How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 513

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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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How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magic Noble Family (513)

Leonard Wittelsbach is in an unfavorable situation.

Marian Baum thinks the first hurdle lies here. He was most intuitively, visually disadvantaged. He did not have an effective appearance for winning the favor of the Catacombs mages. His striking features would certainly be an indescribably great advantage in meetings with fellow royalty or public speeches, but since he was now dealing with the Catacombs leadership, they provided no positive factors. While this didn’t provoke antipathy, it failed to provide benefits that could offset countless other sources of antipathy. Countless antipathies. They stemmed from so many factors that they could be called virtually everything. The Prince was a conspicuously tall figure like the current king, and compared to his peers from the Imperial Union he had briefly joined as a young man’s formality, he was much more robust than Bavaria’s leading officers, a fact that would have positive effects in situations requiring aggressive or authoritative demeanor, but in this setting it actually caused intuitive negative effects. The Catacombs leadership felt such extreme antipathy toward his royal bearing that they felt both disgust and tension simultaneously. Did he know this? He should know. Because his innate status made everyone tense, this provoked antipathy, and that sticky mixture led to disgust with both themselves feeling tension and with status itself. Therefore, he should also know that it stemmed from a kind of irrationality.

When 100 million commoners revered him, the Catacombs leadership alone did not. The etiquette, speech, gaze, and discipline that would have made the world always work favorably for the Prince—all that dignity would become his stumbling block today.

Marian Baum looked at Chairman Anze Dracher. Chairman Anze Dracher appeared dignified on the surface. Dracher was gentle but thorough in making decisions, which manifested in his firm gaze and mouth. The slight wrinkles around Dracher’s mouth revealed his stubbornness while not appearing obstinate at all, and his slightly curved lips rather revealed appropriate subjectivity. His eyes were warm, but this was entirely considerate care for others, cushioning the cold, rational judgments he made about the world. Marian Baum had always respected Chairman Anze Dracher’s nobility. Because appearance was a reflection of the inner self, the gentle dignity emanating from Chairman Dracher became proof of how broad a world Dracher possessed and simultaneously how clear-minded a person he was.

Unlike Chairman Anze Dracher, who had studied normally and slowly walked the path of becoming an activist and politician, Leonard Wittelsbach had been trained from birth to become a leader, or more accurately, was born for that purpose. In other words, he had to be someone who could die for Bavaria as much as he was created for Bavaria, and since his death must necessarily be connected to Bavaria in some way, he carried in his irises a tranquility that didn’t match his age. Whatever vitality he might show in other aspects, since his fate was subordinated to Bavaria, he was somewhat detached about his own destiny. The habit of not expecting much from the world while still aspiring to higher things, that is, cold-blooded strictness regarding himself—the kind of proper self-discipline and reflection like that of a religious person, which could never be found in members of ruling families prone to indulging in the sweetness of power—had melted into the coldly burning eyes and muscles beneath wrinkle-free skin.

Chairman Anze Dracher showed experience and Crown Prince Leonard Wittelsbach showed youth. However, both commonly had faces that showed they had worked long to cultivate leadership capabilities. The dignity flowing from reflection and introspection was a plain fact, but regardless of the truth, both dignities were received differently by everyone. When Chairman Anze Dracher’s dignity naturally evoked respect from the heart, because Leonard Wittelsbach was royalty, the Prince’s dignity evoked wariness in us.

Nevertheless, he should not make choices that were less than the best for the duties of that position in order to eliminate antipathy.

Could he avoid disappointing the Catacombs while also not disappointing Bavaria? In other words, could he truly maintain balance?

“Crown Prince Leonard Wittelsbach, Your Highness. It is my first time meeting you.”

Chairman Anze Dracher spoke with a solemn smile. He alone was neither flustered nor tense in this heavy atmosphere.

“I am Anze Dracher, First Chairman of the Catacombs National Assembly, and this is Yanina Schweitzer, Second Chairman.”

“It is an honor to meet the marshals of the Catacombs. Please, sit comfortably.”

The Prince politely extended his hand to indicate seats, and the Prince’s secretary in the room pulled out chairs for the two Catacombs chairmen. The Prince did not introduce himself. There was no need. Everyone knew that fact, and the Prince himself knew it too. Chairman Anze Dracher and Chairman Yanina Schweitzer sat down after a ceremonial silent bow. Before anyone could tensely watch to see who would speak first, a gentle and dignified voice was heard.

