How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 522

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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 (522)

Time stopped. Probably an illusion. Either I felt that way because countless thoughts were flowing through my head, or because no thoughts were flowing through my head at all. My memories arranged themselves chronologically. There, I re-deduced the existence of the lever four times and thought about the square more than thirty times. And about insurance, I thought at least twice. Thinking occurs simultaneously in three major areas, but if we consider only conscious thought, it divides into two compartments – in the lower layer of thought, not the clear and simple surface thoughts we can partially express in words, much more emerged. In an instant, I opened their status windows. There were no authors I knew. None of the bishop names from the various dioceses I had passed through, nor the names I had heard from Ainsiedel. Good. These must be bishops from central Germany or eastern Germany adjacent to Russia that I hadn’t encountered. The bishops’ eyes gleamed and their movements as they rose from their seats appeared slow. I signaled to Leonard with my eyes. He was already looking for a lever to move to another location without being conscious of my gaze. Then he looked at me and blinked. I knew what that signal meant.

“Finally found you. I’ve come to see you despite the rudeness due to an urgent matter, Bishop Hoffmann. You must see this right now.” I quickly approached them, pulling out documents I had tucked in my jacket. The bishops looked somewhat bewildered as they glanced at me and Leonard behind me. They hadn’t expected us to enter here. A sudden thought – could security magic be cast on the space itself that transitions through levers? It seems possible, but surely such technology doesn’t exist? Can’t the lever be deactivated? It seems it can’t be deactivated from here – such suspicions were inevitable, but if this were true, it would be extremely welcome. I handed the documents to the one who seemed highest in rank among them and said urgently, “This is a copy of King Hildegart’s letter delivered to the imperial palace. It announces that starting the day after Easter, the national coordinate system will be changed in stages over a week and a warp permit system will be operated. They sent me here saying our future plans could go wrong.” I finished speaking while pointing to King Hildegart’s signature in the photograph and the Prussian imperial mail receipt stamp that Elias had taken from his collection of stolen goods. The coordinate system? A bewildered negative voice was heard. If the coordinate system is overturned, they won’t be able to operate outside this place without obtaining coordinate formulas passed only to nobles, and the levers for entering and exiting would become useless. How could the Empire decide on such astronomically expensive actions? They would think this way. Meanwhile, I pulled down my outer garment so the writing on my sleeve wouldn’t show, and someone looking at the Pleroma cross hanging on my chest asked.

“Which diocese do you belong to? How did you obtain a copy of this letter?”

“I am Deacon Wilhelm Schmidt of the Brandenburg Archdiocese. This is information obtained by giving a large sum to a newly appointed poison examiner in Prussia. Since this is freshly obtained information, I must deliver it to other bishops as well, so I’ll move to other places.” Their gazes clung to me until the end. They repeatedly looked down at the paper then back at me. My heart began beating loudly. I walked briskly toward the entrance platform where Leonard and I had arrived, turned and bowed, then touched the door handle decoration where Leonard’s gaze reached.

I should have been grateful they didn’t tear me apart. We didn’t return to where we came from. Thump, thump, thump… Under my tongue and my eardrums vibrated with the tremor, gradually reducing that agitation. We didn’t return to where we came from, but multiple levers can move to one space. We could deduce this fact from the special cases we saw earlier at the Bishop of Bamberg’s episcopal residence and the training ground we saw before.

“Huh.”

A breath burst out without my knowing. I twisted up the corners of my mouth and quickly gestured to Leonard as I strode through the building. They might chase after us. Quickly. But more fundamentally than chasing –

What if we’re discovered?

It’s fine if we’re discovered.

In the Brandenburg Archdiocese, we learned through Gelda Asmann and the priest who made him into Pleroma that their conditions are connected. Isn’t this connection ability similar to a specific person’s ability that we know? I had suspicions about this point when I copied and transferred unique abilities to my friend, and thought it wasn’t time yet. However, what’s certain is that consequently – and coincidentally – the two abilities are similar. Even though the Brandenburg Archdiocese was destroyed, their technology remains. The extremely few remaining clergy would live in the archdiocese’s direct territory, and it’s not difficult to recall that the Brandenburg Archdiocese would have operated centered around the Brandenburg Cathedral. The bishops before my eyes, upon hearing that I belonged to Brandenburg – whether ‘archdiocese (abbreviated to suggest direct control)’ or ‘diocese’ – would have expected that I was connected to someone, and if they later discovered anything suspicious about me, they would consider who our superior is more important than us ourselves and pursue that. Who sent their subordinate here? No one in the Brandenburg Archdiocese would take our side. Wilhelm Schmidt – though this common name seems familiar from somewhere, they would easily know he’s not one of theirs. And we know that the specific person we thought of earlier is very closely connected to both the Pleroma system and the imperial system.

