How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 558

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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 (558)

It’s an elixir.

The moment I realized what Ulrike had in her mouth, my heart began racing once again. Even though this wasn’t a situation where I could smile, even though this wasn’t a situation where I could let my guard down, the tension in my shoulders melted away.

“Wait a moment.”

I spoke as if entranced into the artifact connected to Sophia Nussbaum.

Haha…, the sound of air escaping from my lungs. Truly, if I could follow my heart’s desire, I wanted to run over right now and embrace Ulrike. If he were looking at my face properly, he would probably see me smiling in a way I shouldn’t show in front of a camera. It wasn’t that I was happy for such materialistic reasons as Ulrike bringing something useful, or having more hands to help. Was I impressed by his wit shining through—that was part of it, but surely the command center couldn’t have given Ulrike any useful information. They probably told him much the same as what they told me…

But seeing that he came prepared with an elixir, Ulrike had noticed from just hearing the communication that the fire demon here wasn’t ordinary fire, but a terrorist tool absorbing people’s ‘something’. The control room might have informed Ulrike that even Narke and I were struggling, but even so, seeing through everything and preparing countermeasures in such a short time was solely thanks to his brain power and execution ability. His clean attacks that never moved twice for one goal also showed in his execution ability. Hidden behind his ranking in the selection exam, like Haike, he was someone who shone brighter in actual combat, and even when not fighting, he moved as if he were fighting.

But this too couldn’t be the cause of my laughter. Right now, the joy of meeting a friend came before any other admiration.

Kwaang—! Kwareuruk—

It was an unfamiliar emotion. As I was thinking whether my mind was also becoming that of a high school student, my ears grew noisy. Fear not, for I am with you—the flames that shot up to the ceiling, blocked by the pink magic dome I raised with my arm, soon covered us as if they would devour us. Creating a barrier around us that only blocked fire was no help at all for extinguishing and rescue, so I hadn’t deployed it until now, but it was worth using briefly. Ulrike, trapped inside the dome, asked coolly.

“Oh. If you just press down with magic power, won’t that get absorbed? It was being absorbed like crazy on the way in.”

“That’s… it’s unstable, but somehow with the amount of magic power.”

I had no choice but to give a vague answer. Ulrike’s words were correct. Narke’s magic power briefly pushed back the fire before being absorbed and dispersed by it, and divine power using special magic formulas seemed relatively resistant to fire while maintaining its original form, but it wasn’t perfect either. In contrast, my magic power remained intact from the start. I too didn’t know why I alone was less affected—or not affected—by this fire.

“…”

Alone again. I recalled that day when what couldn’t be done with the Duke’s blood succeeded through mine. That day when the impossible happened—being able to cross between worlds. I tried to shake off the thoughts and raised my head.

I shouldn’t think about it.

That it was difficult wasn’t wrong either. Even if this special fire didn’t do something to me, the heat and fine toxic gases of the fire scene were enough to cloud one’s mind, so I had to pour out magic power to prevent bigger problems before my mental and physical strength collapsed and the barrier wavered.

I immediately pointed to the hose Ulrike was biting with her teeth.

“What’s that? An elixir?”

“I don’t know! I’m running out of strength. Quickly, quickly! Quickly!”

“Uh… mmph?!”

Ulrike suddenly gestured for me to remove the respirator and put the hose in my mouth. Thoughts about oral microbiomes flashed through my mind, but that was just a reflexive reaction from being too civilized—bewilderment and gratitude covered such bleak instincts. Tasting it, what was inside was indeed an elixir. And that too…

“Luise. You filled this entire container… with Wittelsbach elixir?”

I said in disbelief, spitting out the hose. Even while sweating profusely and feeling suffocated, I couldn’t believe it. Right now Ulrike was saying she had brought 5 liters of powerful medicine that could make you overflow with energy all day with just one finger-sized bottle. Thinking about how much that would cost just made me laugh helplessly. Ulrike put the hose back in my mouth and shouted vigorously.

“Of course. What’s the point of having a good team! Why aren’t you drinking more?!”

