How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 526

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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 (526)

Child, why have you done this? Behold, your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.

I stood still in that place. Looking up at the sky, I drive my staff into the ground in the midst of chaos and let divine power flow. Time like a veil becomes wind, flowing irregularly and obliquely to the earth in a sphere before stopping. The ticking of the pocket watch stretches long, then cuts off like the vastness of the moment when a drop of jade water touches the surface, and no hand can advance any further. A remarkably clear and simple declaration, a speech written so that even those who know nothing of religion can understand, it is meant to speak to all Europeans. To embrace even those who have turned away from religion in an age when atheism and materialism prevail, to tell everyone that Christ is here, they speak briefly and clearly. Through the Ain Peshka manuscript, we have learned what we must do. Therefore, from now on, we will act exactly as the prophet of the Old Testament has newly proclaimed today. Christ has come to earth today. He has come in the lowest form of this age. You know well. You know the boy who caused such a stir in our land over ten years ago, who was despised for taking the blood of beasts and removing human hearts due to an unavoidable, unfortunate, and vulgar affliction. Today, Christ has chosen even the most gracious, wealthy, and blessed cradle as His own temperament, lowering His life to the most base and manifesting in our land. We who wandered searching for Christ have spent the past ten years scolding the lost child who seemed to corrupt the times to lead us away from Christ: Child, why have you done this? Behold, your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.

You did that to Lucas Ascanien. Child, why have you done this? Why did you drink the blood of werewolves and why did you kill people for blood? Behold! An age entering the path of decadence because of one born with no choice but to disregard life in pursuit of blood, an age of injustice that Christ would lament! One truth that can be obtained by refining the jumbled facts—Lucas Ascanien is not hated from childhood to today simply because he did the disgusting act of drinking blood. He was hated because he was not right. Not right in what way? Because of you, everything is going wrong. Because of you, the ethics of this age are forgotten, human relationships are forgotten, and common sense is forgotten. Because of you, everything crumbles and because of you, order is no longer as it was before. Thus our scolding has reason and our scolding is on the side of good and becomes a minimal attempt to maintain virtue. One who deserves blame is made so. That is no different from one who deserves to die. Why do we have such interest in German scholarship? I recall a question I once heard. Because their past is not unrelated to our today. Because we have changed since that day but perhaps nothing has actually improved. We want to believe we have moved forward, but we know that the way of thinking that believes humanity progresses every moment is not absolute truth but merely one theory. The only corner I can kneel and lean on is that the thought that nothing may have improved is also just one theory. I do not deny the theory that some philosopher said about how obsession with justice causes loss of virtue, but in the present case it can coexist with the previous theory. I always thought. I wanted to know people and wanted to know the masses. Because I had to fully receive their specific words and actions, I wanted to know why they said and did such things. If their young age or shallow thinking were the cause, then adults who were older and more virtuous than them should not have supported it, so that is not the cause. I was always younger than them, at least the same age, and in their process of doing their best to stone and scold others, I came to today in this state. So I came this far. I always wandered between book pages and book pages, going back, and back, and back to their cause, and ask. Can you confidently assert that that ancient Germany is unrelated to the world of our time? You can assert it! We did not come to today from the same geopolitical environment as them, they were the main axis of World War II, the world developed according to the Allied way, and Germany clearly apologized and reflected on its atrocities. We have progressed from that and can say what is wrong is wrong, and in our time that deeply felt and painfully awakened to the horrors of World War II, no kind of character assassination or massacre occurs. Nazi Germany will never be born again in our time, and the detailed fragments that remind us of them, the eugenics that enabled extreme nationalism and statism, or the dehumanization imposed on individuals, are also very unlikely to revive in the future, and even if such things happen, we will self-correct. Truly, I cannot see even with washed eyes anything that is the same, I want to believe like those who say so. I am certain that if I could have thought this way, I would not have come to today… I saw the precursors of new eugenics and before new eugenics I often saw the widespread eugenic mindset that would make it possible, and my profession was probably sometimes criticized in that sense, which I did not oppose. I saw the kind of public opinion warfare tactics that, rather than having constructive dialogue or listening carefully to each other’s positions, once considered an opposing camp, dehumanize it, and this becomes more widespread even when criticized. So I could not agree with another philosopher who divided the responsibility for the crimes committed by Nazi Germany into four categories: criminal law, politics, morality, and metaphysics. This does not mean we cannot hold war criminals criminally responsible, nor does it mean the German people have no political, moral, and metaphysical guilt, but contrary to his intention, it is reducing the realm of sin. In a society where moral pluralism rushes to extremes without moderation, such distinction does not fully hold accountable those who should reflect. Pluralism that has reached extremes paradoxically makes others non-existent. Those who agree band together. They band together and isolate. Inside, they all become the same, and outside, they do not meet… The era I lived in continues. Just as on that day there were not only those who praised that day’s folly, today there are not only those who praise today’s folly. We believe we progress by seeing those who urge us to look back at ourselves. We see a glimmer of hope in them. On that day there were those who lamented the injustice of the times, and today there are those who lament the injustice of the times. Then is it possible to separate eras with the thought that humanity is always progressing from a wrong and inferior past based on the difference in the number of such self-reflective people? In a situation where each group isolates rather than even contacting each other under the distorted prevalence of pluralism and relativism, is the distinction between progress and regression possible based on the number of members in each camp? To tell me that humans continue to progress is both hope and another cut of the knife. I had to rely on the theory of a certain philosopher I mentioned earlier. He told me there are also things that should not be pluralistic or relative. I asked why they wanted me to die and people say they, not I, are wrong. They occupy a significant portion of the times. But those who angrily ask me why I don’t die are also the mainstay of the times. These are all them. Distinguished but not distinguished. So I cannot remain in academia as a scholar. My theory is not an axiom but an argument and question uttered before a cliff. As one who must die but must not really die and must die eternally, I ask myself.

