How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 520

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magic Noble Family (520)

“Why are you smiling?”

Leonard, who had been quietly staring into space, shook his head and spoke. I felt a momentary pain in my side, but ignored it, believing it was nothing serious. More importantly, why—was this a situation where I shouldn’t smile? Even during a mission, one can admire the world if it’s beautiful. I smiled, squinted my eyes, and looked up at the sky.

“How magnificent…”

A subtle headache came over me. Leonard briefly furrowed his brow, then calmly began writing something on his wrist. I looked at his hand stained with black letters and asked in confusion.

“Your Highness, what’s on your hand…”

“Doesn’t the world seem rather carelessly peaceful to you?”

Carelessly peaceful? I rubbed my side and answered.

“It is beautiful.”

“No, we’re currently on a mission. This isn’t the time to be appreciating beauty.”

As his words grew longer, so did the pain. I struck the wall audibly and leaned against it, thinking. On a mission? I know. I’m currently inside the Bamberg Archdiocese. But so what? I think I had some enthusiasm about finding a way out, but I’m not sure now. There’s a slightly musty dust smell in the air. Gradually, questions arise from the bitterness on my tongue. I feel chills. Under Leonard’s soundproofing magic, I asked in a low voice.

“Excuse me for asking, but… did I drink Your Highness’s blood?”

“No, never. Is there something in your mouth?”

“No…”

Sometimes you taste things that aren’t there. Isn’t that normal when you’re not feeling well?

But no. I focused my eyes, conscious of the pain that stopped as soon as Leonard finished speaking. It’s repeating. Ah—I tried making a long sound. This time my head hurt. Leonard, seeming to know what was happening, opened his mouth.

“Every time I speak.”

“Yes.”

“You’re holding your stomach, so don’t you roughly sense what’s going on?”

I wiped my upper lip and felt sweat forming on the hand gripping the wall. The person in front of me tilted his head.

“Every time you speak, strange colors spread across my vision.”

I understood without him finishing. After checking the dense writing on the back of his hand, I held up my palm to stop Leonard from speaking. “I understand. Our senses are being switched. Hearing is causing tactile sensations and pain. Yet since we can still hear sounds, we’re experiencing overlapping confusion rather than complete replacement. Meanwhile, Your Highness is receiving auditory input as visual input.”

Leonard showed a momentarily confused expression. Again. Having his memories rearranged, he twitched the muscles under his eyes slightly as if discovering something disturbing, then silently showed me his wrist. [Sensory overlap] [Don’t speak in front of Nicolaus, causes pain] I nodded and explained with sharp eyes.

“Your Highness. Every time you speak, I feel as if someone is tearing at the skin and muscles of my side.”

Leonard made a face as if to say ‘what on earth are you talking about,’ but apparently the pre-mission Leonard had arrived here. That peace didn’t last long. Seeing colors spreading across his vision, he opened his eyes wide in panic. His ice-colored pupils shook frantically. However, since the pre-mission Leonard was still Leonard, he quickly recovered the same brilliance and dignity I knew well from the immediate previous Leonard. I took off my jacket, wrapped it around my waist, and began using my shirt as drawing paper. The ink soaking into the silk shirt didn’t spread as much as I expected. I summarized all my deductions in English and spoke to him in the same language like a machine gun.

“We need to figure out how to get out quickly. This isn’t the time to run around directly, but to think. We should have done this from the start, but I think we were complacent, trusting in the glasses. Then why must we be quick? Assuming time here operates the same as our time, it’s now 4:30. We’re losing our memories in sequence. Using divine power helps, but it’s not omnipotent. Especially not for me.”

Leonard’s facial muscles subtly stiffened. Though he wasn’t speaking for my sake, he had written the mission time as 4:30 on his hand, so he had no choice but to know that time was up. I tried to open the status window to check the time, but that too was wasteful. If we couldn’t return by 4:30, the King would take command, and more importantly, since it was still standby time, we were still okay. The announcement was at 6 o’clock, so we couldn’t attack at 4:30, could we? I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.

“Your Highness.”

Leonard looked down at me and answered with his eyes. I wrapped myself in divine power and infused him with divine power as I continued.

“If I had to choose just one partner, I would choose Your Highness.”

As I did in the beginning, so now. The choice I made at the start of my story hasn’t changed until now. It won’t change in the future either. Leonard was neither flustered nor shaken by those words. With the divine power, the interference with our five senses lifted. I spoke toward Leonard’s straight gaze.

“There isn’t a moment’s hesitation in that decision. From now on, we must join forces. Your Highness’s brain must be my brain, and my brain must be Your Highness’s brain. Can you do it?”

