How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 74

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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 (74)

Marcel Koffman greeted me with a smile.

“You must be tempted, right? There aren’t many opportunities to get promoted this quickly.”

“That’s not it. Since you made the offer, I thought it would be better to meet you in person and give you my answer.”

He looked at me silently.

“Before that, I have a question. Would you be willing to answer it?”

“Of course.”

“Is making me a priest something that the other clergy members in the church also agree with, Mr. Kopfmann?”

“Of course. No one can infringe upon such authority.”

He smiled and squinted his eyes with an expression that seemed to ask why I would ask such a thing.

“Is it because I’m a priest? I’m different from Gelda Asmann, who just received ordination. I’ve been here for over 10 years.”

“It’s not because of that. Then, does Gelda Asmann also have the same authority that you have, Mr. Kopfmann?”

“Not yet. Why, did she say she would personally make you a priest?”

“It’s not that, but…”

Before I could finish speaking, Kopfmann smiled and clasped his hands together.

“If Mr. Baichel needs to become a priest, would you want to entrust that process to Gelda Asmann?”

“…Yes. I’m sorry for coming all this way and saying this, but that’s how I feel right now.”

I answered with a serious look in my eyes.

“That wouldn’t be a very wise thought. For that to be possible, she would need to receive vitriol and spend time making various contributions to our church, but would Mr. Baichel really be able to remain as a prospective believer or layperson until then?”

“I’m sorry, but I came here to directly decline your offer. I’ll be going now.”

“Still, you came here with some consideration, didn’t you? Leave it to me.”

Just as I was about to get up from my seat, he spoke up.

“Think about it. Wouldn’t it be better to work with someone guaranteed like me rather than waiting for someone who just became Pleroma with no foundation?”

You should be that foundation, you bastard. You made someone into Pleroma and now you’re already thinking about being overtaken by your subordinate…

Looking at it positively, he has ambition and desire, but looking at it otherwise, he’s despicable and irresponsible. He’s not the type of person I’d want to get involved with in any relationship.

Then, the other party opened his mouth again.

“If you need someone, I’ll attach someone better than Gelda Asmann to you. How about it?”

“If you’re going to say things like this, I should head back now.”

Crash—!

I grabbed the back of my neck from the sudden pain that struck me.

I must have hit the decorative cabinet behind me. The candlestick that was on top of it fell beside me.

Clang—

‘…I almost got my head cracked open.’

The use of force wasn’t surprising. The methods used by groups where common sense doesn’t work are obvious, after all.

Kopfmann got up from his seat and approached me.

“You waste someone’s time like this and just leave?”

“No.”

I pulled out the thin silver bracelet I had on my right arm and put it in my pocket. When I put my hand inside my shirt, I felt a type of necklace I don’t usually wear.

Perhaps it was an unexpected answer, as Kopfmann raised his eyebrows. I answered simply.

“I came here because I had something to ask.”

“Didn’t I answer you earlier? There’s no need to turn around and leave. Leave it to me.”

“Of course there’s no need to turn around and leave.”

I broke the necklace and got up from my seat, swinging the long candlestick that had fallen beside me instead of a wand.

Crash—!

“Ahhh!”

Kopfmann hit the opposite wall and fell. He grabbed his head and jerked his body up while shouting.

“What, a mage…! How did you get here…”

He clearly seemed to have more to say, but there was no time to listen to it. I pressed hard on his forehead and opened my mouth.

—Enter through the narrow gate.

I wondered if I should continue with more incantations, but his pupils dilated instantly.

“Whew.”

Certainly, compared to a bishop, a priest is easy.

I had to recite the entire mental manipulation spell for Strauchi, but this bastard being Pleroma was handled with just one line.

‘Gelda Asmann would have been simple like this too, but…’

As you can see, it’s very noticeable.

If he encounters another Pleroma in this state, the fact that he became a brainwashing target would be easily discovered.

I grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up as I asked.

