Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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“…….”
“Why, did you come all this way without even knowing that much?”
“Using my subordinates as hostages….”
Ainsidel stared at me blankly before bursting into laughter.
“Hahaha! Good.”
Thwack—
He warped right in front of me in an instant and seized my cheek with one hand.
“You need that kind of spirit to make it worth the long haul. Don’t you think?”
I slapped his hand away as I answered.
“Who knows. I’m not planning to stick around that long.”
“Hmm, no. You’ll be around for a good while. I’m quite taken with you, Your Excellency.”
The same line as always.
He peered straight into my face and muttered.
“No clue how you figured me out, but a busy man like you personally waiting for me? Touching. So you’ve prepared some gifts in return. Like rounding up all my subordinates….”
He swept his gaze around the empty cathedral before grabbing my shoulder.
“And you being here all alone. You’ve got some plan for me, right?”
“Yeah, naturally.”
I replied with a smile.
He let out another booming laugh and stomped his foot.
In that instant, the entire landscape turned blindingly white.
“…….”
“You think just anyone can climb to bishop?”
His form had vanished.
I felt someone grab my collar. At the same time, his figure finally materialized.
“Bern must’ve been too weak. Definitely not quite bishop material.”
“That’s true.”
“Hahaha! We really click like this. But his brains spun well enough. A bit more time, and he might’ve mass-produced those ridiculous mosquitoes. Even risen to prime minister as a spy someday….”
Boom—!
A pitch-black strike hurtled right up to my eyes.
Ainsidel muttered at my blank expression.
“Doesn’t faze you at all. I like that. If the one who killed Bern wasn’t even this good, I’d have been disappointed.”
Of course, I was using double-space magic too.
It shatters under threshold-level shocks, but channeling mana beforehand lets me block hits easily.
The drawback? I can’t cast anything beyond it either.
Though today, since I’d come to talk, it was the perfect defense.
“Then… let’s drop the magic. I know exactly what you’re using. A spell I’ve taken a real shine to lately.”
Ainsidel slipped his foot between mine, shoved my shoulder, and slammed a hard kick into my ankle.
Boom—!
“…….”
“Key flaw there. You can still touch things. And I’m pretty confident in my fists, so that’s fine, right?”
Of course he would be. Stamina higher than Elias’s—how could he not?
People get careless the moment they feel cocky.
I smiled, and he froze mid-motion.
His eyes flew wide as he snapped his head up.
Boom—!
A thunderous roar echoed, and the space magic he’d deployed collapsed.
Far off at the cathedral entrance, Narke grinned at him after slamming his staff down at a slant.
“Wrong mark, Nikolaus.”
Ainsidel stood frozen in shock for a moment before quickly regaining his poise and muttering.
“…How’d you break through? I only have business with Nikolaus.”
“Who knows. If we’re splitting hairs, I have business with you.”
Narke spoke with an enigmatic smile.
“I’ve come to negotiate.”
“No interest in dealing with some stranger.”
“Too bad—I do.”
Maybe it was because I’d only ever seen him brush things off with a casual “Haha, got it~” and a laugh, but it’d been ages since I’d seen him mix in a smile while turning dead serious.
Ainsidel eyed Narke up and down before muttering in disappointment.
“You give off the same vibe as Nikolaus, so why bait with the dull option?”
Because he’d shown such peculiar interest only in me—the one who’d handled Werner Strauch—I was the ideal choice to pin him down.
But no reason to spell it out. He’d start wondering when I’d clocked him.
Narke simply trained his staff on him without a word.
“Step aside.”
“Hmm? I haven’t done a thing. Worried Nikolaus can’t get up because of me? Might wanna try trusting your ally for once.”
“Haha, not much for logic, are you.”
Boom—!
Narke’s divine power scattered the Vitriol barreling toward me.
The crisp efficiency of his movements told me he wasn’t even tapping half his strength.
Ainsidel arched a brow. A spark flared briefly in his sleepy, half-lidded eyes.
“This one’s not under that spell. Would’ve preferred Your Excellency Nikolaus at full strength over you….”
