How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 81

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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 (81)

In an instant, the hall became as quiet as a mouse.

“What did you say?”

“…This is unacceptable. Didn’t you clearly say he hadn’t even been baptized!”

Narke maintained a gentle smile as he answered.

“These are the words of His Holiness the Pope. Lord Nicolaus Ernst has fulfilled all four requirements.”

“Does His Holiness the Pope truly guarantee this?”

“Surely His Holiness has now bestowed baptism upon him…. He was clearly unqualified!”

The priest who had tried to block the ordination through various councils raised his voice.

Narke put on a deliberately puzzled expression.

“Are you saying that Father Roman doubts the infallibility of His Holiness the Pope?”

“…That’s not what I…!”

“The Pope is absolutely infallible in matters of faith and belief—this was officially recognized at the Vatican Council. Since Father Roman mentioned it directly, I trust you know this well.”

Just then, the messenger bird from earlier perched on the window.

Narke untied and read the paper attached to its leg, then smiled at the speechless priest and bishops.

“With this, the review meeting recognized by the Papacy is concluded. It was good to see you after so long. Let’s talk later.”

* * *

―”Faithful service… what exactly do you mean by that?”

I asked while looking at the empty interior of the confessional.

―”As my official advisory body, I hope you will directly participate in the Church’s decision-making regarding divine power and security.”

The Pope’s advisory body.

He was telling me to become a cardinal.

Though I couldn’t see anything, I could clearly sense he was waiting for my response.

―”It is an honor, Your Holiness.”

―”Good. Now, in 40 minutes, at the stroke of midnight on the 11th, Lord Ernst will become a member of the College of Cardinals. I hope you will fulfill your duties as a pillar of the Church.”

―”I will do so.”

At that moment, a Papal wand appeared in the air.

It was the wand I had seen with Narke, one that only clergy of the Papacy could wield.

The Pope’s gentle voice reached me.

―”Try holding it once.”

When I carefully took the wand, it naturally fit in my hand as if it had been mine from the beginning.

When I turned it once, it amazingly transformed into the Ascanien wand I had been using.

―”I’ll give you a proper one at the ordination ceremony. Its functions aren’t perfect yet.”

―”…I had no idea. It already seemed perfectly complete to me.”

―”You’ll be surprised once more at the ordination ceremony.”

I could hear the Pope’s amused tone.

―”Your cardinal appointment will also be announced to the world for the first time at the ordination ceremony, not now. We’ll schedule the ordination when you’re ready.”

―”Understood.”

‘…Hmm.’

Can the Pope read thoughts too?

I had been hoping the announcement would be delayed as much as possible.

It would be better to minimize the information about Nicolaus that reaches Hyung.

If I reveal my identity, Hyung will surely launch all sorts of attacks, but if he knows I’ve become a cardinal, there’s a higher chance he’ll hide his true nature and defend instead of attacking Nicolaus.

‘That won’t do.’

It’s better to let him attack freely in areas where I can win. I need to learn Hyung’s patterns too.

―”Congratulations in advance on becoming a member of the Roman Curia, Cardinal Ernst. I’ll see you later.”

With those words, wind was suddenly sucked into the confessional.

* * *

“Your Eminence, please listen to what I have to say for just a moment…!”

Bang―!

Narke pushed the priest aside without a moment’s hesitation and closed the door to the underground passage.

Seeing him smile the entire time, he seemed to have no regrets about leaving his birthplace.

“A gag order has been issued regarding the cardinal appointment. They’re only acting like that on the surface—now none of them will dare speak carelessly until the ordination ceremony.”

“I see.”

“Ah, do you know that news of your appointment will be announced later?”

“Yes, I heard.”

After that, Narke seemed excited and chattered the entire way.

When we reached the portal, I asked him.

“Come to think of it, you said I need to hide my identity, but aren’t you a secret cardinal yourself, Your Eminence?”

“No, I am.”

“…For someone like that, you seemed pretty casual about showing it?”

“Usually secret cardinals are overseas, but since I’ve been in the Vatican the whole time, it’s difficult to hide it thoroughly. So everyone has received gag orders… it seems to be working quite well.”

“We’ve arrived, Your Eminence.”

The priest who had been guiding us turned around in front of the blocked path.

We briefly greeted the priest and stood before the portal.

As I just stared at the bricks, Narke stepped back behind me and smiled.

“Shall I help?”

“No….”

Still, being the second time, I was able to pass through easily this time.

When we warped back to Leo’s mansion, bells began ringing from the distant clock tower.

The portal would now be completely closed.

Narke began speaking using divine power.

―”This turned out well for Bavaria too. His Majesty the King will be extremely pleased~”

―”If he can wait a bit until the announcement, then yes.”

―”It’s fine to tell friends and the royal family now. And that position is worth waiting a year for.”

―”Right. Thank you. Thanks to you, I can feel more at ease.”

