How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 527

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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 (527)

At that moment, another subordinate turns his head toward Oettingen and speaks urgently.

“Your Excellency, His Excellency Ernst is asking about the ‘capital’ operation. The capital hasn’t begun operations yet, but may we inform him of the route to move?”

Currently, what happened in Nuremberg has not reached any media. Although journalists who happened to be in Nuremberg might try to spread the news, thanks to temporarily overturning Bavaria’s coordinate system, they cannot warp to their workplaces. Mail has also been blocked from being sent from the Nuremberg region to other places. Information control is fundamental in combat.

Then does Pleroma know that something unusual has happened to Bavaria’s dioceses? We ordered them to isolate and annihilate the dioceses within 3 minutes so that Pleroma’s leadership wouldn’t know of Bavaria’s anomaly. We seize the tables for sending support requests and block their movements.

To be certain of this point, the simplest answer is this. Volunteer Narke Farnese says the ‘capital’ is exactly the same as it was at 6:05. In other words, Pleroma’s leadership doesn’t know Bavaria’s situation. Even when we checked whether the southern 3 dioceses’ Pleromas tried to return to Bavaria’s original location, Narke Farnese said they still remain in their dioceses connected to the capital.

So the southern 3 dioceses installed new spatial magic in the Brandenburg region, and installed levers to move there in the ‘capital’ along with other dioceses. Since they’re already in their new nests, there was no reason for them to return to their original bases in Bavaria today. Isn’t this solving too easily! Those glasses that His Excellency Ernst requested to be developed were truly precious items that led this plan to victory. No Pleroma expected outsiders to find the lever that goes from the diocesan cathedral to the bishop’s office. No, they couldn’t even think that outsiders would know levers exist. Since all civilians they took to Pleroma’s world became Pleromas, such information couldn’t leak out! I don’t know how His Excellency Nicolaus Ernst carefully discovered this precious information, but today’s operation was possible because His Excellency Ernst perfectly shattered Pleroma’s natural and firm beliefs.

And now Nicolaus Ernst says that even after finishing his mission, he will directly enter the capital for the safety of Bavaria and the continent.

“I’ll inform him directly.”

Oettingen moved the pins on the strategic table and slid his finger along the side of the communication artifact.

“Major Ernst, can you hear me?”

[I can hear you.]

Instantly, Oettingen felt his nape grow cold and his lips curved downward. Nicolaus Ernst’s voice was different from what he usually heard, yet it wasn’t right to say it sounded like someone else – it was like the sound of wind coming from something that should be there but was surprisingly empty. He thought Ernst would be happy to achieve results that no one in Bavaria had managed, but he was never anything but serious. It seemed like yesterday when he first enlisted in the Bavarian army, thinking he was just another powerful noble mage putting his name on some officer list, but now the middle-aged mage feels deep trust in this Bavarian hero whose abilities were honed elsewhere unknown and who made his mark in Bavaria. Not just trust. Nicolaus Ernst’s existence was becoming an ark for Oettingen, for the mages in this strategy room, for Bavarians, and now beyond that, for continentals. Oettingen spoke gently, feeling unity with all people.

“Move to temporary coordinates 133:289:480. There’s a lever we’ve prepared there – pull the third lever and you’ll move to the ‘capital’. This capital is the place His Excellency Ernst personally saw and reported on, so you’ll know it well. From that capital, enter the building leading to Regensburg diocese. The building for moving to the Brandenburg region where Regensburg diocese is stationed is located at 3 o’clock from the square. Don’t go with all your men – rendezvous alone with the Catacombs mage.”

At 5 o’clock, Nicolaus Ernst said that buildings like consulates for each diocese were scattered throughout the ‘capital’, and each building had levers for movement. This way we can move from the ‘capital’ to the southern 3 dioceses. This is because Narke Farnese and the 4th Corps, dispatched to the ‘capital’ first, have already found and reported where the buildings leading to the southern 3 dioceses are located.

Nicolaus Ernst answers briefly that he understands. In the same wind-like voice. Oettingen feels puzzled again for a moment.

Anyway, those currently waiting in the capital are all disguised as clergy, with cognitive disruption magic cast on their faces by volunteer Narke Farnese’s power. Those currently at the Nuremberg site aren’t disguised as clergy, so they can’t be taken along.

