How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 68

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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 Family (68)

“….”

I must have swayed without realizing it, as Narke lightly touched my back.

Until now I had only thought of the completed Pleroma itself, but seeing an ordinary human appear as Pleroma was shocking.

I heard my own voice without being conscious of it.

“…You said Gelda Asmann.”

“Yes, that’s me.”

The other person continued speaking while maintaining a smile.

“Is it an important matter? It’s raining too, so please come in first.”

* * *

Narke looked around the room with a stiffly hardened face.

Unlike when we came before, all the family photos that had been scattered throughout the room had completely disappeared.

That aside, the attitude was surprising.

‘Does he not remember us?’

There’s a high possibility of that.

If you revive a dead 60-year-old as a 20-year-old, the 40 years of memories after age 20 would be lost.

And even if by chance he remembered us, if it became a problem, Narke would have given me a hint.

Gelda Asmann set down teacups on the table. A sharp mint fragrance spread.

“So, what brings you here?”

“We interviewed Gelda Asmann a few days ago, but additional questions came up, so we came to see you directly like this.”

“Ah, the interview.”

He narrowed his eyes and swept over us, then smiled as if regretful.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think I can give you an answer. For that reason, you probably came looking for my grandmother Gelda Asmann… but she passed away a few days ago.”

―”…No, you’re the person himself.”

Narke said while staring directly into his eyes.

He had to.

There was an error in what he just said.

From what we learned through conversations with them a few days ago, all of Gelda Asmann’s family died when they were young. It was before the children even reached adulthood.

People of this era generally marry between their twenties and thirties, so there’s no way he could have grandchildren.

“I see. You must be deeply saddened, and I’m sorry if I unnecessarily brought back memories of that person.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s comforting that there are people who remember and visit her good deeds.”

“Were you close to that person, Mr. Asmann?”

“Yes, even though I couldn’t see her often, she was no different from my spiritual pillar. She was someone I was proud of my entire life.”

Gelda Asmann smiled brightly with a satisfied face.

“….”

It seems Pleroma even writes scenarios for after resurrection.

I want to tell them to work on their acting skills.

It’s not strange to accept death as a blessing, but if you’re not going to reveal such personal beliefs when acting, it’s better to rely on universality. Smiling brightly when respected grandparents died in an accident only gives the other person doubt.

I asked Gelda Asmann.

“Come to think of it, you seem to have the same name.”

“Taking parents’ or grandparents’ names is quite common.”

“Excuse me, but how old are you?”

Asmann was silent for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“Twenty-five. Why do you ask?”

That pause bothers me.

He definitely had to think about how old he was.

“There’s no special reason I asked. You seemed to be around my age.”

“Did you say Felix Weichel? How old are you, Mr. Weichel?”

“Twenty-three.”

That would be like saying 24 in Korean age.

It was decided after consulting with friends, but thinking I’m a high school sophomore, I briefly wondered if I went a bit too high.

But from my memory, while styles change, faces don’t particularly change, so this level of exaggeration isn’t strange.

“Is the person next to you the same?”

“Yes.”

“I see. A new media outlet – I hope it goes well.”

Asmann said while reading the business card I gave him.

It seemed like we were running out of things to say, so I began asking him in earnest.

“I have a question I’d like to ask you, Mr. Asmann. It won’t be made into an article, it’s just a simple question, so please think of it comfortably.”

“Please go ahead.”

“Do you have any intention of continuing the sponsorship your grandmother used to do?”

“You’re talking about Hailigenzei Orphanage.”

He stroked his chin and nodded.

“Of course. I should carry on her will. The only family she had left was me and my older brother.”

Here we go.

Right, he has no intention of giving up the orphanage.

Pleroma doesn’t do charity work.

It’s natural to pay a price for resurrection, a price for receiving blessings.

He will hand over the orphanage children to Pleroma as that sacrifice.

I looked into his clear eyes, different from what I saw a few days ago, and asked.

