste of real time while obtaining maximum information? The conclusion had already formed in my head since decoding the scytale cipher.

My choice, once again, is Bavaria.

* * *

“…Cough, gasp.”

I opened my eyes in the acrid cigarette smoke. Cold sweat covered my entire body. It’s clammy. I can’t breathe. Is it because of the smoke? Or because someone is grabbing my collar?

“Why are you just waking up now!”

I wiped my stinging eyes from the smoke and sat up. Annoying hair stuck to the back of my head. Because I kept my eyes lowered, I hadn’t yet confirmed the face of the person in front of me. This is why I didn’t want to come to this place. Even though I had been in and out just a week ago, that was an unavoidable situation, and now…

Now is also an unavoidable situation. Am I thinking of backing out with such a soft mind? I roused my drowsy consciousness and faced the person before me.

Archduchess Maria grabbed my collar and shouted with force in her eyes.

“What did we just see?! Huh?”

I won’t avoid it. As soon as I made that resolution, memories I didn’t want to recall flashed through my head. The last place I met him was Giesing, Stadelheim. I came out of the extra chapter after that, so… Archduchess Maria would be expecting me to explain the situation. Along with thoughts of Giesing, my head began to hurt as if it would split.

“Ah…”

“At least briefly explain what—”

“Wait…”

I twisted my body to escape from Archduchess Maria’s grip while calming him down.

“Just wait a moment, Your Grace. Do you have time?”

“Of course I have time, or I wouldn’t be here!”

Archduchess Maria answered excitedly. I nodded vigorously to reassure him and quickly grabbed the vest and tie I had thrown aside, leading him along.

“Let’s talk as we go out. We need to leave now.”

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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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