Can they think?

Therefore, we also know that our statement today will become an act of injustice like the council of Jewish leaders who sent Christ to the path of death. But the Ain Peshka manuscript tells us to do so. It says we must become so. I twist my face and burst into laughter with my mouth. Pleroma has thrown me a lifeline by openly stating what they are doing. Therefore, Pleroma offers me something less than the violence my profession inflicted on me. Because my profession was regarded as having as a basic element the virtue of now having no choice but to do so, from the claims of those who told me that dying but not dying and having to die eternally was virtue, it could never once attempt to protect me from the tribulation that had begun, just as Pleroma now personally declared they would do the same as the Jewish council. I lost the controller. Money may have made it possible as justification for the claim that beyond being one who deserves insult, one should rather make it a duty—it doesn’t matter now.

On the other hand, Pleroma offers me a playful favor before losing control of the tribulation. From now on, I had to trust the public’s reading comprehension of this one sentence. Do you know what Pleroma is saying? Can I trust that you are not now following Pleroma’s wishes like sheep? All the past years speak.

I cannot trust.

Time flows. The number +7 drops to +6. +6 drops to +5. I must turn back time. But I ask again. What will happen will happen even if I turn back time. I’ve already experienced it more than twenty times. Those who will die keep dying and those who will live keep living and those who will fall in that place keep falling. Even if sometimes those who die and those who live change, the grand situation doesn’t change. Still, should I try turning back time? To when? You said you were going to catch sheep. Yes, did you try to change fate? You failed and came to the ‘capital’, right? You never said it was related to me, but I think so. Naturally. I don’t know if Narke Farnese’s foresight didn’t work or if he didn’t speak because he couldn’t prevent it. But I don’t blame him for that. I couldn’t resent anyone. It didn’t turn out that way. So foolishly I only observed to the end, yes. And still call yourself human? All the resentment and praise I’ve heard in my lifetime gather and mix together. You are therefore not human. That’s what it seemed to say. I open my mouth and cast spells without knowing it. All words clump together into masses then scatter as masses. My mind was clear, and I ran. I had to be strong. Therefore, while time flowed, I had to forget everything. Without knowing the reason, only that proposition remains in my head. It drives me forward. Completely ignoring what will happen to me, pretending nothing happened, ignoring my will, I feel someone fall to my sword. I feel something squishy burst under my boots. Sometimes running clears the head. What was I thinking about? I don’t know what remains so persistently in my chest, making me feel uneasy. Contradiction of contradiction of contradiction, I pour extra elixir on the blood that got in my eyes and run without hesitation. There is such a thing, I think. Christ will refine the earth with fire and destroy us with fire. I could not close my eyes. But the day when such judgment fire will save us is not far off. I don’t know how salvation is possible at all, nor do I know if I’m qualified for it. The name of Lucas Ascanien that all humans in Europe will now speak and all that will follow is not the future but the past that already was, not the past but today’s present, not the present but tomorrow’s future. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, I do not resent all the mouths and glistening eyes of this entire continent. Instead I lament and worry. All time speaks in my head. Child, why have you done this? Behold, your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.

So I say to you. Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I was always in that place, that you left your place every moment?

* * *

At 6:07, General Otting stuck an artifact pin into a picture drawn with magic power. As he stuck it in, the same image appeared on the huge strategic map on the table behind.