He pulled back the Vitriol and spoke.
His face now radiated a gentle warmth.
“Fine. You want something from me, right?”
“Hmm, now you’re talking sense.”
“Even so, two Nikolauses… wait, no—one extra? Three’s a crowd. And I don’t care for violence. Prefer to host properly if I can.”
I blasted mana into the floor—just enough to keep the space magic intact—kicked off, and rose.
“You sure love dragging out your lack of confidence.”
“Facing you solo’s already a bust anyway. What else can I pick but cooperating here?”
He flashed a grin and perched on the pew.
“Spill it. What’d you want so bad you trashed the place?”
“Memory.”
“Memory…?”
“Gonna wipe yours.”
He scowled, then grinned wolfishly.
“Can’t. If I lose Bern’s memories too, that on you?”
“Yeah, don’t sweat it. Just need the last week.”
“A week?”
He rolled his eyes, lost in thought. Sizing up what we were after.
In the meantime, I glanced at Narke.
Week or no week—could we drop him right here?
‘…Problem’s his stats. Too dicey to take out.’
Bishop. Leadership in the Catacombs.
The faint mana wafting off him put him leagues beyond anyone I’d faced.
Sure, solid plan could handle anything, but if killing him now was feasible or urgent, Narke would’ve led hard. That snag alone.
Narke met my gaze, read my mind, and shook his head.
Timing off, or killing might boomerang.
Fair enough—he could flare space magic and tip off Pleroma in other dioceses.
Slim odds given his double-space monopoly, but desperation flips the script.
Ainsidel rubbed his chin and muttered.
“Then I forget your grand welcome today. Osnabrück cozying up to the Catacombs too. But what’s in it for me sans memories?”
“Don’t peg you for a haggler.”
My smirk made his brows shoot up in surprise before he beamed.
“Didn’t peg you for this type, Your Excellency.”
“…….”
“You’re spot-on. Handed me a gift, after all. Subordinates croaking? Not my circus…. But poof, all gone? My standing in the church takes a hit.”
“Sounds like a show worth watching.”
“You’ve got my weakness, so I’ll take it.”
He shoved a hand in his pocket and tipped his head at me. Even smiled at Narke.
Green light for the wipe, seemed like.
“…….”
Narke just stared him down, wand untouched.
Ditto for me.
Ainsidel chuckled.
“Not going for it? Dropped the space magic already.”
“Pull a stunt, and we’re done.”
“Sharp as ever. Man, all that suspicion….”
Boom—!
He stomped once, and something crashed down before me.
A person.
A kid just shy of school age, face drained white.
Ainsidel spoke in a flat tone.
“Fresh blood I snagged today. Was dreading drink-and-dump by EOD. Perfect timing.”
“…….”
“Wipe away. Heard it needs per-person tuning…. Divine power on my memories—kid’s brain survive the shock? Might fry permanent.”
‘Linked ’em up.’
Like his attendant with me earlier.
I drew my wand.
Far off, Narke swung his staff our way.
In a flash, floor-sweeping Vitriol swallowed the child.
“No good.”
“What’s no good?”
—Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.
Panic ghosted across Ainsidel’s eyes.
Then he steadied his wobble and snapped back to it. Laughing in astonishment.
“…Haha… ha! Not shielding the kid—knocking me out? You never disappoint, Your Excellency.”
Blood reek and veil mana hit at once. He’d chomped his tongue to counter my spell, no doubt.
Which meant one thing to check.
I smiled and nodded at Narke.
Boom—!
Narke’s golden mana shredded the Vitriol cocooning the child.
Kid was just terrified—no hand near his mouth.
I smirked at the sight.
“Knew it.”
“…Ah, clocking it like that.”
Ainsidel whistled sharp and flicked his wand. Narke incanted.
—Through faith you are guarded by God’s power!
Boom—!
The shock rang brief.
His Vitriol streaking for the kid dispersed in my divine power. Kid blinked out like a warp—Narke handing off to Lichtofen via space magic, for sure.
One takeaway from that quick block.
‘Didn’t drop the double space.’