“No, no. That’s not what I…”

I finished speaking reluctantly while gripping the hose that entered my mouth. I’m fine. If there’s medicine for me to drink, it would be better for Ulrike to replenish herself with it instead. I pretended to drink, actually taking only a few drops, then handed over the hose.

Ulrike wiped the hose on her clothes and once again suddenly put it in Narke’s mouth after removing his respirator. Startled, Narke burst into laughter, then returned the medicine to Ulrike and took out an elixir from his own clutch to drink. I stamped out the flickering embers on the floor with my boot sole and spoke quickly.

“I’m glad you came. Not because you brought the elixir, but because you…”

As soon as he arrived, an inexplicable hope invaded my chest. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t afraid of the flames still violently striking the barrier like waves. There had been a time when I wasn’t afraid of such things, but that memory seemed so dreamlike that fear pressed down on my chest. Now hope that suppressed fear made my heart race in a different sense. I wanted to convey such feelings to Ulrike while time allowed, but Ulrike lifted his chin with a face that said ‘what obvious thing are you saying.’

“Happy? I was called here too. Except for the southern friends, …except for Haike, they called all of Class 101. They probably called Elias too, knowing he couldn’t come, planning to mess with him. How could I not come!”

Ulrike then smiled mischievously.

“But I’m happy too. Now that there are three people, we can finish faster. Let’s go! You don’t need to use divine power on me. I brought this specifically so you wouldn’t use divine power…”

Ulrike looked up at the movement of acrid smoke and dark red flames and frowned. He couldn’t wear the respirator because he was drinking the elixir, so even inside the barrier, he occasionally coughed. I gestured toward the wand carefully positioned at his waist and said.

“Luise. If you shoot magic power downward, fire shoots upward. That said, if you focus on the top, things might go wrong while you’re off guard, but it’s still better than only looking down. Let’s just sweep through quickly and get out.”

“Good.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Ulrike put the hose in his mouth and raised his fingers to count. 3, 2, 1.

Kwaaaaang—!

The barrier expanded outward as it was, pushing back the flames. The building shaking with a clatter wasn’t my imagination. Ulrike screamed “Aaah!” then shot water like crazy from the fire hose toward the flames on the ceiling. This was something that couldn’t be done in a refinery where oil particles might be dispersed. I approached the window where the fire was already extinguished and handed over the Representative Mage of Class 97 to the people on the surface. As soon as we came out to the hallway, I could see friends struggling with the fire demon that had quickly surged back. The flames wrapping the walls gave a feeling of being cooked just by approaching.

—…O Yahweh, show me your ways and teach me your paths.

With Narke’s incantation, a thin barrier spread on the ground and literally began forming a path. Seeing that shape, he swept his left hand to the side. The fire on the left side of the path was pushed back by the divine power laid diagonally. He was clearly moving after determining whether there were people beyond or not. When it was time for his right hand holding the staff to move, he only trembled. I opened my mouth.

[Guide me in your truth and teach me.]

Kwaang—! Hwaryuk—

Instead of Narke, I spread my hand to push the flames to the right wall, and heat rushed down from above. At that moment, the stream of water Ulrike shot covered the flames that curved like waves.

[He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.]

With Ulrike’s low voice, he swept the hose with his hand. Like standing on the ground below a river watching the river flow, green magic power that surged to fill the view covered and flew from ground level to ceiling height. Everywhere I looked, green light flowed. If there was something unusual…

Water was flying freely like magic power, following that flow like an arrow. Somehow knowing I was surprised beneath my expressionless face, Ulrike boasted.

“Like this, cough… Magic power splashes and I can put water on it. Whew, doesn’t it look exactly like using water as an inherent ability?!”

“That’s amazing.”

I answered while running before the flames coming out of the room covered the hallway.

“I newly developed this while training at Mimesis this time! They kept dropping me in streams.”

“Haha… Who…”

In our team, when it comes to ‘friends who unexpectedly pursue fun,’ about two come to mind, but since Narke was called by the government and didn’t enter Mimesis, only one remains. I think I know who it is without hearing. I said while pushing back flames flying in all directions like Vitriol branching out.

“The problem is… my output is fine, but the hose output can’t keep up!”