“Our Catacombs leadership considers it a great honor to negotiate with the Bavarian Royal Family.”

Chairman Anze Dracher clasped his hands together and continued with a composed face.

“As Your Highness knows, this is a monumental occasion. It is because our folk mages, who are considered by the Imperial Constitution as people who should not reside on German soil, have had their existence recognized by one pillar of the German Federation.”

Marian Baum swallowed.

Chairman Anze Dracher intended to ‘solidify’ his position from the start. Though he was using formal language, showing respect to his counterpart, and employing gentle expressions, his stance was clear. From the beginning, Chairman Anze Dracher was pressing for the Kingdom of Bavaria to declare its intention of mutual equality regarding how it would treat the Catacombs. Anyone who failed to notice the intention to demand that they not take only benefits from his words and discard them, that they not fluidly change attitudes as situations flowed, should not be in this position, and the Catacombs leadership had no concerns about their qualifications in that regard. What remained was the Prince. From now on, the Catacombs’ response would diverge according to Crown Prince Leonard Wittelsbach’s reaction, and that would change the future of both the Catacombs and Bavaria. Excessive humility would lead to stupidity. Because it would amount to treating the Catacombs’ negotiating power as nonexistent. Excessive caution regarding national interests would lead to self-righteousness. Because it would likewise amount to treating the Catacombs’ negotiating power as nonexistent. Selfishness would likewise lead to isolation. Because it would likewise amount to treating the Catacombs’ negotiating power as nonexistent. As could easily be imagined, each would start completely differently but lead to one conclusion.

However, if he submitted to the Catacombs, this too would lead to imbalance of a different dimension. In this sense, his humility was not a virtue but a bias that endangered the kingdom’s future and a deficiency in ruler capability.

“It took a long time.”

The Prince began thus. He did not add the flowery rhetoric that the German Emperor and countless kings typically used. It took a long time for history’s current to reach this point—Marian Baum could easily imagine what Emperor Friedrich would have said in a situation like this. Time was flowing slowly. Marian Baum could hear even the ticking of the pocket watch in his chest and his own heartbeat. The moment when the Prince’s eyes closed and opened led Marian Baum into an endless expanse. His firm mouth moved.

“I am honored that today’s meeting has become a reaffirmation of universal human values and rights. It is our glory to be able to firmly recognize natural human rights with state power against the anti-humanitarian constitution that arbitrarily violates inviolable natural rights. At the same time, I feel sorrow at the state of affairs where the state must proclaim natural human rights as a bulwark capable of restraining the unlimited violence of absolute power. Our royal family expresses gratitude that today’s occasion could be created.”

Marian Baum felt the breath caught at his chin suddenly release. His pounding pulse changed from tension ready to burst into a manifestation of hope that built heightened relief and again sharp tension.

It worked.

Marian Baum repeated those words. It worked. His profound concerns about the future of the Catacombs and Bavaria thus passed the first hurdle. Though there was no great change in the expressions of all the Catacombs leadership who had been drawing out sharply honed critical perspectives and antipathy, no one should reveal all those reactions on their faces. “As Your Highness knows, this is a monumental occasion”—thus Chairman Anze Dracher had pressured the Prince. This is a monumental occasion, and the reason is that we should not have existed in Germany. And the royal family, by calling in such people as us, officially recognized us as people who may exist in Germany. Does the royal family know or not know the weight it has taken on by hosting this meeting itself? If it knows, can it acknowledge that knowledge? By acknowledging, can it declare that it will not avoid that weight? If it doesn’t know, can it acknowledge even now?

The Prince responded that he was honored that this had become an occasion to reaffirm universal human values and rights. He adequately and accurately perceived the situation, acknowledged it, did not submit, and did not express guilt at an inappropriate time by borrowing this occasion.