―”Don’t mention it. Haha, is this similar to the gift Leo gave? Elias talked about Leo like that.”

It seems he used that expression when talking to Narke too.

It’s true that I was able to gain the safety net of holy orders thanks to this.

―”Yes.”

―”I’m glad. I’m happy you have one more safety net.”

―”….”

I let out a hollow laugh and opened the door leading downstairs.

―”Stop using that ability.”

―”Hahaha, alright.”

When we returned to the room, I was able to meet Elias and Leo.

Elias, who had been half-lying in his chair, grinned and got up.

“Oh, we just got back too. Did Luca finally come back after becoming an honorary priest~?”

Seeing Elias walk without crutches felt quite moving.

I examined Elias’s eye level, which seemed a bit higher than usual, and shook my head.

“No.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

Elias and Leo reacted simultaneously.

“There’s no way you wouldn’t qualify? That’s impossible! Well… should we eat something delicious before going to school?”

Suggesting we eat something delicious—the way he spoke was just like students our age, which made me laugh.

“What are you going to eat?”

“How about Château Latour? It’s perfect with lamb.”

“Hey!”

When drinking came up, Leo shouted angrily.

It was legally permissible age, but even so, students didn’t drink often.

“Why~ You drink at banquets anyway.”

“That’s because it’s a banquet. You want to drink when you have to attend class in seven hours?”

I watched the two debate whether there was a problem or not, then opened my mouth.

“Guys.”

“Yeah?”

“Sorry for not telling you earlier, but I don’t think we need to go drinking.”

“Why?”

“I was appointed not as a priest, but as a cardinal of deacon rank.”

Elias’s movement suddenly stopped. Leo also quickly showed a shocked expression.

“…What?”

Elias opened his mouth so wide I wondered how it was possible, let out a silent scream, then clapped his hands loudly.

“…All the more reason to drink!”

“…!”

“Haha, clergy shouldn’t get drunk~”

Narke restrained Elias while Leo, clearly unable to speak from rising blood pressure, remained silent.

“…Congratulations, Lucas. Now I’ll have to call you Your Eminence Cardinal at official events.”

Leo turned away from Elias and smiled as he spoke to me.

“Thanks. But not yet. It has to stay secret until the ordination ceremony.”

“There’s a separate ordination ceremony? Well, there wasn’t enough time.”

“Ah, this is the kind of thing we should be bragging about~ You accomplished what even Adrian Ascanien couldn’t do in 24 years!”

Elias shook his head while clapping, then asked.

“Right, will you be able to go to school tomorrow?”

“I have to. If I’m absent right after the news breaks, it might raise unnecessary suspicion.”

Anyway, if I just attend this week, it’ll be vacation.

Since I decided to stay at school during winter break, I can get proper treatment then.

“Really? That’s good. His Majesty the King actually told us about you.”

What story?

When I looked at him with that expression, Elias grinned and continued.

“About changing Lucas Ascanien’s image, right? That story.”

* * *

After making various plans, we were finally able to return to the dormitory at two in the morning.

The bed I had definitely slept in last night felt as unfamiliar as if I hadn’t slept in it for a month.

‘I actually couldn’t sleep in it for over four days.’

18 hours in reality was 4 days and 12 hours in Pleroma’s world.

I buried myself in the thick blanket and closed my eyes. There was no time to linger. I needed to recover quickly, so I should get plenty of sleep starting today.

And so, how much time had passed?

‘…’

Rustle―

I threw off the blanket and sat up.

‘I can’t sleep.’

From Asman to the cardinal appointment, so many things had happened in a short time that my eyes wouldn’t close easily.

And…

Naturally, not everyone who returned from this incident was alive.

Gelda Asman didn’t send the people she captured to her superiors, but other places weren’t the same.

‘It was only four hours, but… I thought I had forgotten about this incident a bit while visiting the Vatican.’

I misjudged.

The activities I had done so far were generally preventing future problems or incidents where I was the only victim.

This time too, I stopped the incident in its early stages, but regions where plans had been executed for a month or two already had countless casualties.

It wasn’t my fault or anything, but I couldn’t help feeling troubled.

Unless the Emperor and the Empire’s chancellor were replaced, these kinds of problems wouldn’t change.

‘For now, let me stop thinking about things that can’t be resolved right now. I need to sleep for at least two hours.’

Whatever I want to change, I need physical strength to support it.

Thinking it would be faster to get some fresh air to clear my distracting thoughts, I went up to the rooftop.

“Lucas!”

Fai was on my shoulder before I knew when he had arrived.

“Weren’t you sleeping?”

“Nope! Narke told me to go up.”

“Narke isn’t sleeping either?”

“Uh-uh. He said he has things to think about. He was playing with me until now~”

“I see.”

I sat in the rooftop chair and closed my eyes.

Feeling my hair flutter in the rushing wind…

Whoooosh―

‘The distracting thoughts do disappear.’