Now the plan became clear.

I would be mistaken for Abraham’s spy.

I asked Leonard under a sound-blocking spell.

“Well, since it’s come to this, we should visit other places too. What do you think?”

“We’re scheduled to encounter them several more times on the way back.”

“Good.”

I answered thus and looked around, saying.

“This is… Fulda.”

The flag of Fulda Diocese was attached to the building. Whether Fulda or anywhere else, we had to head to the Bishop of Bamberg’s office.

“Your Excellency, I understand you’ve tested many levers in the Bamberg Archdiocese. Did you discover any levers leading outside from Bamberg Cathedral or the episcopal residence?”

“Yes.”

Leonard paused, tinted by the earlier confusing memories, then answered. Leonard and I knew well where the master’s office would be in any mansion or fortress without being told, and as soon as the decision was made, we ran there.

The utility we would gain by dragging Abraham into this affair is clear. First, though he’s a supervisor who acts cheekily in everything, I don’t know how that bastard will react to this matter. However, since Bavaria’s operation itself is pushing forward with the resolve to settle things with Prussia anyway, and I’ll be summoned there when this operation ends, wouldn’t it be better to deliver one grand blow? It’s not a question but a certainty.

Pleroma will first be briefly confused by our operation disguised as Abraham’s warning, and second, they will realize that all the puzzles of my words fit together under his name. There’s a possibility that my information will successfully get through, but it would be better to examine the possibility that they think it’s suspicious. Under that possibility, they will judge that Abraham has noticed their 6 o’clock plan and think that Abraham is intervening in the world using his Pleroma knowledge, and that there must be a special purpose behind it. Pleroma will be vigilant and decode the political language of this action. Third, they will carry out the 6 o’clock announcement without problems. They will warn their forces sent to the surface to spread the 6 o’clock announcement worldwide that they absolutely must not be attacked, actually wasting manpower and mental energy. Their surveillance network will focus on minor elements related to the 6 o’clock plan rather than Baden or Bavaria’s armies.

Can you see the picture? If crisis cannot be avoided, reverse it into opportunity. This is the insurance I created for the Kingdom of Bavaria.

We opened the empty office door and entered, looking at the numerous watch chains decorated on one side of the office table. This side has watch chains, not quill pens.

“Gratefully.”

I whistled and muttered. I won’t touch the rusted, old chains. They would be levers moving to offices of dioceses near or friendly to Fulda Diocese. It goes without saying that Bamberg is friendly with them. I shouldn’t touch the door decorations either. Ah, what if there’s no lever leading to Bamberg at all? Then…

I opened the drawer. For a moment, my eyes met Leonard’s. Footsteps could be heard from outside. They were getting closer. From my heart to my chest became chilly. Reflex couldn’t stop me. The lever in the drawer – I don’t know where it leads, but… I can’t stop here. I took Leonard’s hand and pulled out the fountain pen from the table, and when I realized where the changed view was, Leonard was also beside me. This place is… a downtown I’ve never seen before. It’s a vast square decorated with Easter atmosphere where numerous clergy are passing by. Without any interest in us at all.

“Father.”

Leonard walked forward alone to examine another building, then entered a huge modern building that looked like the core to anyone, looked around, then came out and called me. When we entered there, Leonard stood at some distance in front of the mail department. I wondered what I came here for and thought for a moment, then crouched into a blind spot invisible from the desk. I dropped one sheet from the documents I was carrying and picked it back up. I took the picked-up mail to the department employee.

“This photo was lying here. Is it a document from this place?”

“A photo?”

Pleroma looked at the photo I handed over with a smile, then gradually began to widen his eyes and finally opened his mouth. He turned pale and without saying anything to me, took it to another employee. The other employee also turned pale and left with it.

“What is it?”

I asked with confused eyes, shaking my pupils finely. The employee answered my question with a question, his eyes becoming stern.

“Was that lying down there?”

“Yes. Then where else would it have been?”

“Did you see the contents?”

“No. Is it mail that came to this building?”

“It must be. If you don’t know, that’s fine.”

“Wait, I handed it over to ask if it was mail being processed here, not to have it taken away. Shouldn’t we verify the facts?”

“It’s not the priest’s property, is it?”

“Yes, well…”

But just as I was about to say something, the employee firmly extended his hand.