“Mr. Kopfmann, let me ask you about the recent personnel issues. Gelda Asmann was selected as the personnel supply solution for the Heiligenstadt region. Right?”

He nodded with unfocused eyes.

“Besides Gelda Asmann and Avin Asmann, are there other people who were designated to become Pleroma? Do you have organized materials?”

I smiled seeing him nod again.

Yes, of course. It wouldn’t just be Heiligenstadt.

Now, this incident will also flow completely differently from the novel’s development.

I wonder how far it extends.

I looked into his eyes and asked.

“Then, do you also have access rights to the documents, Mr. Kopfmann?”

“…”

“That’s great. I’d also like to get my name on those documents. How about it? It’s the opportunity to become Pleroma from you, just as you wanted. Right?”

My head was starting to hurt.

Mental manipulation magic puts a great strain on the caster as well.

I saw him nod with an even more intense reaction than before despite being brainwashed, and I put strength into my hand once more.

“Then, let’s start by finding the documents now.”

At those words, Kopfmann got up like he was possessed by a ghost and broke open drawers, rummaging through them. Meanwhile, I asked a question for confirmation.

“Now, let me ask one more thing. How many more regions besides Heiligenstadt are targeted within the Empire? Answer with a number.”

“…”

He moved his mouth back and forth as if he had forgotten how to speak, then dropped the paper in his hand to the floor and finally moved his vocal cords.

“47.”

I got goosebumps for a moment and almost couldn’t maintain the mental manipulation magic I had cast on him.

Since it’s beyond the number I expected, it’s so absurd that laughter bursts out.

Elias’s choice to report and execute the Asmann siblings was right in the short term but wrong in the long term.

Only powerless Pleroma within the organization would die, and that’s not enough—it would only give the Pleroma leadership more incentive to move more safely.

Of course, catching all 47 regions now wouldn’t be a completely perfect solution either, but to handle it perfectly, the entire Pleroma would need to be annihilated, so thinking about such an unlikely possibility right now wouldn’t be good.

‘I need to think of the method that would deal the biggest blow among the things I can do.’

I finished reciting the spell I hadn’t completed earlier, completely deleting all recent memories from his brain.

Then I drew the picture that Gelta had explained on the floor and used a knife to draw blood and drop it on the floor.

—You will now become like God, knowing good and evil.

After saying that and catching my breath, I heard a familiar voice from somewhere.

“Lucas!”

From wherever he had arrived, Fai jumped down onto my back.

Earlier, I had fed Fai candy with a target curse spell on it.

‘I might get scolded by Narke…’

Anyway, the summoning method had simplified procedures so that even low-level Pleroma like Gelda Asmann could easily use it.

It was a moment when the three hours I spent talking with Gelta and extracting information wasn’t wasted.

I folded the paper and gave it to Fai.

“Here.”

“What about Lucas?”

“I have something to handle. I’ll follow in a little bit.”

“Come quickly!”

Fai mumbled due to the documents in his mouth and waved his front paw.

Even though I didn’t use magic to send him back, perhaps Narke had already woken up and was working between the two worlds, as Fai immediately disappeared from before my eyes.

I stood up from my seat and looked around.

Tomorrow, Pleroma would realize that all their plans had come to nothing. The Empire would be filled with anti-Pleroma sentiment, and perhaps Pleroma might launch another retaliatory attack.

‘I’ll think about what comes after when the time comes.’

Right now, I need to deal with Gelda Asmann.

I’m not trying to kill her.

There’s little practical benefit to be gained from killing personnel that can be replaced at any time.

And…

I picked up the other paper that Kopfmann had been holding and dropped.

[November Brandenburg Archdiocese, District 1 (North) Execution Report]

The document I had given to Fai earlier was written on October 25th. But the day the two Asmans died in an accident was November 29th.

The carriage overturned in the rain wasn’t an accident.

It wasn’t a matter of dragging them in to make use of them after they died, but a planned crime that started with murder.