The square of Pleroma that we arbitrarily call the ‘capital’ is basically located outside Bavaria, so it can’t receive Bavaria’s help. Therefore, rather than thinking of fighting the Regensburg, Passau, and Augsburg dioceses one-on-one, the goal should be to sweep them away in one blow and return. Rather than attacking the bishops, the priority is to bind and throw most of the believers and clergy there. He knows this fact well. Even so, if an opportunity appears, the best approach is to attack and eliminate immediately. Then overlapping sounds are heard.

[Your Majesty the King, the Bavarian Royal 2nd Infantry Regiment reports. April 15th, 18:22, we have killed the Bishop of Eichstätt.]

It was the Crown Prince. While the operation to kill the Bishop of Würzburg with 150 troops hadn’t been completed yet, he succeeded in killing the Bishop of Eichstätt just 1 minute later than Nicolaus Ernst. He did so with only about 30 men. It was amazing that he managed to kill a bishop similarly despite having no divine power like Nicolaus Ernst and fewer accompanying mages. When color began to return to Oettingen’s face, a quiet and heavy voice is heard.

[Inform me of Nicolaus Ernst’s location.]

Somewhat bewilderingly, there was no sound like “report complete.” Asking for Nicolaus Ernst’s location – does he plan to rendezvous with him? The Crown Prince’s assigned operation is over with this, but he seems to intend to continue attacking Pleroma as long as his stamina holds. He must want to annihilate all 7 dioceses by any means necessary. As all Bavarians wish, and for the continent’s safety. Oettingen spoke kindly.

“Your Highness, we have gloriously completed the Bamberg-Eichstätt bishop assassination operation. The temporary brigade commander of the 10th Infantry Brigade is currently moving to the ‘capital’, to Regensburg diocese connected from the capital.”

Brief silence. Stillness flows.

“Your Highness?”

[Good. I’m going to Augsburg diocese.]

“Won’t you rendezvous with temporary regimental commander Ernst?”

[I know where to meet.]

“Wait, if you’re going to meet His Excellency Ernst during operations, please report to us…”

The sound no longer comes through. Oettingen clicked his tongue. Moving the artifact pins on the strategic table, he reported the current situation to His Majesty the King. One of Oettingen’s seated subordinates speaks with an excited face.

“We’ve just succeeded in killing the Bishop of Würzburg, Your Excellency Oettingen! We’ve now succeeded in completely annihilating the Bamberg archdiocese. This is the first archdiocese-level annihilation in history!”

Oettingen’s mouth finally stretches to both sides. He smiles confidently and raises his hands to clap loudly. The ‘capital’ attack is very important, but that’s not the primary goal. The biggest objective of Operation Maria was the annihilation of Bavaria’s northern 4 dioceses, namely the Bamberg archdiocese. Since we decided to prioritize annihilating the Pleroma stationed in Bavaria, today’s achievement meant we were more than halfway there.

With the capital operation not yet begun, when a chance to catch their breath arose, the subordinate who had been dedicated to Nicolaus Ernst’s reports speaks.

“Your Excellency, I don’t understand how His Excellency Nicolaus Ernst could do this.”

The subordinate is puzzled yet grinning widely. He couldn’t contain his joy. Since everyone in the strategy room focused on the Bamberg archdiocese and Nicolaus Ernst, who were key to this plan, felt the same way, the atmosphere here was gradually becoming resolute, inspired by the homeland’s glory. When Oettingen tilted his head asking what he meant, the subordinate spoke.

“The Archbishop of Bamberg was using his unique ability to disrupt the 10th Infantry Brigade and western Nuremberg. People were walking out on their own to commit suicide. Although His Excellency Ernst’s continuously flowing divine power could lessen it, they were in constant stalemate.”

Come to think of it, that’s right. You can tell just by seeing that the brigade His Excellency Ernst leads is currently in northwestern Nuremberg. For 40-odd people to struggle against one person doesn’t make sense in terms of efficiency, but Pleroma bishops who handle Vitriol and kingdom mages who use magic need to fight at about that ratio to have any chance of victory. In cases like Speyer diocese or Würzburg diocese, didn’t they deploy over a hundred mages against one bishop to make it impossible for them not to die? Since they had to save time, they had to push with numbers to kill them, but in this case, deploying too many mages could create inefficiency, so strategy was very important. That strategy is commanded by His Majesty the King, but Nicolaus Ernst’s contribution is still great.

If a well-laid plan and a hundred mages can quickly kill one bishop, then killing one bishop in such a short time with only 40-odd mages would have been extremely difficult. Even trusting the heavyweight Nicolaus Ernst and distributing personnel accordingly, even with such a master personally taking the battlefield and seizing victory… The subordinate tried to speak calmly, suppressing his excitement.