There are 8 Pleroma dioceses in Bavaria. One of them, the Munich-Freising Archdiocese, has already been broadcast and the remaining personnel are stationed at headquarters, I heard. Therefore, Bavaria’s Pleroma dioceses are effectively 7, but cunningly, the 3 southern dioceses only moved their location to the Brandenburg region. This is by no means beneficial to Bavaria. We couldn’t catch the tens of thousands of Pleroma who lived considering Bavaria their own land and had to let them station far away in Prussia while we can only twiddle our thumbs! Without damaging Pleroma’s strength at all. General Otting took a deep breath and closed his mouth.

However, if they coexist, it is true that handling the northern 4 dioceses also becomes difficult. Now we must cleanly eliminate the northern 4 dioceses that live with their feet planted in Bavaria and can pose a real and military threat to Bavaria, namely the Bamberg province.

First, in order of deployment, the most crucial Bamberg-Eichstätt will be handled by the 10th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Infantry Regiment, and a total of 70 Catacombs mages, Würzburg by the 7th Infantry Brigade, 10th Division, and a total of 151 Catacombs mages, and Speyer by the 11th Infantry Brigade, 8th Division, and a total of 132 Catacombs mages. We deployed volunteer forces for reconnaissance missions in the capital, but they’re still on standby, so we’ll begin operations when those volunteers give the signal. Since the number of mages is absolutely small compared to non-mages, we couldn’t deploy more than this. If a minimum of 70 and maximum of 151 rush in, even bishops would have no way to handle it. No matter how strong a mage is, facing dozens is difficult. That royal army was also assembled only from those with skills domestically and internationally.

“Make escape to headquarters absolutely impossible. That is the first priority no matter what happens.”

Otting gave this instruction, and there’s still no contact from the capital. Just how much money was invested in this operation! Overturning the coordinate system even briefly incurred enormous costs. At least with this foundation, we should be able to sufficiently prevent escape to headquarters. At 6:10, his subordinates receiving communications through artifacts gradually begin to speak.

“Contact came from the 10th Division. They succeeded in killing 1 of the 2 auxiliary bishops among the Bishop of Würzburg and accompanying auxiliary and suffragan bishops. Currently 5 wounded, 0 dead.”

“The 8th Division reports success in killing the Suffragan Bishop of Speyer and auxiliary bishop. 23 wounded, 0 dead. Due to many wounded, we ordered them to wait briefly and provided temporary coordinates for the hospital.”

Otting nodded satisfactorily and looked at the most important Bamberg-Eichstätt scene. Images transmitted through mirrors installed on each shoulder occupy one wall. Unlike the Bishop of Speyer who foolishly wandered within his own diocese, the two bishops fled to downtown Nuremberg. The sound from the scene is drowned out by some loud shouting, but no significant report has come up yet.

Then a subordinate comes and says.

“Your Excellency, Pleroma’s broadcast has ended.”

Otting turns off one artifact, hands the line to his adjutant, and asks.

“Yes, it’s less noisy now. What did they say?”

“They claim to have discovered a new biblical manuscript in Ottoman Palestine.”

Otting squinted and opened his mouth. A new manuscript! Would that mean additional biblical books could be added? Or is it an existing biblical manuscript? Whatever it is, such a precious relic falling into their hands is impossible. We must immediately gather archaeologists from Bavaria and send them to the Ottoman Empire. But since that’s not something to consider during operations, Otting asked curtly.

“Is that all?”

“No, that’s…”

As the subordinate trailed off and let his eyes wander here and there, Otting finally realized the subordinate’s face had turned pale. That subordinate was alone, almost like a corpse, unlike all these mages busily receiving and transmitting reports in the strategy room. Among these, he alone had to go out and listen to Pleroma’s voice. But to act so faint-hearted because of that, Otting seriously pressed his subordinate.

“Do you have time to spare?”

“No sir. Your Excellency, Pleroma claims that the Savior Christ has manifested on earth.”

“What? When?”

He didn’t say when… The subordinate standing with that expression pondered how to answer. Otting snapped irritably.

“If you don’t know, say you don’t know and go! Is their nonsense important now? Christ coming again, so where did Christ come? Certainly in peacetime everyone would have rushed to church, but now even our mages won’t be shaken.”

“Lucas Ascanien.”

Otting closed his eyes and wrinkled his nose bridge. He pressed his eyelids tight then opened them again, looking at his subordinate with annoyance. What? What about Lucas Ascanien?

The subordinate waved his hands in explanation.

“They truly said so! Please check the Imperial Newspaper. The trends of the Prussian government that our intelligence department is tracking are also unusual.”

Otting doubted his own ears. He thought his current thoughts were excessively blasphemous and laughed hollowly.