Smoke damaged his throat, making his previously clear voice start cracking badly. The barrier he wore around his head like a helmet was insufficient. Ulrike, thinking this wouldn’t work, shouted and drew his wand, striking his hand downward. The wand became a long sword. It was a one-handed sword I hadn’t seen often.

[Put your hand in your pocket and take a stone.]

Kwaang—

Ulrike, who hung the elixir hose he had been biting on the belt around his chest, rushed into the flames like me and thrust his sword. Every time he thrust his sword while holding the fire hose in one hand, an eerie sound that water couldn’t give spread ominously. His magic power swiftly crushed the fire. It was a good strategy. Processing at short range made it easy to see whether there were people around or not, leaving nothing to hesitate about.

[Hurling it with a sling to strike the Philistine’s forehead—]

Whoosh— Paang—

[Covering the earth with the sea like a garment, the waters stood above the mountains.]

Before the fire he suppressed could revive, I thrust my wand while speaking. The magic power that descended on the fire solidified like a solid. Ulrike squinted her eyes in the midst of it all. I wanted to tell her to concentrate but held back. Anyway, she was skilled at establishing her own strategies and was already showing success. The strategy of bringing herself to the best condition—that was her specialty, so I didn’t want to voice even such trivial words to Ulrike. I continued backing up the path she was pioneering. In that brief moment, since she wasn’t drinking the elixir, Ulrike’s complexion noticeably darkened. It wasn’t hard to understand why Narke was struggling so much at this speed. Ulrike shouted in a metallic voice while coughing.

[The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground!]

Kwaaaaang—!

With his strike against the fire, the center of the fire pit that had briefly settled in front of us was completely pierced through. I waved my wand without an incantation, put the elixir hose hanging on his clothes in his mouth, and said.

“Let’s switch. Thanks to you, I understand well how to proceed. I’ll handle the parts that need incantations. I’m not as skilled with swords as you, so I’ll use my wand, but you can continue using your sword.”

If I took the lead, Ulrike would surely wonder why I was so unaffected. But if I left everything to Narke and Ulrike like this, a future where two of the three would be corpses when we left wasn’t far off. I didn’t even want to imagine it. My stomach burned in many ways. Even so, even if I had nothing I could explain to Ulrike, what I wanted to hide couldn’t take priority over life.

And.

“From now on, don’t think it’s strange if I talk. Just keep doing what you were doing.”

“Hmm?”

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty—I chanted the spell and continued speaking. Heat touched my face, making my lungs sting.

“Right now we can’t be satisfied with just extinguishing this building. Luise, you read all the notes I gave you.”

He just nodded while sucking on the elixir.

“In my view, the refinery isn’t the most perfect location in their plan. From now on, we need to find the next location. Luise, I’m going to talk with the side you delivered the artifact to.”

Ulrike thought for a moment, then raised one eyebrow and nodded. Then, as I stepped one pace ahead, he leaned his body and stuck close to my right side. Narke occasionally raised his staff to the sky, sending divine power vertically from above like a gale.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge—continuing the incantation, I tapped the artifact. I had briefly stopped communication earlier, but now what I said would be transmitted again. As if he had been waiting continuously, Sophia Nussbaum’s tense voice was heard.

[Are you back now?]

“Yes.”

His faithfulness is a shield and buckler; you will not fear. I chanted while swinging my wand. My lungs felt like they would burn up, beyond understanding how Ulrike had maintained composure while running through the flames. My throat and airways stung. Sophia, perhaps startled by hearing the sound of magic use, said nothing for a while before carefully asking.

[I’ve wanted to ask since earlier, but surely there isn’t a fire right now?]

“That’s correct.”

While Sophia unknowingly let out a short “huh” breath, I continued.

“…It’s difficult to say this to you when we’ve only known each other for barely a week.”

[Yes.]

“I think of this as our cooperative operation. Cooperating with my colleagues while simultaneously cooperating with you. Can you accept my request?”

[If your head is turned toward a righteous purpose, there’s no reason to refuse.]

“Then, do I appear that way to you?”