“You have an older brother. What does he think about sponsoring the orphanage?”

“Well. Right now he seems to only think about business.”

Gelda Asmann laughed.

“….”

I had to desperately prevent my expression from darkening.

Avin Asmann must have become Pleroma too.

The man we met a few days ago had withdrawn from business and was living off money he’d earned in his youth.

‘…He’s returned to his twenties mindset.’

Of course. They revived them from that era.

I don’t know what the principle of resurrection is that it reset everything to their youth… but right now they aren’t the people I met a few days ago. Forty years is enough time for a person to change several times over.

And the Empire had changed a lot in those 40 years too.

It’s amazing that they’re living so nonchalantly, adapted to a world that had changed beyond recognition.

Resurrection or whatever, for them this must be like time travel.

Even when I first fell into this place, I barely smiled comfortably for the first few weeks.

But he was smiling with a comfortable face as if he felt no alienation to this place, as if he was spending peaceful daily life no different from yesterday.

‘There must have been corresponding benefits and shocks.’

Benefits valuable enough to be worth moving 40 years through time must have been given. Benefits that could completely overturn their previous dissatisfying and frustrating lives.

Of course there would have been Pleroma’s doctrinal brainwashing, but if at the same time their greatest desires were fulfilled?

So if it was that era, before they adapted to unchanging reality, when ‘they once wanted to become magicians’…

“What do you think about magic? It might be an unrelated question, but we’re thinking of running a special article on social reform. We want to hear as many people’s opinions as possible about what they think of a world that revolves around magic.”

“Without magic, our world couldn’t have developed this rapidly. Even if it might differ from your opinion, Mr. Weichel, I think this structure isn’t wrong, even if it’s a bit unfair.”

“…Then have you ever thought about wanting to become a magician, Mr. Gelda Asmann?”

At the same table, in the same seat, with the same person, I ask the same question as a few days ago.

I couldn’t help but recall the answer that old man gave us a few days ago, clasping his trembling hands together, with eyes that though faded and dim, still held stubbornness.

I still vividly remember that gaze that seemed to see his younger self overlapped in the non-magician youth who wanted to become a magician.

‘…Please.’

I clenched my fists tightly, praying to something I didn’t even know what.

Then, Gelda Asmann, who had been pondering, smiled brightly and wrinkled his nose.

“Of course! If I had the chance, I’d really want to become one. Honestly speaking, living as a non-magician isn’t easy. If I could use even a little magic… at least I wouldn’t live being treated like a deficient human.”

“….”

Narke bit her lips.

My tense shoulders naturally relaxed.

I felt all the energy drain out of me as I looked away from him.

Let me correct that. He is no longer the same human being.

The old man I saw a few days ago is dead and gone, and the human before me is a different being, disconnected from him.

‘It feels like being at a funeral home.’

I answered quietly.

“I understand.”

“Aren’t you going to record this?”

“It’s fine. I plan to organize simple Q&A sessions when I get back.”

I received Asman’s contact information and left, heading silently toward the dormitory.

Narke was the same.

After running for a while and getting close to the school, Narke spoke up.

―”It’s desecrating the dead. Would Asman really have wanted this?”

―”Right.”

He would never have wanted to live as Pleroma’s collaborator.

It seems their longing for magic when they were young was much greater than I expected.

Narke couldn’t shake off his bitterness and sighed. Then he said to me.

―”Lucas, I found out some things today. Let’s meet at the Student Union Building basement at midnight. I’ll call Leo and Elias too.”

* * *

I finished purifying the four countries I had promised today and returned to school just before midnight.

Whether in the capital or Bavaria, armed mages with grim faces were walking around the streets.

It had been about a week since Pleroma caused the incident, but the number of people walking the streets was still noticeably reduced compared to before the incident.

I glanced down at the scenery outside the school from the dormitory, read today’s newspaper, and warped to the meeting place.

Elias looked up and said.

“You’re here.”