“Releasing magic” was bullshit from jump. He was minding the veil too.
Didn’t know the guy deep, but his vibe screamed no standoff king. Bide time from here.
“…….”
Ainsidel stared stone-faced at Narke’s spot.
“Rack my brain—this setup’s zero fun.”
His footing blackened. A roar rattled my ears.
Narke two-handing his staff to parry Vitriol.
‘Thought to bide time, and he bails instant.’
Boom—!
Space went pitch as his Vitriol rushed me. I weighted my heels for balance.
‘This level, dropping double space gives me odds.’
But hold for cleaner win.
Situation being what it was, Leo’d jumped in too—blue mana kept flashing from somewhere.
Ainsidel pouring it on to hold ground, but three-on-one? That “not just anyone’s bishop” line rang true, no cap.
Fretting a rogue wipe, air kept thickening. Silhouettes only now.
“Bump power here, off all my crew?”
“Naturally.”
Narke grinned, unleashing divine power.
“One a minute to knock some sense in?”
“Haha, scary stuff. Just dragging time—got a request.”
“Let’s hear.”
“Hand over Nikolaus.”
Shocks booming, Narke’s laugh cut through. Then his silky tone.
“Shall we?”
I barked a hollow laugh.
Wondered Leo’s take. Probably facepalming.
Me? Same vibe, for a sec.
Abruptly, Vitriol cleared.
Narke—grinning like it was prime entertainment—leveled his staff at Ainsidel.
—Enter through the narrow gate.
No dice on him.
Double-space drop-redeploy’s a hassle, so he’d bulked the veil to repel.
Ainsidel cracked up.
“Selling out your buddy? Got a scheme?”
“Nope. How plan around someone I didn’t even know?”
“Nice. Feels like we’re syncing now. Still… trust needs collateral, yeah?”
Finger rub, and white light bloomed.
“…!”
No see-through sheen like Narke’s or mine, but divine power clear as day.
‘Like Strauch said—Pleroma can sling divine power.’
Proof staring back.
“…….”
Narke watched the glow, smiling serene.
“Nikolaus wins? I fold clean. He loses…. Your corpse. Today.”
The hell?
I stiffened, but Narke kept grinning.
“Nothing saying no. Why?”
“Skills look solid. Deal? You know my style.”
“Who doesn’t.”
Narke tapped his wand to his chest and addressed Ainsidel.
—Circumcise the flesh. This is the sign of the covenant between you and me!
Surroundings bleached white once more.
Just Ainsidel and me left now.
“Clean operator. Guess your pal trusts you big-time?”
Beats me—just glad a friend like Narke’s on team.
Thud—
Another kick my way. Fixing to fist as bragged. Clocked early that Vitriol wouldn’t crack my spell—sense lacking, but reads situations decent.
“Dropped mine too—fair shot?”
“…….”
“Release. Up you get, real attack.”
I gazed up at his face, stone-cold.
“Can’t swing even this? Scared it kills that guy?”
“Nah.”
“Nah?”
Ainsidel chuckled, stomped my left hand. Crushing weight piled on.
“…!”
Finger screamed agony.
I winced, and he piped up.
“Like…”
“…….”
“…this. Snapping fingers bare.”
Sure, doable now. But fake.
Drop space magic, resets fine.
I clenched my jaw, eyed his face.
“How’s one release too much?”
Too busy laughing to scout proper.
Crew? Whatever—locked on snagging Nikolaus.
Not eyeing my moves.
‘That formula from Narke….’
Perfect.
Still fresh.
Naturally—why else trust me here.
“Not hurting? Cocky you can Bern me anytime?”
Snap—white locks overhead vanished. Height dipped, skin tone deepened slight.
His eyes bugged. Emotions flashed too wild to parse the shock.
‘No helping that reaction.’
Nailed Werner Strauch’s look dead-on.
Boom—!
Full shove flipped him. Good arm clocked his eye.
“Urk!”
Shock hit his gaze.
Flipped to kill-vibe quick, but clock’s out.
Slammed his forehead to stone, mouth open.
—Enter through the narrow gate.