“But not long after the announcement ended, His Excellency ignored all plans and alone found the archbishop’s location and executed him. Even seeing that communication with his subordinates wasn’t working, it seemed like His Excellency couldn’t hear any sounds we or the Archbishop of Bamberg were transmitting. Yet he achieved victory like that. Of course, he was briefly in the bishop’s spatial magic, but His Excellency Ernst escaped in less than a minute. How is that possible? He clearly told us himself that we couldn’t easily overcome the Archbishop of Bamberg’s unique ability.”

Even though we watched everything, we don’t know what method he used to achieve victory, the subordinate finishes with admiration. What is he asking? Oettingen answered solemnly.

“What would be difficult for us was very easy for him.”

Amazingly, he performs so easily what we cannot do. For such talent to roll into Bavarian territory – how could such fortune exist? How could His Highness the Crown Prince first recognize such a person and bring him to Bavaria! The only wish is for him to repel Pleroma so that Pleroma never again speaks blasphemous nonsense. The unpleasant feeling and fear from hearing the shocking notion that a boy who drank werewolf blood is the anointed one disappears completely when thinking of Nicolaus Ernst. His magnificent divine power that embraces countless good and governs countless evil with strictness seems to reside anywhere in Bavaria. Otherwise, how could Oettingen himself and his subordinates have found such constant composure again?

“There’s no need to say more. It’s Count Nicolaus Ernst, isn’t it.”

Oettingen looked around at the seated kingdom army mages and spoke proudly. We don’t envy Prussia for having Adrian Ascanien. Prussia feared its own cultivated talent gaining power and sent Adrian Ascanien overseas, but we Bavaria will never let any talent we’ve gained be taken anywhere, nor will we wastefully idle our human resources like Prussia. His Majesty the King and His Highness the Crown Prince, and Count Nicolaus Ernst, have a fantastic relationship of king and chancellor, and were the best people to make Bavaria a better place to live than anywhere else, and a more honorable, peaceful, and prosperous nation than anywhere else. Then Nicolaus Ernst’s voice was heard.

[Are all personnel for the southern 3 dioceses annihilation operation currently positioned in buildings leading to each diocese?]

Are they all positioned in the capital? Well… Oettingen looks at the status screen transmitted through the mirror artifact on Nicolaus Ernst’s shoulder. Nicolaus Ernst has rendered a high-ranking clergyman presumed to be Pleroma unconscious and is walking around holding him by the nape. What is he trying to do in such a conspicuous state? Oettingen feels suspicious while recalling the report that came to him around 6:05 and answered.

“Yes, that’s correct. Have you arrived at Regensburg diocese?”

[Rothenburg-Stuttgart. All dioceses, begin operations.]

BOOM—

Oettingen’s eyes widen with the thunderous sound. Understanding the situation, he shouted loudly throughout the strategy room.

“All ‘capital’ personnel, begin operations—!”

The same command is urgently transmitted from various positions. Oettingen urgently contacted Catacombs headquarters.

“Capital attack operation has begun. His Excellency Nicolaus Ernst has launched a surprise attack on the Kingdom of Württemberg’s Rothenburg-Stuttgart diocese. Neumann Catacombs Mage must have sent them to the Catacombs-Bavaria intermediate realm, so we must deal with them right now!”

The Catacombs-Bavaria intermediate realm is a type of catacomb, so it’s a powerful and solid spatial magic like their residence, and it’s a coordinate system made accessible to Bavarian mages. Catacombs mages have been continuously binding and sending Pleroma people to this space. Moving Pleroma from this space to other spaces or fighting them is the kingdom army’s role, and powerful divine mages like His Excellency Nicolaus Ernst send all Pleroma unconscious, making it much safer. The problem is areas where weak divine mages are attached, placing greater emphasis on Catacombs mages’ spatial magic to determine victory, but so far there have been no major problems. This is because His Majesty the King wisely deployed them considering each one’s characteristics.

This capital attack operation doesn’t destroy all coordinate systems connected to those dioceses like we did with Bavaria’s northern 4 dioceses. The goal is to seize and eliminate as many people as possible in the shortest time. This is because there’s a risk that some people not remaining in each diocese’s cathedral and square might immediately report the situation to other dioceses and leadership upon learning of it.

Therefore, this operation’s time limit is 5 minutes.

“His Excellency Nicolaus Ernst has successively subdued Cologne and Trier dioceses!”

“Now he’s moved to Erfurt diocese!”

