How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 576

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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 (576)

That’s a good idea. But wouldn’t we need a practical plan for that? For now, I don’t have a plan.

“What should we do? We’re not going to sneak out through that door, are we?”

“That’s not it.”

Narke also seemed to find it absurd as he answered curtly. Before long, the priest returned to his seat and asked.

“Brother. Was that also part of your plan just now?”

“Are you truly asking me?”

The priest didn’t argue back and slightly bowed his head. When several priests left the reception room to investigate the explosions outside, the room became completely silent. Narke looked at the priest and said.

“You know that even if you detain me, there’s nothing you can gain from it anyway. What more would I say? Keeping me here despite knowing this is only because you want my discomfort. Do you wish to watch me struggle through this predicament?”

His Holiness the Pope truly prioritizes entertainment. Then I’d like to know what can be gained by troubling Narke. I’m sorry if you’re listening to this too.

The priest, despite showing no major disagreement on his face, offered words contrary to Narke’s statement.

“I heard that this is what you desire, Brother. So no matter what you say to me, there’s nothing else I can do for you. You also know that protocol always comes first.”

Protocol comes first – that sounded strange to anyone listening. What protocol? It’s not like there’s a separate protocol for detaining Narke, is there? In this case, it should be seen as referring to the words that become protocol, meaning the Pope’s words? But the Pope’s words are called the Pope’s words, not referred to as protocol.

“Much time has passed. Look at the situation in Germany. Pleroma is praising Count Ascanien as the Messiah. Count Ascanien’s predicament is problematic, but Pleroma’s declaration is also a major problem for Christianity. Those who recklessly elevate someone as a god, creating situations beneficial to neither Christianity nor Count Ascanien, are truly Satan-like beings. However, the biggest problem doesn’t lie in their declaration-of-war-like announcement. The fact that they have grounds – this is the real problem.”

The weight of the air pressed down on my body. The room with slightly low lighting gradually appeared blue. None of my friends looked at me. Even those who might think I have some grounds. I looked into the priest’s eyes.

“I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with Count Ascanien. However, in the process of their distorting and interpreting the Word to achieve their goals, we don’t know what unbearable things they might create in the future. Brother, the situation has changed greatly from last year when we sent you, and we have a duty to listen. What comes next? Don’t you know that we’re holding back our words so as not to displease you?”

The priest, like Narke who hadn’t said what he should say, appeared somewhat tired as if he hadn’t done what he promised to do. Each friend’s different expression was saying: all of us except Narke are thinking the same thing. What next? What kind of ‘unbearable things’ will happen in the future? Or…

“Why are you asking Count Farnese what comes next?”

“His Holiness already knows.”

Almost simultaneously with Ulrike’s subdued question, Narke answered. The priest looked only at Narke and shook his head.

“That’s not so.”

“Your thinking it’s not so is proof that His Holiness knows. Ask him.”

Again, this time from a bit farther away, small impact sounds and explosions were heard. The priest glanced at the window and calmly persuaded.

“Even if we find out by hiding, you would know all our movements anyway, so we’re asking directly. All matters between trust should be conducted with integrity. I hear this is also what you desire.”

“Strange words indeed.”

It sounds again from a slightly closer place. The priest ignored it several times, but when the fourth explosion was heard, he politely gestured and rose from his seat. Though only we remained in the dim room, my friends didn’t open their mouths.

I felt the tie around my neck constricting my breathing as I closed my eyes. Both Narke and the priest were holding back their words. For each other’s sake.

They want Narke to return to Rome while asking him about future plans presumably related to what Pleroma will do. So when Narke departed, they didn’t know there would be ‘such a future’ ahead. Then, must they know? For humans living in three dimensions, the future originally exists in an unknowable realm. Even the things we directly plan and undertake are full of countless variables, yet the future they speak of extends beyond the scope known as Narke’s mission to also involve Pleroma’s actions. They seem to have foreseen a different future from this one, and are demanding answers as if Narke bears responsibility for it. With a polite attitude.