Saying I would choose him isn’t just empty words. Unlike Leo, who loves averages and standards and actually appears standard even if not quite average, his thinking ability is extraordinary. Not just extraordinary, but more exceptional than anyone else’s. He can always lead what he chooses to victory. In a world that no longer exists and lives only in my mind, even when he didn’t need to, he pulled up with his own hands a listless peer who had fallen into the depths of despair, and likewise planned a game board he didn’t need to create, moved thoroughly according to strategy until the deadline, and finally made everything work out as intended. The process and achievements of both figures were synergistic, so one cannot think of them separately. Elias would have won with iron-like will and strength at any time if he hadn’t died, but due to the absurdity imposed by his birth, he couldn’t guarantee his life without Leonard, and if Elias hadn’t had Leonard, he wouldn’t have deeply felt the reality of the circumstances that repeatedly put him in extreme opposition to Leonard until his early twenties, but since that displeasure didn’t always exceed the threshold, he wouldn’t have been able to forge himself to reach higher places through it. As I thought before, Elias couldn’t bear showing others that he was suffering injustice more than the fact itself. Whether others felt indignation or sympathy about injustice, everything flowed as the Emperor intended, so in others’ judgment, anything except non-reaction was wrong, and there was nothing he could do about that wrong answer, and digging deeper, even non-reaction as a reaction to some action seemed to be based on sympathetic understanding, so there was no answer whatsoever. Leonard would have been fine even without Elias from the beginning, but that Leonard would have been quite different from the Leonard I read about. He wouldn’t have become a different person in a particularly negative sense, but the two Leonards would definitely be different. Life isn’t independent in that sense. The story I read couldn’t exist without either of the two figures. Everything worked together so Elias survived, always won, and certainly his ability was at the center of that cooperation. That cooperation is the spotlight shining on him who can embrace the calling of greatness—the great become great because they can endure that destiny. I saw and read the admirable majesty, will, and ability with which platinum-like treasure refined through hardship seized brook-like opportunities and wove warp and weft that had become nothing yet into an ocean.

And I read about the iron will that brought water to the middle of a desert without a single source and finally pioneered wasteland into lush forest, the strategy of many difficult years that this iron will achieved through humility and strategy while making the impossible possible and finally revealing to the world, the spirit that changed the continent’s destiny without hesitation. It was Leonard’s achievement that granted the throne to a great vessel for whom the imperial seat hadn’t been prepared. The actor’s merit and the commander’s merit are different. I know this talent’s potential.

The statement about planning a game board that didn’t need to be made sounded contradictory to someone in the 20th century. What does it mean that Bavaria replaced the imperial throne? Even seeing this future, one cannot believe the dynamics of power will remain the same as now—such belief is the height of naivety… That Bavarian royalty helped with a coup to seize the throne means Bavaria has reached the same position as current Prussia. It means Prussia doesn’t wield the same power as now. The empire’s hegemonic structure has changed, and while the emperor position comes from the Kingdom of Prussia according to custom based on Bavaria’s calculations, the real power is, to put it nicely, divided. Because of this, Leonard often received evaluations from Prussian conservatives that he had installed a puppet emperor, but whether that was true or a misunderstanding, he made it possible for his friend, who didn’t want Prussia, to unfold his will, and far from chasing ideals while missing reality, he made Bavaria the empire’s hegemonic power. He was someone who could raise what he once chose to where he wanted it, and he carefully assembled the current board so that even this world’s German Empire could be saved. In the two worlds I know, Leonard continues on a path of victory. Without abandoning either of the two rabbits he holds in each world.

Leonard’s standardness is a smokescreen hiding his exceptionality. The current reality where numerous political figures give only moderately good evaluations of the Crown Prince is evidence of what kind of ordinariness that preference for standards is performing. Perhaps he is, whether intentionally or unintentionally, deceiving even our perception of his abilities by loving standards… Therefore, from the moment I chose a companion the day after falling into this world, from the moment I bet my survival not on the Emperor but on that kingmaker until now, I’ve thought this without wavering for a single moment—only Leonard Wittelsbach is most suitable for the title of strategist. Now there are admirably excellent strategists among those in negative relationships with me, but the weight attached to the modifier ‘most’ still doesn’t change. My opinion won’t change until I know who will win in the final moment.

And I slowly feel his smokescreen of ordinariness melting away. At least in front of me, in front of us. I too will urge him in accordance with such change. Let’s quickly get out of here as if nothing happened, so even if I forget, continue my thoughts. Surely Your Highness can act as if you’ve read my thoughts in advance. Those words rise to my throat.

“You’re asking something you don’t need to ask.”

There wasn’t a trace of worry on Leonard’s face. He didn’t worry about the unrealistic methods we presented while considering numerous possibilities, as he had consistently done until a few months ago. He surely must have the memories from before mission planning as his most recent memories, and the current him shouldn’t be last night’s him who recognized bearing too much on his shoulders, yet he changes his attitude like flipping his palm the moment he recognizes his duty, as if such sequence doesn’t matter for personality manifestation. I’m certain Bavaria has the most perfect material above all else.