The three were already seated. They must have already been discussing Pleroma, as their expressions weren’t very good.

Sure enough, the Heiligenstadt death article was spread out on the desk.

Narke straightened his leaning body and said.

“Now that Lucas is here too, let’s talk seriously.”

“Right.”

“As you know, Pleroma each receive special abilities. I mean the Pleroma who aren’t laypeople.”

In other words, first-generation Pleroma.

Not simply those who believe in Pleroma’s doctrine, but those who possess Pleroma’s characteristics.

Narke looked around at his friends and continued.

“The special ability Gelda Asmann received is similar to mine.”

“Yours?”

“I have insight as a unique ability. It’s not that impressive a level, but I can roughly understand what situation the other person is in and what they’re thinking without them saying anything.”

“That’s cool.”

Elias nodded more calmly than expected. He seemed to have suspected it.

More importantly, if it’s similar, that becomes quite troublesome.

“Gelda Asmann can also know the other person’s emotions like me. But it’s limited only to emotions, not like me being able to know situations or thoughts they haven’t told me.”

‘Hmm.’

I understand why he received such an ability.

Of course, maybe he didn’t receive it but became Pleroma’s target because this was his potential. Anyway…

His ability is excellent for manipulating people.

Especially, it would be easier to apply to children.

Who would have negative feelings toward someone who reads minds and gives what the other person wants first?

In the novel, the Pleroma frequently went in and out of orphanages as sponsors, often participating in events and meeting children.

The environment to exploit was already prepared.

“I’m not sure what ability Avin Asmann received. But just looking at Gelda Asmann, it’s clear this ability will be used dangerously. Lucas, don’t you think they’ll go to the orphanage and cause trouble?”

Narke looked at me and said.

He seemed to have already grasped the conclusion I had reached, and appeared to be bringing it up for me to tell our friends.

“Right. I think Asman is connected to the Pleroma who caused the disappearance incidents in that area, or will be connected soon.”

“They’ll move as a team?”

Leo asked.

“Yes. To pay the price for receiving a new life, they’ll have to offer decent results. Maybe Pleroma’s side did this to catch more children more cleanly.”

“Hmm, the problem is the timing of execution. We can’t stick around 24 hours, but to monitor what happens at the Northern Capital Orphanage…”

Everyone fell into thought, and silence continued.

Finally, Leo spoke up.

“We could use the same method Pleroma used.”

“How so?”

“If Pleroma made orphanage-related people into collaborators to avoid suspicion, we can also place people there. Plainclothes police would be hard to recognize, so they could watch and contact us immediately if anything strange happens.”

That’s a good method.

“Right, let’s execute that plan.”

Instead, we’d have to change the personnel deployed daily to avoid suspicion.

I immediately continued.

“But we need other methods too. Plainclothes police can only detect problems after something happens. They can’t hear the plans in someone’s head.”

“…That’s true.”

Leo nodded.

That said, Narke can’t keep visiting to admire his face all day long either.

‘Let me think. There must be a way.’

I briefly closed my eyes and pressed hard on my brow bone.

Then I opened my eyes almost immediately.

“…Emotions.”

“Hm?”

I had read magic books about emotions since coming here, and among them was a method of manipulating emotions using magic potions.

“Leo, could you get me some love potion?”

“What?”

Leo asked back with an incredulous expression.

Now that I’ve said it, there are some song lyrics flashing through my head that make me chuckle slightly, but anyway, that’s not what’s important.

Elias clapped his hands and giggled, then barely stopped laughing and said to me.

“Are you going to make them drink it? Make the Pleroma fall for you?”

“You’d certainly get information…”

Leo chuckled and muttered. Then he looked straight at me and said.

“Yes, I have the potion. Even though it’s on the borderline of being illegal, it shouldn’t be a big problem if the target is Pleroma. But how will you make them drink it and maintain it? Are you going to go every day and secretly put it in their tea?”

“No.”

I shook my head and continued.

“I’m going to drink it.”

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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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