[I don’t know, but I want to believe so. I too hope that a friend I’ve just become close with will be to my liking.]

Sophia said this while hesitating with a “hmm.” No disaster will come near your tent—I continued speaking amid the explosion sounds while chanting this spell.

“First, to explain the current situation, there was a fire at the refinery that spread to the houses in front, and we came in to suppress it. This isn’t a natural fire. This fire steals and eliminates some unknown something from people who approach it. Only by taking unnatural measures can we barely navigate through the flames.”

Another brief silence. It would be hard to accept. I would feel the same.

[That refinery you mentioned. Is that also part of someone’s plan?]

“I don’t know if it was planned or accidentally deviated from the plan, but it would be right to think it was planned.”

[It’s not Pleroma’s plan, is it? It looks like something like Atropos…]

I naturally didn’t answer that it was Terminus Yukairya’s doing. There were various reasons, but giving too much information to someone without the countermeasure of magic seemed like pushing him into an unbearable fate. That should be said when Sophia decided to become closer with me, and when I thought I wouldn’t bring danger to him. When would that be exactly… I chanted from my mouth dusty with particles. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Divine power followed directly over the magic power and covered it.

[The refinery owner is family of the Liberal Conservative Party leader.]

The Liberal Conservative Party is a political party made by Conservative Party defectors, and if you hear the values and ideologies they advocate, it’s truly a party that deserves its name for being conservative. Not including nobles, they mainly represent bourgeois interests and are enthusiastic about securing colonies.

“You know well.”

He didn’t answer. Silence continued for quite different reasons than when I didn’t answer. It wasn’t unpleasant, but I felt the need to be careful not to touch his concerns. Sweat flowed. Human voices, and above all, Ulrike’s welcome presence completely washed away my earlier fear. Narke’s presence beside me also helped me endure, but now, Ulrike appearing fully armed and boldly declaring hadn’t we promised seemed to be incomparable strength for me.

[Unfortunately, all of Berlin’s factories are connected to the conservative side in this way. If you were hoping for somewhere that isn’t, there isn’t any. If it’s to attack the Social Democratic Party, targeting any Berlin factory would be sufficiently effective. Then conversely, there would be reason to attack somewhere other than factories to attack the Social Democratic Party.]

“Hmm.”

It’s a valid point that doesn’t need an answer. Sophia Nussbaum says.

[However, my thoughts are as follows. Besides the bourgeoisie, we should also consider the nobles’ position. If the intention is to divide the nation, both sides are worth considering. I know a few people and places where these unknown tribes might cause trouble. It was only hearsay, so I can’t say I know them well. So if I tell you places that could stir up the bourgeoisie, you can fill in the gaps.]

Crash—!

An explosion, and the last flames on the 3rd floor were extinguished. Despite being able to endure more, Ulrike, who didn’t know this fact, grabbed me and pushed me back forcefully. Narke caught me as I was pushed back and placed his hand over my eyes. Divine power touched my stinging eyes, bringing peace. As I wiped away the tears that had reflexively flowed due to the smoke during the charge, I thought.

Now, Sofia’s words mean I should find places that would stir up the nobles and compare them with her words. He said to find intersections among the places he mentioned, but I was already prepared to do the opposite. Places where nobles would react sensitively when an accident occurs, and among those, places that could also capture the bourgeoisie. Perhaps even the workers.

Anywhere could work. Let’s narrowly choose accident sites that could only catch nobles. First, nobles’ houses, clubs, salons… Let’s bundle these together. This bundle has two sides. Targeting a single noble or a group of their acquaintances would certainly be effective in giving nobles a sense of urgency and making them unite, but the shock would be less than dealing with many at once.

However, if France hasn’t calculated perfect odds for this operation and is only trying not to miss an opportunity, this operation has the advantage of being a low-cost, high-efficiency option that can lower risk while ensuring the effect is clearly imprinted. In other words, while it’s ridiculous to call such a thing restrained, it could clearly be a relatively restrained declaration of war. What comes next that makes this a restrained declaration of war?

Next, what came to my mind was a ‘group’ with greater impact than salons. Am I ignoring the political influence of salons? No, that’s not it. There’s a better device that can unite citizens of all classes with extremely heightened anti-Pleroma sentiment. Students.