Turning the page, I could find Gelda Asmann’s name.

The routes frequently used by carriages, locations where accidents had frequently occurred over the past year, the lifestyle patterns of the sixty-year-old Gelda Asmann and Avin Asmann, ideological re-education direction…

“…”

I felt my stomach churning.

Perhaps because there was nothing that could be undone, no matter how much I tried to erase my reason with drugs, I couldn’t forget the sixty-year-olds I had met.

If this hadn’t happened, I would have forgotten them quickly. But the reality of defiling innocent people even after death, making it impossible to close my eyes to it, constantly drags them back up.

I read the words written at the end of the paper again.

‘Ideological re-education.’

What it means is obvious.

Just because magic was applied doesn’t mean I’m trying to defend the crimes Asman committed. Also, I think his very existence is a desecration of Gelda Asmann when she was alive.

But if you ask whether Asman’s choice was entirely his own choice, I don’t think Gelda Asmann is at the absolute center of evil on that point.

‘…It’s not too late yet.’

The kidnapped children have arrived here, but they’re still in their sleeping state.

So, on the premise of sending people back, there are two options I’ll propose.

‘Either acknowledge that you were created wrongly and close your eyes…’

Or pay for your sins even now and live as a different person from the original Gelda Asmann.

‘And.’

There was one more thing that gave me a headache.

If Asman chooses the latter, I need to sort out my emotions.

I felt the inside pocket of my jacket.

Along with the antidote, I grasped the bottle of medicine with the opposite effect that I had been carrying in case it didn’t work.

Now it’s time to finish this.

* * *

When I returned to the cathedral, I could see Gelta sitting in a suitable spot, waiting for me.

Unlike before, she had no expression, but from the atmosphere, it seemed she had noticed that I had done something against her interests, even if she didn’t know the details.

“…”

I knew she would have roughly figured it out.

Since my proposal isn’t particularly good content either, it wouldn’t be bad if she understood in advance.

Then Gelta quietly opened her mouth.

“Did you kill Mr. Kopfmann?”

“No.”

I answered as I sat across from him.

“Why did you think that?”

“The connection was cut off not long after you left.”

“I see there’s such a thing.”

“He won’t answer even if I ask now.”

“Yes. I didn’t come to ask more questions either.”

I continued speaking, feeling something aching somewhere in my heart due to the drug’s effects.

“I’m sorry to have to say this, but you need to make a decision now.”

“What kind?”

“You are the result created by reviving the already dead Gelda Asmann and then turning back time.”

“…”

“You know well that you are an existence that doesn’t fit the natural order. The original living Gelda Asmann wasn’t someone who would hand over children to unethical religious groups like you do.”

Gelta just looked at me without saying anything.

Looking at that expressionless face, I continued.

“Decide. Whether you’ll let the living Mr. Asmann go as he was, or return to society to pay for your sins and live. If you’re thinking of choosing to remain with Pleroma, I can tell you that you’ll likely be cut off soon with high probability.”

“You must be someone important in that world?”

“If you choose the latter, I’m saying I can help you during the investigation process.”

“Haha…”

Asman burst into laughter.

“Do you want me to choose death?”

“No.”

If I had taken the antidote, my answer would be different, but not now.

Even though sympathy was involved, in fact, if Pleroma’s brainwashing was removed from him, he was someone who would be fine whether he lived or died by calculation.

Then Gelta nodded and brought up a different topic.

“Let me ask this first. You used me, didn’t you?”

“…”

If I’m going to give him the medicine, it would be better to concede on this issue.

The moment I was about to open my mouth, my ears became muffled.

“…!”

It didn’t take long to realize something was wrong.

When I grabbed my head, everything went black before my eyes.

* * *

I got up from my seat, almost having a seizure.

A memory I didn’t particularly want to recall played in my head, and I had to wait patiently until that scene ended.

“You’re awake.”

Going back my ass…

I let out a hollow laugh and exhaled.

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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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