Mages who identified locations through cathedral appearances in the footage shout. His Excellency Nicolaus Ernst, without any reports, holds the hand of a dazed high-ranking Pleroma clergyman and urges him to use warp magic. He moves leading only Catacombs combat mages.

BOOM—… CLANG—!

The sound of a staff striking without incantation, followed by clashing swords. Oettingen’s eyes widen as he turns toward the status board showing footage. Several bishops and monsignors didn’t fall asleep to Nicolaus Ernst’s divine power. Their Vitriol flew fiercely through the air, then suddenly extinguished. As if no one refuses his demands, Pleromas easily die by his hand. Or faint.

How? Only now does Oettingen begin to fall into fear seeing this impossible scene. Nicolaus Ernst’s empty voice replays in his head. Right now, Nicolaus Ernst was rushing forward like mad, optimized for annihilating opponents, with only that before his eyes. Only now does Oettingen intuit. No matter how much Nicolaus Ernst he is, he can’t handle variables this easily. Right now, somewhere…

No, it’s excessive worry. From the beginning, today’s operation was fundamentally about ‘surprise attack’ from one to ten, and there’s no match for surprise attacks. With our intelligence and new technology added to that, they have no choice but to be helplessly defeated. His Excellency Nicolaus Ernst could subdue everyone through surprise attack right now. Having conserved strength that way, it’s natural to respond easily to variables. It’s His Excellency Ernst of all people! He must have used magic formulas without incantation. Somehow. His Excellency Ernst was running toward victory and we shouldn’t stop such a person. Fear and worry toward Nicolaus Ernst quickly turn into anticipation of victory. Oettingen swallows.

“Wait, is there even space in the intermediate realm?!”

“Our side is extracting as quickly as possible. But the next problem is Bavaria’s interrogation rooms, Your Excellency. Since we had no plans to attack dioceses outside Bavaria, we’ll likely exceed capacity soon – what should we do?!”

“Schools! Drive them into schools. Until we get temporary warp coordinates for schools closed today, tell them to temporarily stop extracting people from the intermediate realm!”

Schools are closed today for Easter. If there are unlucky children who entered closed schools today, it’s unfortunate, but other places would be even more problematic because it’s a holiday. This is because some people work even on Easter, and because sleeping agents can’t be used in open fields. Oettingen immediately shouted.

“Sleeping agents! After driving them into schools, immediately spray the magic sleeping agents His Excellency Ernst made. If there’s no stock, use drugs to put them to sleep!”

We can’t miss this opportunity. We can’t miss this moment when His Excellency Nicolaus Ernst is sweeping away all of Pleroma’s humans across all regions. War with Pleroma has already been declared. Therefore, inflicting the greatest damage when possible was both national interest and safety. Even if we don’t enter document storage, extracting all humans from their positions is no different from uprooting them. It’s cutting off the dioceses’ lifeline.

Trier, Münster, Limburg. Nicolaus Ernst binds and sends entire cathedrals and their outer squares. Processing one diocese takes less than 30 seconds. He throws sleeping agent artifacts, prepares sleep magic to first subdue clergy inside cathedrals, then handles outer squares later. The vision transmitted through Nicolaus Ernst’s mirror is both fast and restrained. He turns his body only toward necessary places like a machine and performs only necessary actions. He didn’t incant unless facing opponents his magic didn’t work on. Oettingen felt unknown fear and alienation while feeling his heartbeat quicken. The increasingly impossible scene made it hard to recall if this place was reality. So, right now, our Kingdom of Bavaria is… Even as his breathing quickened and his vision turned white, reports within the strategy room continued.

“Magdeburg diocese has been isolated!”

“This time it’s Fulda diocese, Your Excellency Oettingen!”

[…Reporting. April 15th, 18:29, we have succeeded in completely annihilating Regensburg diocese…]

Now contact comes from the southern 3 dioceses side too. Complete annihilation means they completely destroyed the coordinate system itself, including document storage and residential areas. Oettingen busily places artifact pins on the map as he hears them, not knowing where he is or what he’s doing. Suddenly a low, cool voice pierces his eardrums.

[Returning after finishing Paderborn archdiocese.]

Oettingen raised his head. Everyone who had been watching the status board was looking only at Oettingen with wide eyes and mouths agape. Oettingen slowly looks at where his hands are. Red dots that initially colored only the Bavarian region now shine across all of Germany. Points randomly placed regardless of east and west, south and north, burn like fire in their positions. Thud, he hears the sound of heavy, heavy minute hands moving.

6:30.

With this, we destroyed Bavaria’s 7 dioceses and 11 dioceses outside Bavaria.

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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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