Under the perfectly frozen air, I cast my gaze downward. The friction surface of the velvet jacket and the light, soft texture rising from the cotton gloves – everything that wouldn’t normally catch my eye came into view. Never before had everything I saw, heard, and that comprised my surroundings felt so unified as today. Completely dry without a trace of moisture. The air seemed to crumble and scatter like salt powder. My friends had derived a vague outline here. So having noticed, we had to say nothing in front of Narke. The predicament Narke spoke of would be exactly this kind of silence, but this was our best option. We were merely inferring almost reflexively, not knowing for certain.

The priest said he was holding back his words, but what they were saying pointed in only one direction, so it wasn’t something that could be avoided by simply being careful with words. Even this much was enough for us to reach one conclusion. The other party had brought all of us to such a position, saying His Holiness desired it. They might just be saying so and it could be someone else’s will, but as a result, the Roman Vatican had given us, their teammates, vague suspicions, creating an environment where we would deeply contemplate something about Narke. They had intentionally put Narke in a predicament. Narke had expressed this as ‘the path His Holiness thinks I should take.’

“The plan?”

I asked quietly. Narke only stared at somewhere on the chair across from him. I smiled and asked once more.

“Can I try guessing one?”

“…Hm?”

“You thought you’d like to give me your ability, just for now.”

Narke’s eyes widened and his mouth twitched. He rolled his golden eyes that had been on me back to where he was looking before. Then he closed and opened his eyes. The speed at which his black eyelashes returned to place was slow.

“I’d like to answer yes.”

“Then why don’t you answer yes? Are you having thoughts that shouldn’t be read? Saying that makes me want to hear what you’re thinking someday.”

Under the blue air, his teeth, which hadn’t seemed tightly closed, briefly showed and gleamed. Narke only smiled without answering. I knew that while he truly smiled at first, later he was acting out the smile.

Even answering was burdensome for him. Transferring his insight ability to me so I could read Narke’s mind would be somewhat welcome enough to make him laugh, but at the same time, there were reasons why he shouldn’t do so that were stopping his laughter. Even fantasy-like assumptions weren’t permitted for him. Now Leonard silently gazed at Narke. Cheringen, sitting with crossed legs, had a face of diminished interest, or perhaps lost in thought with eyes closed and chin propped.

Even at this moment, small explosions were falling around the Vatican. While Ulrike was wary of those explosions, his face grew increasingly weary. He pulled his necktie down slightly. Though knowing it wasn’t the place for such things, I sympathized with his unavoidable feelings. It would remind him of the fire.

Now wasn’t the time for this. The priest before our eyes was someone who could use divine power, but had no special mental-type abilities. I had already opened his status window to confirm.

I asked Narke.

“Did you make a plan? How will you use that?”

“I’ll have to go with the standard approach.”

“I can guess how you’ll come out, but I doubt the priests will grant the request. They might also send only the other friends while leaving you behind. Do you have a scenario for that aspect?”

“Persuade them with a letter like before. I can’t think of any other clever method. So I’m hoping those explosion sounds become more cheerful…”

Narke trailed off and closed his eyes.

“What if you cause more trouble than now and get caught? Like last time you came, the wariness must be tremendous due to recent events and the carrier pigeon incident.”

“That should be left to the expert.”

“Expert.”

I showed displeasure at that expression and only twisted the corner of my mouth. It might have looked distorted. Narke gently touched my shoulder and said.

“Let’s do it this way.”

* * *

The priest returned to the reception room accompanied by several deacons. Having left situation assessment to others, he tried to continue his earlier conversation, but I spoke up.

“Father. Hearing those explosions makes me anxious. Could you tell us what’s happening?”

“We’re still investigating. Fortunately, they say nothing has hit the buildings.”