The Prince directly expressed what the entity that arbitrarily violated inviolable natural rights through anti-humanitarian constitution had done, without saying who that entity was. Naturally, Bavaria opposed Prussia while not revealing its intentions dangerously precisely. Prussia was the same. Unlike in peacetime, the royal family did not refrain from attacking Prussia. If Bavaria could not gain the Catacombs’ cooperation, Bavaria would not take action. There would be no denouncing of Prussia either. Therefore, an indecisive ruler lacking decisiveness would hesitate to declare Prussia an enemy in preparation for any possibility, but the royal family did not do so despite the existence of the possibility that negotiations might flow toward failure. Under the premise of having no background knowledge, this could be accepted as a strategic choice made knowing that the Catacombs would never join hands with Prussia, or as a manifestation of restrained but still genuine consciousness. The reason Marian Baum judged it “worked” was because he knew the latter was closer to the truth. The decisive point that allowed such judgment came afterward. They “must” proclaim. He feels sorrow at that fact. Natural human rights are natural rights that everyone has from birth. The state has the duty to recognize natural human rights and protect citizens’ rights from violation. However, since the current state is unnatural, since Prussia violated inviolable rights through the constitution, Bavaria must reveal and clarify the existence of natural human rights. The will to protect natural human rights is proclaimed through state-led unconstitutionality. Bavaria defines this as an unnatural situation and says it sorrows at the reality of “having to proclaim natural human rights.”

This was the beginning. He would have to maintain this attitude consistently or perhaps intensify it beyond this. The Prince had made them hopeful from the start, and he had to live up to that hope.

The Prince knew he was being verified before dozens of eyes analyzing him. Nevertheless, he showed no anxiety, conscious pretense, unnecessary submission, or solemnity, as if nothing was happening. Yet the Prince was already completely different from when he met Marian Baum one-on-one, and Marian Baum found it peculiar that he still seemed to have always been this way. The Cleanup Operation, as could be seen from its content, required the use of command authority and thus presupposed the need for discussion with the King. Marian Baum knew the basis on which the King had delegated authority to his successor regarding this matter. The Prince continued speaking before the many analyzing gazes.

“First, regarding the situation, I believe you have heard what was conveyed earlier through Count Marian Baum.”

“That is correct.”

It was Chairman Yanina Schweitzer’s words. The Prince nodded gracefully and spoke at an appropriate pace, with sufficient weight.

“I will briefly review this as a procedure to confirm whether our understanding aligns. Prussia has failed to control the criminal organization Pleroma, which has continued for over ten years, and even now remains limited to establishing stopgap measures while failing to block Atropos, a Pleroma-originated mind manipulation and murder drug. Pleroma has used Atropos to inflict substantial damage on the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Italian Peninsula, and in this situation, it is expected that the French Orleans Imperial House will announce the existence of Atropos, which had been kept secret, to international society between this evening and tomorrow dawn, and raise the issue of responsibility with the German Empire.

Next, I will explain the motives of Terminus Yukairya. The French Empire’s Orleans Imperial House is in a puppet state under a cult group called Terminus Yukairya, and is substantially pursuing military competition between cults with importance equal to or greater than France’s national interests. In early April, Pleroma assassinated Prime Minister Rudolf Traf in an attempt to make the Austro-Hungarian Empire a puppet state in order not to fall behind Terminus Yukairya. Terminus Yukairya has planted spies in the Papal States to obtain all this information and is waiting for the next opportunity. It is presumed that since the Kingdom of Bavaria discovered and eliminated the Papal States’ spy, Terminus Yukairya has been accelerating its efforts not to miss the timing to check Pleroma.”

The Prince fixed his gaze on the two chairmen.

“In this situation, the Kingdom of Bavaria proposes cooperation to the Catacombs in order to protect Germany and our own citizens from external disturbances and ultimately to fully perform all the proper duties and responsibilities that citizens can rightfully expect the state to fulfill but which have not been fulfilled.”

Separating “protecting Germany and our own citizens” from “fully performing all the proper duties and responsibilities that have not been fulfilled” itself announced Bavaria’s will. Marian Baum understood the meaning. Others would be the same. Prussia had neither controlled Pleroma nor protected the inviolable rights of individual citizens. They were now one step away from plunging Germany into crisis and had not fulfilled the duties the state should have properly performed until now. We will reorganize German hegemony and make everything return to where it should originally be—Bavaria had said this in such words. The Prince knew how to balance words on a tightrope.

The statement about fully fulfilling all the proper duties and responsibilities that citizens can expect the state to fulfill but which have not been fulfilled basically presupposed this fact—Bavaria would promise politics based on ethics. Then the next point was crucial.

“How” would they conduct politics?

Chairman Yanina Schweitzer opens her mouth.

“First, our Catacombs receives the royal family’s proposal with utmost gravity and expresses deep gratitude for Your Highness’s sincere expression of intent. However, we would first like to ask about two issues.”

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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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