That was right, since it was hard to even breathe.

Fai shivered and went into my robe pocket.

“C-c-cold.”

“Me too.”

When I went back downstairs, I saw someone coming out from the opposite corridor.

It was Narke.

“Lucas, can’t sleep?”

“Yeah, seems like you’re the same.”

“Well, that’s right. I’m going to Leo’s training ground now, want to come?”

I nodded and warped to Leo’s training ground.

“…Huh? What?”

Leo, who had been sitting in the training ground with Elias, looked dumbfounded seeing us suddenly appear.

“Haha, I came to hang out with you guys~”

“How did you know we were here?”

“His ability isn’t new.”

At my words, Leo nodded reluctantly.

“But Narke aside, why aren’t you sleeping? You need to recover quickly.”

“It’s not that I didn’t sleep, I couldn’t sleep. And… aren’t you guys the same?”

I said as I sat in front of them.

Elias, who had been smiling happily at having more people, answered.

“Right. Lucas, you… because of Asman?”

I didn’t want to think about that part anymore, but it was partially true.

“…That too.”

“That too, and what else?”

“I read too many stories in today’s articles.”

“Mm, I know what you mean. Me too. What is the Imperial Court doing? That’s what I’m thinking.”

I knew it would be the same thought.

This time Leo didn’t react either.

Every time he stopped Elias was purely for his friend’s safety, but naturally he always had the same thoughts.

Elias’s eyes darkened.

“The Pleroma I newly encountered over there had already sent all the people upstairs. They said there was no one left to save. They said all the blood was drained in one day.”

“…”

“Did you hear what people are saying about us? Hero of the century, all sorts of things.”

Elias let out a light laugh and shrugged his shoulders.

“That embarrassing title means this society can’t even do the basics. The Imperial Court exists in that position to prevent these kinds of incidents. But…”

I knew from the novel that when Elias gets serious, he becomes endlessly serious, but seeing him speak without a single curse word was refreshing.

Leo looked at him with a complicated expression.

Elias let out a breath and spoke with a detached face.

“…Forget it. There’s no need to dig into this. There’s only one way now.”

“What is it.”

“Now we… have no choice but to crack Uncle’s head open.”

“What are you talking about?!”

“Hahaha! I’ll join you, Elias.”

“Aren’t you a foreigner? Since when have you lived in this country?”

“As long as our hearts are connected, that’s enough~”

Knowing how this would turn out, I couldn’t laugh along. Because it would actually become reality.

‘And from this point on, the Emperor won’t stay idle either.’

After Heiligenstadt, the Emperor only waited for the right time to eliminate Elias.

Of course, through that process, more people came to support Elias and public opinion for the Emperor’s abdication grew fierce, but the Emperor wasn’t a fool either. Naturally, he acted like he cherished his nephew dearly in the beginning.

And I, who was in the same boat as Elias, would also become the Emperor’s target.

But there was no problem. The protagonist always navigated situations well.

I just needed to fend off the dangers that arose differently from the novel’s development.

Elias giggled then gradually erased his expression.

“Really though. I need to knock the crown off that head.”

“…”

“Those people must have thought the same, right? Right before dying, what is my lord, what is my country even doing? They must have had such thoughts.”

Everyone looked at Elias in silence.

His voice began to gain strength gradually.

“I won’t make people think such things, at least.”

“…”

“I can do better. Unlike Uncle, I’ll try until the day I die.”

“…Elias, that’s something you won’t know until you actually ascend. Of course, I’m not saying you’ll become like His Majesty Friedrich, but you can’t confirm anything without being in that situation.”

“Aha, so this is what happens when you study so hard and become a know-it-all~”

Leo narrowed his eyebrows and looked at Elias.

“If I can’t govern well, I still need to ascend to that position, even if it’s to place someone more excellent than me there.”

“…”

Elias grinned and smacked Leo’s back.

“For example, someone like you, Leo. Ah, how great it would be if you were a Hohenzollern. I’d love to elevate Bavaria as the Empire’s leader~”

“Don’t even mention it. Not if you don’t want to be executed.”

Leo widened his eyes and cut off those words.

His face showed he thought Elias was talking nonsense again just when he seemed to be getting serious.

I looked at the grinning Elias and said quietly.

“I’m not worried. You’ll do well, if it’s you.”

Elias widened his eyes then smiled brightly.

“Ah, as expected, only Luca immediately cheers me on~ Learn from him, Leo!”

“Learn what? I should be stopping you too, who else is going to stop you!”

“Hahaha, that’s true.”

Elias leaned his body as if almost lying down and looked at me.

“Ah, right. Actually, there’s news that just arrived, so I was going to call you tomorrow morning, but you came at perfect timing.”

“Mm, yeah. What is it?”

Elias pressed his lips together then shrugged and said.

“The Emperor wants to see you, Luca.”

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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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