“So, what comes after Lucas Ascanien.”

“They say Lucas Ascanien is the Savior.”

Silence flows. The other mages who only heard their words stop their actions and open their mouths. Everyone’s gaze turns to the two mages. The mages quickly realize their duty and return to their work, but their pupils were shaking madly. Otting is the same.

“Your Excellency, you don’t know the outside reaction because you’re currently in operation.”

Otting shook his head and muttered.

“That Pleroma brat.”

“That’s right.”

“That red-eyed…”

“Yes, that’s the person Your Excellency Otting is referring to. Pleroma claims that person is Christ.”

Otting turned equally pale and wiped his mouth. I knew this would happen. I knew it. That Antagonist from Anhalt, I noticed from when that vampire wasn’t disposed of and lived. I don’t know why Pleroma calls that vampire Christ. Shouldn’t they reject him since he’s the number one contributor to making their image bad? There must be something. There was deep collusion with Pleroma that we didn’t know about. Or if Pleroma had some supernatural ability to revere, yes, if there was something in that blood-sucking desire? Otting felt his stomach turn as he recalled newspaper articles from over ten years ago. He turned around and warned his subordinate.

“This is maddening. I noticed from when Prussia eagerly employed him. You won’t believe what heretics say, will you?”

“Of course not. I am a devout Christian. My Christ is only Jesus Christ.”

That’s right. Otting feels his head cooling. He had to maintain composure. Just then his gaze reaches the Nuremberg status board. Otting looked at the images transmitted from mirrors on Nikolaus Ernst and the Prince’s shoulders and nodded.

“They made personnel selection just like themselves. Well, if some guy is Christ… It would have been more confusing if they said Ernst was the Savior.”

“That’s right.”

“I suppose they didn’t say Nikolaus Ernst was the Savior. Due to taking too much damage…”

General Otting and his subordinate conversed with forced smiles. Ah, truly so. Nikolaus Ernst is one who has made distinguished contributions in leading Pleroma down the path of destruction until now. He was the first to raise in the Federal Committee the problem of areas the imperial government had roughly cordoned off under the name of contaminated zones, and thanks to that, he cut off from the roots Pleroma’s grand biological weapon plan they were building. What about their rampage drugs? Bavaria is the first nation in the country to establish a swift and effective system responding to rampage. Thanks to Nikolaus Ernst doing something before any of their plans could fully take effect, the Empire has not experienced anything beyond the dangers it has faced so far. Cornering Pleroma and pressuring them to squeeze them is also his achievement, and even now as we’re in the process of wiping out Bavaria’s Pleroma in one sweep, his preparation and planning contribute greatly.

If you think about it that way, there are some concerns on Lucas Ascanien’s side too… We must see the situation. Otting connected the artifact line and shouted to the mages at the Nuremberg scene.

“Never be shaken! You must not be deceived by sounds about that Student being Christ or whatever. Satisfying curiosity or eliminating that Student is not our mission today.”

Even knowing Pleroma’s 6 o’clock announcement plan, if we’re swayed by it, we are not Bavaria’s mages. He stopped those words from coming out. Otting is, compared to people outside the strategy room, probably not shaken at all, but as a soldier he is excessively shaken. He asked the subordinate in charge of the Prince.

“Has there been contact from His Highness the Prince?”

“Not yet. The Bishop of Eichstätt is too strategic.”

Otting pursed his lips inward and nodded. This time he switched lines to hear about Nikolaus Ernst’s situation and turned up the sound of one connected artifact.

[This is my lament that I built it…]

Faint spell sounds, then a shrill scream came from the table in charge of Nikolaus Ernst.

“Your Excellency, Nikolaus Ernst has won!”

Otting hastily looked at Nuremberg’s video. The Bishop of Bamberg’s corpse is visible. People with their bodies half out of windows all around are visible. A huge murmuring is heard, but this was different from when Pleroma spoke. This was definitely people’s voices. Otting watched the nature and downtown surrounding Nikolaus Ernst without blinking once and decoded the sounds. Nikolaus, Your Excellency Nikolaus Ernst. It was definitely such cries. The sounds merge together. One of his subordinates shouted with a face full of joy.

“Western Nuremberg is full of praise for Ernst. Your Excellency, this is Bavaria’s victory again.”

“It’s too early to rejoice.”

Otting cut off the words. But a smile was spreading across his face.

But Nikolaus Ernst is truly winning. Following the success of the operation to kill the weakest Bishop of Speyer, he succeeded in quickly killing the Bishop of Bamberg, determined to be the strongest, with the fewest personnel.

If he were there, even Pleroma’s Christ announcement would not become a great tribulation.

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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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