“Forgive me, but it doesn’t seem fortunate. If they’re deliberately avoiding buildings while making explosion sounds, wouldn’t that be a warning? A warning directed at the Vatican?”

“We don’t know that yet. I understand your concern. However, we’ve only just begun investigating and know nothing.”

“You’ve already heard the news that there was a note with poetry among the carrier pigeons that came to Count Farnese.”

“Of course we know. The possibility that the sender might be the one making those explosion sounds is already a speculation we’re considering on our side.”

Then Leonard, who had coordinated with us beforehand, spoke up.

“Doesn’t the opponent know Count Farnese’s abilities? If they sent letters to Count Farnese, they should at least move inconspicuously, so how could they be this close?”

The priest, who had been listening with an impassive face, raised his eyebrow slightly toward the end and showed a decent reaction to Leonard’s words.

“Your Lordship thinks the one causing that commotion is multiple people.”

“That’s right. Even catching just one would be profitable. Father, is the conversation with Count Farnese very urgent?”

“Our Holy See’s mages are sufficient for the investigation. For the safety of you guests, it must be done that way.”

The priest immediately deflected as if he had anticipated what we would say. Then Ulrike interjected with a serious face.

“Father, we already received letters presumably sent by the enemy from Germany. We don’t yet know whether they have business with us, or whether they’re trying to make us act to achieve some third purpose, but we are the enemy’s primary target. I’m not asking to participate in the investigation because we feel indebted to the Vatican. Since this is also our problem that followed us from Germany, please give us the opportunity to investigate this matter.”

Well said. The priest listening to Ulrike’s argument readily nodded.

“We were just about to ask you to share the letters you received since we need to investigate the carrier pigeon matter anyway. Direct investigation is still concerning, but I’ll accept it on the condition that you accompany our mages. Since this happened on Vatican territory.”

I knew this would happen. But this much… Thinking it was a reasonably good persuasion, Narke exhaled with a fed-up expression, chewing his lips. When the priest looked at him, Narke curtly refused.

“I don’t want that.”

“Rest assured. We have no intention of harming you or secretly investigating you, Brother.”

“Of course, since you won’t be sending me. You’re planning to keep me here with Count Ascanien.”

The priest said nothing. The atmosphere is quite solemn. Leonard glanced at Narke then looked away. Narke clasped his hands and spoke quietly.

“Let’s finish this quickly. Since you’ve shown the will to use Vatican personnel for the safety of distinguished guests, let me guide these guests so they don’t make a wasted trip.”

“That—”

“What, are you going to ask whether I now lack the ability to find the culprit?”

Though Narke’s expression had no trace of laughter, his tone was gentle. The taut tension naturally made me clench my hands. As if he hadn’t intended to bring up such words, the priest remained expressionless then smiled. He gestured to the deacons beside him to guide us outside. Ulrike quickly lifted me up with a wary face, worried the priest might tell me to stay here.

Narke, exiting the Apostolic Palace, raised the corners of his mouth as he met the outside wind. His face, taking in the Vatican, showed no great resentment. Though he had to give me a brief look, he gazed at Rome with a face whose thoughts were unreadable.

* * *

Narke accompanied Leonard, who had the highest protocol rank here. Cheringen and Ulrike were with me, but I still hadn’t found my bed. It would still be lying in the alley under the Sant’Angelo Bridge. It seemed unnecessary to suggest going to retrieve it. We had entered a forest now, so we weren’t in a good environment for pulling a bed anyway. Vatican mages were already moving around in pairs, planting yellow flags in the ground. They seemed to mark points where explosions occurred or traces remained.

On the surface, nothing had happened. No fires broke out and there was no smoke. Though we mentioned letters, they had never hinted at these explosions. Having essentially come out without any countermeasures, tension was evident on Ulrike’s face.

Cheringen was feeling the flow of air with his head raised and eyes closed. Having been leisurely as if meditating, he cast a sound-blocking spell and said.

“Now, let’s search. But don’t actually find anything.”

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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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