[…Pankow ends here. Let’s move to Spandau. There are many defense companies there. As you know, there’s also a factory that produces military artifacts, and while I don’t remember the owner’s name, it’s truly chilling… Sorry about this.]

Spandau, defense companies. As soon as I heard that, a thought followed. The factory district in Spandau has tight security, and they also set up training grounds for mages there.

For example, there’s a public training ground for all teams of the Imperial 2nd Education Institute’s student corps. I felt my neck stiffen but answered calmly. Then I waved my wand behind Ulrike.

“What’s there to be sorry about.”

[That person doesn’t have children yet, but is making every effort to give his future children Esper bodies. You can picture it, right? He’s extremely hostile to socialism. That person already has the mindset of a noble, so he doesn’t even like the conservative party that advocates liberalism.]

“What a maddening situation.”

It’s been about a century since many nobles and royals began preaching the importance of liberalism. Whether they truly like it or not is unknown, but they at least pay lip service for support. As a citizen of a country that was once a colony, as a citizen under neoliberalism, I know there are definitely people in the world who work tirelessly to become the group that exploits them, but it gives me a headache. I feel completely blocked up inside. Even more so because I think we can’t fast-forward through the era, and even if we could, we wouldn’t find utopia. Sofia chuckled and asked in a low, sunken voice.

[Aren’t you a noble?]

“After saying everything you had to say.”

I frowned and coughed. My voice was also gradually becoming hoarse. I answered somewhat playfully because I wanted to become friends with him, but Sofia became serious.

[I want to laugh but I can’t. I can’t even sit down right now. Please tell me you can get out of there alive. No matter how recently we met, I don’t want to listen to the process of someone I was just talking with burning to death.]

“How kind of you.”

[I’m grateful, but probably no one wants someone to die right next to them.]

“I like that. What if I could come by soon with a bottle of wine to celebrate our first successful cooperation?”

[I abstain from alcohol.]

“Oh, sorry.”

I answered while placing my hand on Narke’s shoulder. Sofia said after a moment.

[If you say you’ll come today, I’ll gladly go out.]

A smile formed. I wanted to laugh out loud, but I could no longer open my mouth easily, so after a slight pause, I tapped the artifact once. Then I briefly put a round shield over my face and said to Narke.

“Narke, could you relay this to the control room? The Spandau military artifact factory and nearby… the Imperial 2nd Education Institute student corps training ground. Flames will spread there… tell them that.”

Narke looked into my eyes and raised his eyebrows slightly, then slowly closed his eyes. Though he didn’t speak, an unknown emotion, a light, swirled in his eyes, making me hesitate. But it disappeared as if it had never been there.

Good. Narke understood what I meant. He would know how to relay it ‘well’.

We came up to the next floor with Ulrike, who had dealt with the fire demon coming down the stairs. What remained was the 4th floor, and the 5th floor. Since we’d put out the urgent fire, we needed to gradually convey our next target to our friends. There’s one more person we need to find.

I called out to Ulrike, who was about to rush out. Thanks to Narke blowing in clean air with divine power, it was occasionally easier to breathe.

“Luise.”

“Mm.”

Ulrike nodded while holding the hose in her mouth. I thought until the very last moment whether it was right to take him along. But still…

“Remember? Stadelheim Prison where we went.”

As soon as those words came out, Ulrike’s complexion changed. His lips pressed tightly together and his brow reflexively narrowed. I know what he’s imagining. I cleared my throat and said.

“I have to do that once more.”

Ulrike’s mouth opened in shock. He knows that after rescuing everyone, I will collapse this building. And he thinks I’ll enter a place I can’t escape from again. No, that’s wrong. I have no intention of going that far. However, what’s certain right now is that I must try first.

Ulrike made a complex expression I couldn’t read, then closed his mouth again. I expected to hear gentle persuasive words, but Ulrike’s face quickly found composure. He surveyed the state of the 4th floor, then nodded toward the fire.

“If it’s something you have to do, then it’s not your job but our job. You know that.”

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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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