“Then that’s settled. It’s ours.”

I stood there dumbfounded and speechless, then nodded bewilderedly at the employee’s gesture to leave and took Leonard out of the building.

“It is powerful news indeed.”

Powerful false news – when credibility is added to falsehood, most people don’t suspect much. No one would be able to forge royal letterhead or provide receipt confirmation stamps.

I strolled through the square with the most ordinary attitude possible, then entered a quiet alley. After waiting a while, a priest entered to pass through the alley. I pretended to be distracted until he passed in front of me, then grabbed his nape when he was just within arm’s reach.

“Kuk, uh…?!”

Even Pleroma’s world is a world where people live, so their reactions are quite human. I grabbed the priest’s nape with one hand and asked.

“Random inspection. Which diocese are you from?”

“Me, me, me? Random inspection? I haven’t heard such news…”

“If you had heard such news, it wouldn’t be a random inspection. Please cooperate. I’ll send you right back.”

I read fear in the other person’s eyes. He doesn’t seem to believe I’m particularly lying, because if he were an outsider, he wouldn’t have been able to enter here. In their minds, there’s no assumption that someone is a complete outsider. Unless they have unique abilities like Ludovica Schneider to detect baptism or they desperately rush to determine whether I’ve been baptized or not, I can perfectly impersonate Pleroma. The priest answered calmly.

“Ah, yes. I am… I belong to Hamburg Diocese.”

“Are you connected to your mother or father?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean your godmother or godfather who baptized you.”

“No, that’s not the case.”

The priest grabbed my hand, tried to remove it and move away as he answered. I released him and smiled while adjusting his attire. You really are from Hamburg. When I said that, the priest returned to a relieved expression thinking the interrogation was over, and was somewhat displeased.

“Could I see some police credentials…”

—Enter through the narrow gate.

I struck his forehead while infusing divine power. The priest’s pupils spread black in his eyes.

“Do you remember which building to go to to return to Hamburg Diocese?”

“Yes, yes…”

“Tell me.” I slowly channeled divine power into the priest’s forehead and muttered. The priest closed his eyes with a face like traveling through dreams. “I need to find out if you’re truly Pleroma.”

Leonard stroked his chin and lower lip with his curved fingers. I read satisfaction in that expressionless face. The priest muttered with unfocused eyes.

“First…”

* * *

We returned to Bavaria around 5 o’clock. The allied forces had been constantly worried that we might not return, and only now relaxed their tension. Leonard and I had no more time to talk. We had to organize formations immediately, modify operations, and create new items. Leonard was to speak about everything we experienced, and during that time I went to the extra chapter. I was leaning back against the sofa when I suddenly opened my eyes and stuck an empty syringe into my arm. I drew blood, transferred it, and drew again. The secretary was horrified and approached me.

“Your Excellency, for what reason are you doing this? You must prevent anemia before the operation.”

“There’s an artifact I urgently need to create once more.”

Of course it would sound like crazy talk. The secretary answered with a hardened face.

“There are only 20 minutes left until entry preparation. It’s impossible.”

“The final entry time is not 5:30.”

Between 5:50 and 5:55. Then we would deploy Baden forces first. I wrote down the approximate size of the item on paper beside me and told him.

“It must be accomplished. Even if performance isn’t perfect, mobilize all personnel. It will be delivered soon – the enemy has the ability to rearrange the order of memories, overlap sensations, and confuse thoughts. If we lose today, we can only watch as the lives of this land get caught up in the competition of heretics. To avoid irreversible and uncontrollable continental damage, we must win today, and for that we need an item that implements this technology. The Colonel of the 16th Infantry Regiment will come to protest to me – tell him I’ll make an appointment after the operation ends.”

The secretary didn’t hesitate. He no longer looked at his watch and answered.

“I’ll convey everything.”

* * *

5:56.

I am now at city hall. On the 3rd floor of Bamberg City Hall that I’ve passed through many times, I arrived last and contacted the kingdom’s military strategy room.

“All members of the 10th Infantry Brigade have completed assembly at Bamberg City Hall.”

[Stand by for 1 minute.]

“Understood.”

I showed my finger to the mages assembled and lined up in formation on this floor. The mages nodded. Even though it was called a brigade, being under the mage corps meant extremely few people, but we had to accomplish it with this. We could and had to do it sufficiently. As I looked at my watch and remained silent, the order that began flowing throughout Bavaria was also heard by us.

[5:57, entry commences as of the current time. Isolate Bamberg-Eichstätt Diocese from Bamberg Archdiocese within 3 minutes.]

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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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