“Good.” I nodded once and said. “According to what we’ve already recorded, we’ve confirmed this phenomenon as the Archbishop of Bamberg’s ability. There are some ‘careless’ and hasty judgments. Being able to insert memories doesn’t necessarily mean being able to manipulate sequence. While that might be possible, it’s a separate ability from memory insertion. Also, if they had the ability to extract unique abilities externally, then they… No, there’s no ability to extract unique abilities externally.” If such ability existed, would Pleroma desperately target Maria Osterreicheste? Would they target Emanuel Wittelsbach? Remember what they did to check Terminus Yukairya. Would there be reason to bear such risk and burden? If costs are similar to benefits, is that plan rational? Since I can’t tell Leonard this simple reasoning yet, I have no choice but to assert it arbitrarily. “This is a premise. Therefore, all magic formulas cast on this space are ‘imitations.’ Like overlapping all sorts of magic formulas to contain abilities similar to unique abilities in artifacts. Next, the problem isn’t just the change that confuses memory sequence and makes us judge phenomena mainly through most recent memories. We still have the sensory overlap problem. Whose ability is this? Or whose developed ability might it be? According to what we obtained from Ainsiedel, we’ve never encountered such a unique ability. Among the current 7 dioceses, only the Bishops of Bamberg and Eichstätt have abilities that similarly interfere with the mind. So it might be an independently developed ability. But given the preservation and destruction state of this place that Your Highness has already grasped, whether it is or isn’t doesn’t matter. Consequently?” What should I say? What am I demanding? He should know how to answer this.

“It’s simple. It’s evidence that a lever to get outside exists with high probability.”

Leonard calmly states the correct answer. Finally. I felt my breath release with relief. I always feel this. Conversation with him is fast. The strategy meeting we had just before Penthalon comes to mind again. Even if it was an easy problem, in such a tense situation his mind might not work quickly, and then I’d have to do double work of not just escaping but persuading, wasting twice the time. I ran outside and said. “That’s right.”

“According to what we’ve observed so far, the levers are patterned. They place many in convenient locations.”

I heard Leonard’s voice. I was running. The world that had been bright as midday began taking on ecstatic darkness and light. My five senses twisted and simultaneously my side hurt enough to cover all those abnormalities. What’s this, suddenly? As I stopped with a frown, Leonard closed his mouth, took out a fountain pen, scribbled letters on his palm, and showed it. [Divine power]. Leonard’s politely extended fingers pointed toward me. Understanding his meaning, I wrapped myself in divine power. Meanwhile, discovering writing on the back of his hand, I opened my mouth and read it. Only now does Leonard speak.

“Read what’s written on your sleeve. Since you said my brain must be your brain and your brain must be mine, I’ll continue with your and my reasoning. I discovered something strange here. Excluding the ruins connected to path 4, isn’t the space far too clean?”

“I had the same thought, Your Highness.” I said while reading the writing on my sleeve.

“If this were a training ground, there should be traces of fighting. But just as we’ve thought of this place as a residential area rather than ruins until now, there’s damage only in small sections that you could believe was slight damage, damage from time, and the rest is intact. Going back to the beginning, what would be the purpose of creating such a training ground? You probably narrowed it down to two main possibilities. A combat training ground for bishops, and a training ground as a place for magic formula experiments. Of course, as a counterargument, couldn’t they have used such special magic formulas in bishops’ combat training grounds too…? Come to think of it, you wouldn’t ask such a question, sorry. It was probably the latter training ground using ‘materials’ with high probability.”

Actually, I think I should have introduced what Leonard just said first, but apparently I didn’t. It would be easier to understand if we went back to the beginning knowing the information he just mentioned, but seeing him speak without any hesitation, Leonard had clearly figured out many things on his own. We put mana into our legs and quickly reached the center of the plaza. Leonard stood in front of the fountain and looked back at me.

“We mentioned patterning earlier. The levers are patterned, but in what way? It means they’re organized in ways convenient for humans to use. Think of their offices. Within the same district, warping would suffice, but installing levers means they don’t want to consume even the mana in their bodies. They don’t want to calculate formulas either. There’s no need to complicate this convenient method with detours. The possibility of levers being in those numerous alleys was low from the start.”

“It’s puzzling that we didn’t reach this conclusion immediately.”

“We kept forgetting whenever we tried to think about something, and in such situations, we couldn’t think this long. Also, you said we overconfided in the glasses. That seemed valid.”

“Good. …In a situation where we keep forgetting things, it’s a miracle we even made it this far.”

I pressed my forehead and quickly continued.

“Thank you for the kind explanation. The conclusion is already out. What’s usually in a plaza?”

“There’s a lever in the plaza’s clock tower.”

Leonard calmly took the lead. How much did he skip to reach the conclusion that there would be a lever in the plaza’s clock tower? Hearing that, I laughed in admiration.

“You skipped at least three steps, Your Highness.”

“It seems you’re gradually grasping the situation, as you should.”

Leonard smiled, tilting his chin down slightly.

“Let’s go. Before it gets later.”

“There’s something to think about, Your Highness.”

At my words, Leonard raised his eyebrows and turned halfway around. I spoke calmly to him.

“The lever will definitely be in the clock tower.”

“I’m pleased we share the same opinion.”

“And when we pull it, we’ll move to the sky above this place. Another spatial magic will unfold that lets us look down on this place at a glance.”

The lever we’ll find in the clock tower isn’t a lever to return where we came from. Such reasoning is sufficiently possible.

Leonard answered with a smile.

“So shouldn’t we rather be grateful for passing 4:30?”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————